Bebe Rexha is looking back at one of the biggest hits of her career and making her feelings about its Grammy history clear. Marking the ninth anniversary of “Meant to Be,” the singer took to X to argue that the country-pop collaboration with Florida Georgia Line should have won a Grammy, reigniting a conversation about the song’s remarkable commercial success.
“Meant to be should have won a Grammy. Sorry not sorry,” Bebe Rexha wrote. She followed up by asking fans, “Who won best country the year meant to be was nominated? I forgot.” The award ultimately went to Dan + Shay for “Tequila,” which won Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
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Released on October 24, 2017, “Meant to Be” appeared on Rexha’s EP All Your Fault: Pt. 2 before also featuring on her 2018 debut studio album, Expectations. Featuring Florida Georgia Line, the track blended country instrumentation with accessible pop songwriting, helping it reach listeners well beyond either artist’s established audience.
The song’s chart performance made a particularly strong case for its place in music history. “Meant to Be” debuted at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, before climbing to No. 2, where it was held off the summit by Drake’s “God’s Plan.” The result remains Rexha’s highest position on the chart, surpassing her earlier hit “Me, Myself & I.”
Its impact was even more pronounced on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. “Meant to Be” debuted at No. 1, making Bebe Rexha the first female artist to open at the summit following the chart’s transition to a formula combining airplay, streaming and sales. The collaboration eventually spent 50 weeks at No. 1, setting a record for the chart before Kane Brown’s “Lose It” ended its run in 2018. It also surpassed Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” as the longest-running Hot Country Songs No. 1 by a lead female artist.
The song’s commercial achievements continued long after its original release. In 2020, “Meant to Be” received Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, recognizing 10 million units in the United States.
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