Tyler man Fritz Hager III’s album tops iTunes pop charts at No. 1, No. 7 in all genres | Arts & Entertainment

A Tyler man aspiring to be a career musician is another step closer to making his dreams come true.

Fritz Hager III, 22, reached a milestone Thursday night when his self-titled EP topped the iTunes charts as the No. 1 album in the Pop genre, above popular pop artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, Adele and Harry Styles, to name a few. On top of that, the EP was steadily climbing the all genres chart, sitting at the No. 7 overall album Thursday night.

Hager, who is one of the top 10 contestants on the current season of “American Idol,” released the EP on March 24. The album features five songs, including “Inconsequential Love,” which he performed on a recent episode that brought a lot of emotion out of the judges.

Hager took to social media on Thursday as the news unfolded, going live on Instagram and posting updates on Twitter and Facebook. On Thursday morning, the album was initially at No. 104 on the pop charts and by that night, it had climbed all the way to the top.

“I’m still in shock right now. This afternoon, in just a few hours, my debut EP climbed the pop charts to #1, and is currently #7 overall,” Hager wrote on social media Thursday night. “All I can say is thank you to everyone who listened, everyone who backed the kickstarter, and the amazing people who helped make it possible. … This is such a dream and it’s only the beginning. And thanks to (“American Idol”) for starting this whole thing. Just. Thank you.”

Hager also credited his producer Mauldin Productions, distributor Smith Music and thanked Chad Mauldin, Jackson Mauldin, Gary Patrick, Milo Deering and Christian Dorn for their parts on the record along with the co-writes by Leah Marlene, another top 10 contestant on this season of “American Idol.”

Guys pic.twitter.com/zhfoGfkSYi

— Fritz Hager 3 (@fritzhagermusic) April 29, 2022

Hager’s EP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. 

Hager recently announced on the show that he quit his job working as a security guard in Tyler to fully focus on his music career, something he’s always wanted to pursue.

Thank you. Just thank you.

— Fritz Hager 3 (@fritzhagermusic) April 29, 2022

The national singing competition has been an experience Hager is extremely grateful for, he previously told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. 

Hager will perform on Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol,” which is set to air at 7 p.m. on ABC. 

Fritz Hager III, who is a top 10 contestant on “American Idol,” started his day Thursday with the news his self-titled EP reached No. 104 on the iTunes Pop Charts. By that night, the album climbed all the way to the No. 1 spot.