Justin Timberlake scores first number one on U.S. country chart

Justin Timberlake has landed his first number one hit on the U.S. country airplay chart with his song Drink You Away.

The track was released on the singer's 2013 album The 20/20 Experience, but it got a boost when he performed the song with pal Chris Stapleton at the Country Music Association Awards in November (15).

Since then, Drink You Away has been slowly climbing up Billboard's Country Airplay chart and for the first time as a soloist, Timberlake has landed the top spot.

He previously scaled the same chart in 1999, when 'N Sync reached number three with God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You, which country group Alabama reworked with the boy band.

Timberlake and Stapleton's performance, which also featured a duet of the country star's Tennessee Whiskey, was a standout set during the CMA Awards. Stapleton had a big night at the prizegiving, picking up all three trophies for which he was nominated, including Album of the Year for Traveller.

Timberlake previously expressed his desire to make it big on the country scene, disclosing on SiriusXM radio channel The Highway in 2013 his dreams of becoming a superstar in the musical genre are "still alive".

"I still got my eyes on a Best Country Album,' he smiled. "There's time for that."

The star also noted country music has been a huge part of his life ever since he was a little boy.

"I just did an interview earlier today and I said 'I'm America, that's what I am -- in all sense of the word," he said on the broadcast. " I grew up outside of Memphis, Tennessee, and I listened to country music, R&B music, classic rock... everything."