What's Your Country Song
"What's Your Country Song" | ||||
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Single by Thomas Rhett | ||||
from the album Country Again: Side A | ||||
Written | 2019 | |||
Released | November 11, 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:51 | |||
Label | Valory | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Thomas Rhett singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"What's Your Country Song" on YouTube |
"What's Your Country Song" is a song recorded by American country pop singer Thomas Rhett for his fifth studio album, Country Again: Side A (2021). The song was written by Rhett, Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, Parker Welling, and Rhett Akins, while produced by Frasure and Dann Huff. The song was inspired by Rhett's road travels across the United States. It was released by Valory on November 11, 2020, as the lead single from the album. The lyrics include a series of questions and directly reference the titles of 16 other country songs, including Akins' "That Ain't My Truck". The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, particularly for its nostalgic quality and referential lyrics.
The song reached number one on the US
Background and production
Rhett wrote "What's Your Country Song" in mid-2019 with his father
According to Rhett, the song was difficult to write because the
Music and lyrics
Musically, "What's Your Country Song" is a country and country rock track,[8][9] and has a length of two minutes and 51 seconds.[10] It features an electric guitar solo by Huff and additional instrumentals, including acoustic, steel, and bass guitars, Dobro, ganjo, piano, and drums.[7] The lyrics include a series of questions about one's life and memories, culminating in the title question about one's favorite country song.[1][11] Explaining the intent, Rhett stated that the song "really is just about, what is your country song?", and it was written to evoke a feeling of nostalgia in the listener.[2] Rhett references the titles of many other country songs, including both classic hits and newer songs.[12] The writers experimented with various combinations of song titles and produced multiple versions of "What's Your Country Song" before finalizing the list.[5] The 16 country songs referenced in the released version are:[12]
- "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" by Alan Jackson
- "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" by Hank Williams Jr.
- "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard
- "Dixieland Delight" by Alabama
- "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson
- "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" by Jake Owen
- "Turn Your Radio On" by Ray Stevens
- "All My Ex's Live in Texas" by George Strait
- "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank Williams
- "Heartbroke" by Ricky Skaggs
- "That Ain't My Truck" by Rhett Akins
- "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
- "Neon Moon" by Brooks & Dunn
- "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" by Barbara Mandrell
- "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter
- "Family Tradition" by Hank Williams Jr.
The song's lyrical style has been compared to "90's Country", a song by Walker Hayes with lyrics that reference the titles of 22 country songs from the 1990s.[12][13] According to Rhett, each of the songs referenced in "What's Your Country Song" was influential to his artistic development.[12]
Release and promotion
Rhett posted a slow-tempo acoustic clip of "What's Your Country Song" on his Instagram account in April 2020, shortly after he began quarantining at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The video received favorable comments from fellow country singers, including Jake Owen and Jimmie Allen, and was viewed over one million times.[2][14] Rhett teased the song's cover art via his Twitter account on November 6, 2020.[15] The song was released as the lead single from Country Again: Side A on November 11, 2020, the same day as the 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards, where Rhett received two nominations.[2]
In April 2021, Rhett performed "
Critical reception
James Daykin of Lyric Magazine named "What's Your Country Song" as the best song on Country Again: Side A, calling it a "glorious, slick, smooth nod to the great country songs of the past" and favorably making a comparison to Old Dominion's "Song for Another Time", which similarly references the titles of classic songs.[19] Madeline Christy, writing for Off the Record, praised the song's "nostalgic lyrics",[20] and Madeline Crone of American Songwriter described it as a celebration of the country music community following a divisive year.[21] Providing a mixed review for MusicRow, Robert K. Oermann characterized the song as an "anthem with an uplifting mood", but criticized the production and audio quality.[22] In a less favorable review, a reviewer for the Shenzhen Daily called the song "nothing brand-new or earth shattering" compared to Rhett's previous work, but conceded that it is "simple, relatable, and enjoyable".[23]
The song reached number one on the US
Music video
Rhett posted a brief clip of the music video for "What's Your Country Song" via social media on November 11, 2020, the day of the song's release. The full music video was released on Rhett's YouTube channel two days later.[33] It was directed by TK McKamy,[34] who directed many of Rhett's previous music videos, including "Crash and Burn",[35] "Die a Happy Man",[36] and "Marry Me".[37] Rhett said that he wanted the music video to remind viewers of a familiar moment in their life and capture the feeling of listening to a nostalgic song.[34]
The music video is composed of interspersed clips of a family living in the countryside, performing various activities including chasing chickens on a farm, attending a bonfire, and singing with friends.[38][39] Part of the video was filmed during the homecoming football game at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, featuring the school's football team and cheerleaders.[40] The clips are intercut with shots of Rhett walking through a cornfield and playing guitar.[38][41] The music video was produced with film grain quality video and an autumn color palette.[39][34] The visual was nominated for Male Video of the Year at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.[42]
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Country Again: Side A.[7]
- Tyler Chiarelli – Dobro
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Jesse Frasure – acoustic guitar, programming, synth bass
- Dann Huff – electric guitar, electric guitar solo, ganjo
- David Huff– programming
- Charlie Judge – keyboards, piano
- Chris Kimmerer – drums
- Justin Niebank – programming
- Josh Reedy – background vocals
- Thomas Rhett – lead vocals, background vocals
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar
- Ilya Toshinsky– acoustic guitar
- Derek Wells – electric guitar
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada)[31] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[28] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
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- ^ Bonaguro, Alison (August 30, 2018). "The 22 Songs Walker Hayes Wove Into '90's Country'". CMT News. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
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