Black (Dierks Bentley album)

Last updated
Black
Dierks Bentley Black.jpg
Studio album by
Dierks Bentley
ReleasedMay 27, 2016
Genre Country
Length47:15
Label Capitol Records Nashville
Producer Ross Copperman
Dierks Bentley chronology
Riser
(2014)		Black
(2016)		 The Mountain
(2018)
Singles from Black
  1. "Somewhere on a Beach"
    Released: January 18, 2016
  2. "Different for Girls"
    Released: June 6, 2016
  3. "Black"
    Released: November 14, 2016
  4. "What the Hell Did I Say"
    Released: June 26, 2017

Black is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released on May 27, 2016, by Capitol Records Nashville. Bentley explained that this is a record about relationships, and follows the same person throughout the track listing going through them. The lead single, "Somewhere on a Beach", was released to radio on January 18, 2016. The album's second single, "Different for Girls" (featuring Elle King), was released to country radio on June 6, 2016. The album's title track was released to country radio as the third single on November 14, 2016. [1] "What the Hell Did I Say" was sent to country radio as the albums fourth and final single June 26, 2017. [2]

Contents

Black garnered positive reviews from critics, praising the blend of classic and modern country aesthetics and its exploration of mature themes. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 101,000 equivalent album units and 88,000 copies in the first week.

Summary

Bentley announced the album along with its first single "Somewhere on a Beach" on January 18, 2016, via his social media sites. [3] The second single, "Different for Girls" featuring Elle King, was released on June 6, 2016. The third single, also the title track, was released on November 14, 2016. The fourth single, "What the Hell Did I Say", was released on June 26, 2017.

Bentley also released a series of promo videos for "I'll Be the Moon", "What the Hell Did I Say", "Pick Up" and "Black".

In a statement about the album, Bentley said that although it bears the maiden name of his wife Cassidy, it tells a universal tale of hookups, breakups, and everything in between, shining a light on the things that occur after the sun goes down. He also noted that "It's a relationship album that covers the ups and downs of the journey and ends with some self-realization and evolvement. The song 'Black' helps set all of that in motion at the top of the album by guiding you into the darkness and the shadows of the night. The same guy who sings 'Somewhere On a Beach' winds up growing and having enough perspective to sing something introspective like 'Different for Girls'. By the last song, he's taking a look back on love and life." [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Music Connection 8/10 [6]
Newsday B+ [7]
The Plain Dealer A [8]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Indicating in a review by Rolling Stone , Stephen L. Betts says, "But what lifts Black past merely being a good concept album is an old-school musicality that never takes a backseat to modern-country conventionality." [9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, doing the review for AllMusic, describes, "It's mood music, sometimes playing as smooth as a seduction but better suited for moments of introspection when you're surrounded by a crowd and need to isolate." [5] Reviewing the album from Newsday , Glenn Gamboa writes, "expertly weaving styles and storytelling tricks to build memorable tales to sing along with." [7] Chuck Yarborough, giving a review of the album at The Plain Dealer , states, "It is a grownup album, with grownup themes, grownup lyrics and grownup performances, especially from Bentley with his pen and on the microphone." [8] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed two tracks from the album on his top 10 list of Bentley's best songs: the title track at number three and "Different for Girls" at number six. [10]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 with 101,000 equivalent album units; it sold 88,000 copies in its first week. [11] It was the best-selling album of the week. [11] Black became Bentley's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 and largest sales week. [11] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 22, 2017. [12] The album has sold 276,400 copies in the US as of November 2017. [13]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Black"
3:30
2."Pick Up"
3:34
3."I'll Be the Moon" (featuring Maren Morris)
3:30
4."What the Hell Did I Say"
3:27
5."Somewhere on a Beach"
  • Michael Tyler
  • Jaron Boyer
  • Alexander Palmer
  • Dave Kuncio
  • Josh Mirenda
3:17
6."Freedom"
  • Bentley
  • Copperman
  • Gorley
3:36
7."Why Do I Feel"
3:59
8."Roses and a Time Machine"
  • Luke Dick
  • Adam James
3:39
9."All the Way to Me"
  • Bentley
  • Dick
  • Scooter Carusoe
3:39
10."Different for Girls" (featuring Elle King)
3:00
11."Mardi Gras" (featuring Trombone Shorty)
3:50
12."Light It Up"
3:36
13."Can't Be Replaced"
5:38
Total length:47:15

Personnel

Charts

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US Country
[23] 		US Country Airplay
[24] 		US
[25] 		CAN Country
[26] 		CAN
[27]
2016"Somewhere on a Beach"1135159
  • US: 3× Platinum [28]
  • CAN: Platinum [29]
"Different for Girls"3142149
  • US: 2× Platinum [30]
  • CAN: Platinum [31]
"Black"4256874
2017"What the Hell Did I Say"3546———
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [34] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, editions, and reference
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelEdition(s)Ref
United KingdomMay 27, 2016 Capitol Nashville Standard [35]
United States [36]
August 12, 2016 Vinyl [37]

Notes

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    References

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    2. ↑ "Dierks Bentley's 'Black' Marks Third-Straight No. 1 Single". CMT. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
    3. ↑ Dierks Bentley, “Somewhere On a Beach” [Listen]
    4. ↑ Dierks Bentley Reveals Details for Upcoming 'Black' Album
    5. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 27, 2016). "Black – Dierks Bentley | Review". AllMusic . Retrieved May 27, 2016.
    6. ↑ Wirdan, Jonathan (June 7, 2016). "Music Album Review: Dierks Bentley – "Black" (8/10)". Music Connection . Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    7. 1 2 Gamboa, Glenn (May 25, 2016). "'Black' review: Dierks Bentley tackles solid relationship storytelling". Newsday . Retrieved May 27, 2016.
    8. 1 2 Yarborough, Chuck (May 16, 2016). "Dierks Bentley scores with relationship concept album, 'Black' (CD review)". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved May 27, 2016.
    9. 1 2 Betts, Stephen L. (May 27, 2016). "Dierks Bentley's New Album: Black". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 28, 2016.
    10. ↑ Dauphin, Chuck (July 14, 2017). "Dierks Bentley's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
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    29. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Somewhere on a Beach". Music Canada.
    30. ↑ "American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Different for Girls". Recording Industry Association of America.
    31. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Different for Girls". Music Canada.
    32. ↑ "American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Black". Recording Industry Association of America.
    33. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Black". Music Canada.
    34. ↑ "American album certifications – Dierks Bentley – Black". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 28, 2022.
    35. ↑ "Black– Album by Dierks Bentley". United Kingdom. May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
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    37. ↑ "Black Vinyl Album". Dierks Bentley Store. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
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