Junebug (song)

Last updated

"Junebug"
Junebug - Robert Francis.jpeg
Single by Robert Francis
from the album Before Nightfall
B-side "Nightfall"
ReleasedJanuary 4, 2010 (2010-01-04)
Genre
Length3:56
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
  • Robert Francis
Producer(s) Dave Sardy
Robert Francis singles chronology
"Junebug"
(2010)
"Keep on Running"
(2010)

"Junebug" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Robert Francis. The song was released on 2009 through Atlantic Records, as the lead single from his second studio album, Before Nightfall (2009).

Contents

Background

Prior to recording his major label debut, Before Nightfall, Francis had a five-year relationship fall apart. "Junebug" was written about the affair, with Francis remarking, "It goes into a lot more explicit detail than a lot of other songs about how tumultuous [it] was." [1] He told Redefine magazine that the theme of the song was the "dissipation of a relationship," noting that most of the Before Nightfall album is similarly about "growing apart from the person you love." [2]

The song was first released for digital download and was made iTunes' Single of the Week for the week of October 11, 2009. [1] Francis promoted the song with appearances on Last Call with Carson Daly and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno .

Commercial performance

It was one of the top ten commercial airplay hits across Europe during the summer of 2010, alongside singles by Train, Owl City and Katy Perry. It debuted at number 11 on June 26, 2010, [3] peaking at number eight on July 10. [4] It performed best in France, where it reached number one. [5] [6] It was purported to be the second best-selling single in France for 2010. [7]

"Junebug" is Francis' best-performing single. Its success contributed to his decision to part ways with major label Atlantic Records. In a later interview, he remarked:

["Junebug"] was part of the reason I had a falling out with Atlantic. They wanted five more "Junebug" songs. It's always nice to hear your song on the radio, but for the most part, I fought so hard for my albums that I don't want to be a singles-driven artist. [8]

Track listing

  1. "Junebug" – 3:56
  2. "Mescaline" (Paris Sessions) – 5:02
  1. "Junebug" – 3:56
  2. "Mescaline" (Paris Sessions) – 5:02
  3. "Wild Horses" (Paris Sessions) – 5:00
  1. "Junebug" – 3:56
  2. "Nightfall" – 3:25
  3. "Try" - 4:02

Personnel

Credits adapted from the 7" single sleeve. [11]

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [12] 45
European Airplay ( Billboard ) [4] 8
France [5] [6] 1
Germany (Official German Charts) [13] 26
Portugal (AFP) [14] 25
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [15] 22

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References

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  3. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 122, no. 25. July 10, 2010. ISSN   0006-2510.
  4. 1 2 "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 122, no. 27. July 10, 2010. ISSN   0006-2510.
  5. 1 2 DeRose, Nicole (December 2, 2015). "* LISTEN * to a Q&A with ROBERT FRANCIS Who Recently Covered Landmark Jazz Album "Valentine" By Chet Baker". AllAccess Media Group. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Ragogna, Mike (May 30, 2012). "Strangers in the First Place : Another Conversation With Robert Francis". HuffPost . Retrieved May 13, 2019.
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  8. Lothspeich, Dustin. "The Heavenly Robert Francis". SoundDiego. NBC San Diego. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
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  10. "Junebug – Single by Robert Francis on Apple Music". iTunes . May 19, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Junebug / Nightfall (liner notes). Robert Francis. US: Atlantic Records. 522173-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. "Robert Francis – Junebug" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  13. "Robert Francis – Junebug" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  14. "Robert Francis – Junebug". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  15. "Robert Francis – Junebug". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 13, 2019.