Letter to You (song)

Last updated
"Letter to You"
Single by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
from the album Letter to You
ReleasedSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)
Studio Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States
Genre
Length4:55
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band singles chronology
"Western Stars"
(2019)		"Letter to You"
(2020)		"Ghosts"
(2020)

"Letter to You" is a 2020 single by American heartland rock band Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The song was released as a lead-in for the album of the same name on September 10, 2020. [3] The song has received critical praise.

Contents

Critical reception

Kory Grow of Rolling Stone situates the song as part of a tradition in Springsteen's songwriting with his trademark earnestness and urgency but notes that, "Springsteen sings about exploring his inner self without truly divulging all that much... [and] Springsteen may never fully reveal himself, but the song still feels like a full picture because of the way he and his bandmates trust in themselves and each other musically." [4] Dylan Jones of GQ considers the song epic and uses his review as an overview of Springsteen's career in combining strong storytelling in his songs with his shifts in musical genre, including "the poppy vein of his recent" work. [5]

Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork Media calls the song "a heartfelt tribute to those ties that bind", noting how Springsteen's work with the E Street Band "is his conduit toward transcendence, community, and emotional uplift" and how those qualities are particularly needed in the present day. [1] Writing for NJ.com, Bobby Olivier ranked 326 Bruce Springsteen songs, with this one coming in at 161 for being "familiarly forceful and earnest" and "strong, catchy and bodes well for the highly anticipated album coming". [6]

Personnel

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Technical personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "Letter to You"
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders) [7] 12
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia) [8] 37
Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [9] 49
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [10] 98
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [11] 34
US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [12] 28
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 1

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References

  1. 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (September 10, 2020). "'Letter to You' by Bruce Springsteen Review". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  2. ↑ Olivier, Bobby (October 23, 2020). "All 12 of Springsteen's New Letter to You Tracks, Ranked Best to Worst". NJ.com . Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Announces Letter to You, New Rock Album with E Street Band". Rolling Stone . September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  4. ↑ Grow, Kory (September 11, 2020). "Bruce Springsteen's Raw Energy Makes 'Letter to You' a Song You Need to Know". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ Jones, Dylan (September 11, 2020). "Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You Already Feels Like an Epic". GQ . Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ Olivier, Bobby (September 23, 2020). "All 326 Bruce Springsteen Songs, Ranked: 2020 Update, Including 'Letter to You'". NJ.com . Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Letter to You" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Letter to You" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Letter to You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen the E Street Band Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
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