Single White Female (album)

Last updated
Single White Female
Wright swf.jpg
Studio album by
Chely Wright
ReleasedMay 18, 1999 (1999-05-18)
RecordedJanuary 1999
Genre Country
Length38:33
Label MCA Nashville
Producer Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, Norro Wilson
Chely Wright chronology
Let Me In
(1997)		Single White Female
(1999)		 Never Love You Enough
(2001)
Singles from Single White Female
  1. "Single White Female"
    Released: March 22, 1999
  2. "It Was"
    Released: October 4, 1999
  3. "She Went Out for Cigarettes"
    Released: May 30, 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Single White Female is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. The album was released on May 18, 1999, by MCA Nashville Records. It was produced by Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, and Norro Wilson. The album was originally to be titled The Fire, but was re-titled to Single White Female when the title track was increasing on the charts. [2]

Contents

The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. Its lead single, "Single White Female", hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for a week. The second single, "It Was", peaked at number 11 on the country charts. The third and final single, "She Went Out for Cigarettes" also charted.

Background

Single White Female was recorded in January 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee, and was released with ten tracks. [3] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic considered the album to "pick up where its predecessor left off", giving ten songs with "clean" and "tasteful arrangements". Erlewine opines that the record's production helped to put Wright's vocals in the lead of the instrumentation instead of being left behind large orchestral arrangements. [4] About.com found Single White Female to incorporate "a nice mixture of fast-paced songs and ballads." The reviewer said, "The singles are really well-done, and the rest of the album is not what you'd call filler. The songs have that uniqueness that is Chely, and it's easy to see why this record is her most successful to date." [5] Fellow country artists Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, and Trisha Yearwood sing harmony vocals on several of the album's tracks. [6] Single White Female included a re-recorded cover of Wright's 1996 single "The Love That We Lost". [4]

Critical reception

Single White Female was given for the most part, positive reviews from critics. Writing for Country Standard Time , Rick Teverbaugh called the album "more mature" and "thoughtful" than her latter record. Teverbaugh later mentioned that the track "Picket Fences" seemed as if it was "TV inspired", while he considered "Some Kind of Somethin'" to be a "lighter" track on the record. Teverbaugh then discussed the ninth track "Rubbin' It In", calling it the most "clever" song on the record. Teverbaugh described the plot behind the song: "...about a woman so self-absorbed in her own lovesickness that she believes everyone knows and is making her more aware of her own misery." [6] About.com gave Single White Female a fairly mixed review, stating that the release "was filled with songs of emotion, happy or sad." The site gave the song "The Love That We Lost" negative feedback, calling the production on it, "bland and pop". The album's seventh track "Picket Fences" was also given a negative response, finding its tempo to drag. The reviewer then gave his/her reasoning: "The slow tempo of the song just makes things seem to drag, and frankly, I'm not inclined to be sympathetic to the character's story." Overall however, the site found the album to be "a collection of songs which range in emotion from happy-go-lucky to taking charge of your life." [5] Writing for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Single White Female four out of five stars, stating that most of its tracks do not immediately grab the listener's attention, but will eventually work well into someone's memory. Erlewine noted that Wright's best vocal performances were on the album's balances, however he found the title track and "The Fire" to be "equally convincing". He concluded that the album's tracks are the main reasons that the record is a "welcome addition" to Wright's catalog of music. [4]

Release and singles

Single White Female released its lead song, the title track, as the album's first single in March 1999. The song became Wright's first Top 10 single and her first and only number one hit, reaching the top spot in September 1999. The title track also reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 [7] and also topped the Canadian Country Tracks chart. [8] The album itself was released on May 18, 1999, and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, number 124 on the Billboard 200, [7] and number 16 on the RPM Country Albums/CD's chart. [9] The second single released was the third track entitled "It Was", which was issued in September 1999, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart [7] and #52 on the Canadian Country Tracks chart. [10] The third and final single released from Single White Female was the record's second track "She Went Out for Cigarettes". The song reached number 49 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks list [7] and number 84 on the Canadian Country Tracks chart. [11]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Single White Female" Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Shaye Smith3:17
2."She Went Out for Cigarettes"Ronnie Guilbeau, John McElroy4:13
3."It Was" Gary Burr, Mark Wright 3:51
4."Unknown"Burr, Aimee Mayo 3:40
5."The Love That We Lost"Burr, Monty Powell 4:02
6."The Fire"Clarence "Satch" Satchell, Leslie Satcher 3:05
7."Picket Fences" Chely Wright 4:06
8."Some Kind of Somethin'"Sunny Russ, Wright3:59
9."Rubbin' It In"Chad Smith3:44
10."Why Do I Still Want You"Satcher4:39

Personnel

Sales chart positions

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions
US Country
[7] 		US
[7] 		CAN Country
[18]
1999"Single White Female"1361
"It Was"116452
2000"She Went Out for Cigarettes"49—84
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chely Wright</span> American country music singer-songwriter

Chely Wright is an American activist, author, diversity officer and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the number one hit, "Single White Female." She later became known for her role in LGBT activism after publicly coming out as a gay woman in 2010. She has since sold over 1,500,000 copies and 10,000,000 digital impressions to date in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonestar</span> American country music group

Lonestar is an American country music group from Texas. The group consists of Drew Womack, Michael Britt, Dean Sams, and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich. Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen, with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man! I Feel Like a Woman!</span> 1999 single by Shania Twain

"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain from her third studio album, Come On Over (1997). Written by Twain and her longtime collaborator and then-husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who also produced the track, the song was released first to North American country radio stations in March 1999 as the eighth single from the album, and it was released worldwide later the same year. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is a country pop song with lyrics about female empowerment and remains one of Twain's biggest hits worldwide.

<i>Nothing but Love</i> 1998 studio album by The Wilkinsons

Nothing but Love is the debut studio album by Canadian country music group The Wilkinsons. It was released on August 11, 1998. The album won the 1999 Canadian Country Music Association award for Album of the Year.

<i>Now and Then</i> (Michelle Wright album) 1992 studio album by Michelle Wright

Now and Then is the third studio album by the Canadian country music artist Michelle Wright. It was released on May 22, 1992, on Arista Nashville. The album's first single, "Take It Like a Man", became Wright's first number one hit on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart and her only top ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Two more singles, "One Time Around" and "Guitar Talk", also topped the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single White Female (song)</span> 1999 single by Chely Wright

"Single White Female" is a song by American country music artist Chely Wright. The song was written by Canadian country singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith and produced by Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, and Norro Wilson; fellow country artist and label mate Trisha Yearwood sings harmony vocals on the song. "Single White Female" was released on March 22, 1999 as the lead single and title track to Wright's fourth studio album Single White Female (1999) by MCA Nashville.

<i>Reflections: Greatest Hits</i> 1995 compilation album by Lorrie Morgan

Reflections: Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American country music artist Lorrie Morgan. It was released on Morgan's birthday in 1995 as a special, limited production; deluxe edition. It featured three previously unreleased tracks, an enclosed biography of Lorrie Morgan, ornate packaging and the allure of collectability.

<i>Right in the Middle of It</i> 1996 studio album by Chely Wright

Right in the Middle of It is the second album by American country artist Chely Wright. The album was released January 9, 1996, on PolyGram/Mercury Records, co-produced by Ed Seay and Harold Shedd. Although praised by AllMusic, the album was not successful. Three of its singles charted on the North American country charts. After this, Wright to left the label.

<i>Let Me In</i> (Chely Wright album) 1997 studio album by Chely Wright

Let Me In is the third studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. The album was released on September 9, 1997 on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Tony Brown. Let Me In was Wright's first album to chart on the Billboard Magazine album charts and also spawned her first Top 40 singles. It was also the first of three albums Wright recorded for the MCA Nashville label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chely Wright discography</span>

American country music artist Chely Wright has released eight studio albums, three compilation albums, one video album, four extended plays, 24 singles, 18 music videos, and appeared on six albums. Wright first issued two unsuccessful studio albums under Polydor Records: Woman in the Moon (1994) and Right in the Middle of It (1996). Both albums were critically acclaimed despite their lack of success. Her third studio album Let Me In (1997) reached number 25 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned the hit single "Shut Up and Drive". It was Wright's fourth studio album that brought forth her biggest success, Single White Female. Released in May 1999, it reached number 15 on the country albums chart, number 124 on the Billboard 200, and certified gold from the Recording Industry Association of America. The title track reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1999 and was followed by the top 20 hit "It Was".

"It Was" is a song recorded by American country music artist Chely Wright. The song was released on October 4, 1999 by MCA Nashville as the second single from her fourth studio album Single White Female (1999). It was written by Mark Wright and Gary Burr and was produced by Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, and Norro Wilson.

"Forever Together" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in September 1991 as the second single from his album High Lonesome. It peaked at number 1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and the Canadian RPM country Tracks chart. It was co-written by Travis with fellow musician, Alan Jackson while they were on tour together.

<i>...In Black & White</i> 1982 studio album by Barbara Mandrell

...In Black & White is the eleventh solo studio album by American country music artist Barbara Mandrell. The album was released in April 1982 on MCA Records and was produced by Tom Collins. It was Barbara Mandrell's first studio album in two years since the release of Love Is Fair.

<i>All About a Feeling</i> 1973 studio album by Donna Fargo

All About a Feeling is the third studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in October 1973 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. It was Donna Fargo's second studio released in 1973 and spawned two Top 10 hits on the Billboard country chart between 1973 and 1974. It was Fargo's first studio album not to chart among the Billboard 200 albums list.

<i>Whatever I Say Means I Love You</i> 1975 studio album by Donna Fargo

Whatever I Say Means I Love You is the fifth studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in July 1975 on Dot Records and was produced by Stan Silver. It was Fargo's final album for the Dot label and produced four singles between 1975 and 1976 that each charted on the Billboard country music chart.

<i>This Is...Brenda</i> 1960 studio album by Brenda Lee

This Is...Brenda is the third studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released on October 10, 1960, on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The release was Brenda Lee's second studio album released during 1960 and contained the single "I Want to Be Wanted", which became a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Brenda, Thats All</i> 1962 studio album by Brenda Lee

Brenda, That's All is the seventh studio album by American singer Brenda Lee. The album was released October 15, 1962 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the second of two studio albums released in 1962 and included two Top 10 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting Me Up</span> 1978 song by Dire Straits

"Setting Me Up" is a song written by Mark Knopfler. It was originally recorded by British rock group Dire Straits on their self-titled debut album but not released as a single. Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone described the song as a "heavenly number" combining humor with bitterness, despite having a typical messed-up romance theme. Tucker noted that the song's impact is enhanced by the growling tone in Knopfler's singing voice and by the song's country music-style guitar solo. Carly Darling in Billboard Magazine praised the song's rockabilly guitar but criticizes the lyrics.

"It's a Lovely, Lovely World" is a song written by Boudleaux Bryant that was originally recorded by American country artist Carl Smith. It has since been recorded by numerous musical artists, including Gail Davies, who revived the song as a single in 1981.

<i>Santa Will Find You!</i> 2018 EP by Chely Wright

Santa Will Find You! is an extended play released by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was released on October 26, 2018 by Painted Red Music Group, and The Orchard. Santa Will Find You was Wright's first album collection of holiday songs and her third extended play release in her career. It contained a total of six tracks.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r415194
  2. ↑ "Country Action" (PDF). Radio & Records . March 19, 1999. p. 58.
  3. ↑ "Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies -- Chely Wright". Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "'Single White Female' Review". Allmusic . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Single White Female -- Chely Wright". About.com . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Teverbaugh, Rick. "Chely Wright, Single White Female (1999)". Country Standard Time . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "'Single White Female' Awards". Allmusic . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Search results for "Single White Female"". RPM . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Search results for "Single White Female" under CD's". RPM . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Search results for "Chely Wright It Was"". RPM . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Search results for "She Went Out for Cigarettes"". RPM . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Chely Wright Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Chely Wright Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Chely Wright Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  15. ↑ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/35952/chely-wright/
  16. ↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Search results for "Chely Wright" under Country Singles". RPM . Retrieved August 21, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.