Smoke (A Thousand Horses song)

Last updated
"Smoke"
SmokeThousandHorses.jpg
Single by A Thousand Horses
from the album Southernality
ReleasedJanuary 19, 2015 (2015-01-19)
Recorded2015
Genre Country
Length3:41
Label Republic Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Dave Cobb
A Thousand Horses singles chronology
"Smoke"
(2015)
"(This Ain't No) Drunk Dial"
(2015)

"Smoke" is a song recorded by American country music group A Thousand Horses. It is their debut single and the first from their album Southernality . The track is a country ballad about comparing one's love to tobacco and trying to let it go. The band's lead vocalist Michael Hobby co-wrote the song, along with Ross Copperman and Jon Nite.

Contents

"Smoke" reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making A Thousand Horses the first country group to top that chart with their debut single since the Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried" in 2008. It also peaked at numbers 5 and 47 on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 474,000 copies in the United States as of July 2015. It achieved similar chart success in Canada, giving the band their first number-one hit on the Canada Country chart and number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. It received a Gold certification from Music Canada, denoting sales of 40,000 units in that country.

A music video by Peter Zavadil was made to promote the single and features the band performing the song live, as they're watching an exotic dancer perform on stage.

Content

The song is a ballad in which the narrator compares his lover to the substance dependence of tobacco, referring to her as a "habit that I can't let go". [2]

Reception

Critical

Giving it a "B+", Jim Casey of Country Weekly praised the song's Southern rock and blues influences, adding that "The forlorn lyrics are despairing, but frontman Michael Hobby's gritty vocals…drive the song into an endorphin-releasing euphoria." [2]

Commercial

The song debuted at number 48 on the Country Airplay chart dated for the week ending January 24, 2015. [3] It debuted at number 48 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated for the week ending January 24, 2015. It debuted at number 9 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart dated for the week ending February 14, 2015, and then entered the Hot 100 at number 90 on chart dated March 14, 2015. "Smoke" reached number one on the Country Airplay chart dated June 13, 2015, making A Thousand Horses the first country group to send a debut single to number one since the Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried" in December 2008. [4] As of July 2015, the song had sold 474,000 downloads in the US. [5]

The song debuted at number 42 on the Billboard Canada Country chart for the week of March 14, 2015. It also debuted at number 92 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of April 18, 2015.

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Zavadil. [6] In the video, the band performs the song live about an erotic dancer they are watching on stage. Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone compared the video to that of "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Mötley Crüe. [7]

Chart performance

Chart (2015)Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [8] 53
Canada Country ( Billboard ) [9] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 47
US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) [11] 1
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [12] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2015)Position
US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) [13] 23
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 20

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [15] Gold40,000
United States (RIAA) [16] Gold474,000 [5]

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Annie</span> 2013 single by Zac Brown Band

"Sweet Annie" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released in August 2013 as the fourth single from the group's third major-label album, Uncaged. The song was written by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Sonia Leigh, and John Pierce. As of March 12, 2014 the single has sold 439,000 copies in the United States and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump Right In</span> 2013 single by Zac Brown Band

"Jump Right In" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released in February 2013 as the third single from the group's third major-label album, Uncaged. The song was written by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, and Jason Mraz.

"Goodbye in Her Eyes" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released in October 2012 as the second single from the group's third major-label album, Uncaged. The song was written by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Driskell Hopkins and Sonia Leigh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point at You</span> 2013 single by Justin Moore

"Point at You" is a song written by Ross Copperman, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip and recorded by American country music artist Justin Moore. It was released in March 2013 as the first single from his third studio album, Off the Beaten Path (2013). The song received positive reviews from critics lauding the production and lyrical dexterity. "Point at You" charted at numbers two and 10 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. It also appeared on the Hot 100, peaking at number 53. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 units in that country. It received similar chart success in Canada, peaking at number six on the Country chart and number 71 on the Canadian Hot 100. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Peter Zavadil, and is about a man who gets into dangerous situations and sent to jail only for his girlfriend to bail him out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye Town</span> 2013 single by Lady Antebellum

"Goodbye Town" is a song recorded by American country music group Lady Antebellum. It was released on May 13, 2013, as the second single from their fifth studio album Golden. The song was written by band members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood, along with Josh Kear, and it features lead vocals from Kelley, and a little bit from Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Here (Florida Georgia Line song)</span> 2013 single by Florida Georgia Line

"Round Here" is a song recorded by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line. It was released in June 2013 as the third single from their album Here's to the Good Times. It was written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Thomas Rhett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Girl</span> 2013 single by Tim McGraw

"Southern Girl" is a song written by Jaren Johnston, Rodney Clawson, and Lee Thomas Miller and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in July 2013 as the fourth single from McGraw's album Two Lanes of Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Up Lovin' You</span> 2013 single by Craig Morgan

"Wake Up Lovin' You" is a song written by Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen, and sung by American country music singer Craig Morgan. It was released in July 2013 as the first single from his second compilation album The Journey (2013). The track is a midtempo ballad about a man unable to forget his former lover despite his actions. The song received positive reviews from critics. "Wake Up Lovin' You" peaked at numbers 14 and 20 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. It also reached number 99 on the Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks. The song also charted in Canada, peaking at number 40 on the Country chart. A music video for the single was directed by Kristin Barlowe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Me Back My Hometown</span> 2014 single by Eric Church

"Give Me Back My Hometown" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in January 2014 as the second single from his 2014 album The Outsiders. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart in May 2014. It also peaked at number 4 on Hot Country Songs. Church wrote this song with Luke Laird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope You Get Lonely Tonight</span> 2014 single by Cole Swindell

"Hope You Get Lonely Tonight" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Cole Swindell. It was released on March 24, 2014 by Warner Bros. Nashville as the second single from Swindell's self-titled debut album. Swindell wrote the song with Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line and Michael Carter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talladega (song)</span> 2014 single by Eric Church

"Talladega" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released in September 2014 as the fourth single from his 2014 album The Outsiders. Church wrote this song with Luke Laird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homegrown (song)</span> 2015 single by Zac Brown Band

"Homegrown" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released on January 12, 2015 and is the first single from the band's fourth studio album Jekyll + Hyde, released on April 28, 2015. The song was written by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette and Niko Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Thousand Horses</span>

A Thousand Horses is an American country music band formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band is composed of Michael Hobby, Bill Satcher, Zach Brown, and Graham Deloach. Their first EP, A Thousand Horses, was released under Interscope Records in 2010. In 2014, the band signed with Republic Nashville of Big Machine Label Group and released its first single "Smoke", which set a record for the highest debut by a new act when it opened at number 28 on the Country Aircheck radio chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't It</span> 2014 single by Billy Currington

"Don't It" is a song written by Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, and Jaren Johnston and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in October 2014 as the first single from Currington's 2015 album Summer Forever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm to Blame</span> 2015 single by Kip Moore

"I'm to Blame" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Kip Moore. It was released to radio on February 2, 2015 as the lead single from his second studio album Wild Ones (2015). Written by Moore, Justin Weaver, and Westin Davis, the song is about a man admitting to past mistakes he made in his life. "I'm to Blame" peaked at numbers 20 and 24 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. It also charted at number 100 on the Hot 100 for one week. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 156,000 units as of September 2015. It achieved similar chart prominence in Canada, reaching number 40 on the Canada Country chart and number 96 on the Canadian Hot 100. An accompanying music video for the single, directed by Peter Zavadil, features Moore crashing a wedding to rescue the bride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crash and Burn (Thomas Rhett song)</span> 2015 single by Thomas Rhett

"Crash and Burn" is a song recorded by American country music singer Thomas Rhett. It was released to digital retailers on April 7, 2015 via Valory Music Group as the lead single to Rhett's second studio album, Tangled Up, and was released to country radio on April 27, 2015. The song was written by Jesse Frasure and Chris Stapleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loving You Easy</span> 2015 single by Zac Brown Band

"Loving You Easy" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Jekyll + Hyde, on May 4, 2015. The song was written by Zac Brown, Al Anderson and Niko Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful Drug</span> 2015 single by Zac Brown Band

"Beautiful Drug" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Jekyll + Hyde, on September 21, 2015. The song was written by Zac Brown and Niko Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay a Little Longer (Brothers Osborne song)</span> 2015 single by Brothers Osborne

"Stay a Little Longer" is a song recorded by American country music duo Brothers Osborne. The song was released in March 2015 as the duo's third single overall and the second from the album Pawn Shop. Duo members John and T.J. Osborne co-wrote the song with Shane McAnally. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break Up with Him</span> 2015 single by Old Dominion

"Break Up with Him" is a song written and recorded by American country music group Old Dominion. Originally released as the second single off their self-titled EP on ReeSmack in January 2015, the band later signed with RCA Nashville in February 2015 and re-released the song on May 11 as the lead single from their debut album Meat and Candy. The song garnered positive reviews from critics praising the production and lyrical content.

References

  1. "Smoke". Allmusic . Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 Casey, Jim (2 February 2015). "Reviews: 'Smoke'". Country Weekly . 22 (5): 67. ISSN   1074-3235.
  3. Morris, Edward (17 January 2015). "Garth Brooks Album Back on Top, Brad Paisley's Single No. 1 for Second Week". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  4. Trust, Gary (2015-06-01). "Chart Highlights: Taylor Swift Ties Record as 'Bad Blood' Hits Pop Songs Top 10". Billboard . Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  5. 1 2 Matt Bjorke (July 13, 2015). "The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: July 13, 2015". Roughstock. Sales figure given here
  6. "A Thousand Horses | Smoke | VEVO – Yahoo Screen". Yahoo! Screen. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  7. Hudak, Joseph (30 January 2015). "Watch a Thousand Horses Go 'Girls, Girls, Girls' in New Video". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  8. "A Thousand Horses Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  9. "A Thousand Horses Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
  10. "A Thousand Horses Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  11. "A Thousand Horses Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  12. "A Thousand Horses Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  13. "Best of 2015: Country Airplay". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  14. "Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  15. "Canadian single certifications – A Thousand Horses – Smoke". Music Canada . Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  16. "American single certifications – A Thousand Horses – Smoke". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 13, 2015.