So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore

"So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore"
Single by Alan Jackson
from the album Thirty Miles West
Released	January 16, 2012 (2012-01-16)
Recorded	2011
Genre	Country
Length	3:44
Label	Alan's Country Records/ EMI Records Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Jay Knowles Adam Wright
Producer(s)	Keith Stegall [1]
Alan Jackson singles chronology
"Long Way to Go" (2011) "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" (2012) "You Go Your Way" (2012)

"So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" is a song recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in January 2012 as the second single from Jackson's album Thirty Miles West . ^[2] The song was written by Jay Knowles and Jackson's nephew, Adam Wright (of The Wrights). ^[3] The song was nominated for Best Country Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song four and a half stars out of five, writing that "the best songs always allow a listener to fill in the spaces between the words, and Jackson's patient performance leaves plenty of room to do that." ^[4] Kyle Ward of Roughstock also gave the song four and a half stars out of five, saying "Jackson offers up his most heart-felt vocal since 'Monday Morning Church,' and the soft neo-traditional production serves as quite a breath of fresh air." ^[5]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, writing that it "ranks among his best work, and given that he's one of the genre's all time greats, that's heavy company for it to be in." ^[6] The song also received a "thumbs up" from Engine 145 reviewer Juli Thanki, who called it "his best single in at least half a decade." ^[7]

Music video

The music video, which premiered in January 2012, was directed by Steven Goldmann and filmed at Coney Island. ^[8] The video is Alan Jackson's second time in which he appears without his trademark mustache, the first being in 1993's "Tonight I Climbed the Wall"

Chart performance

"So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" debuted at number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of January 28, 2012. ^[9]

Chart (2012)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10]	25
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 [11]	8
Canada Country ( Billboard ) [12]	42

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)	Position
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [13]	85

References

1. "Alan Jackson's New Album Due June 5". Country Music Television . April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
2. Wyland, Sarah (April 10, 2012). "Alan Jackson to Release New Album June 5". Great American Country . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
3. Darden, Beville (April 10, 2012). "Alan Jackson, 'Thirty Miles West' to Release in June". The Boot. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
4. Dukes, Billy (January 15, 2012). "Alan Jackson, 'So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
5. Ward, Kyle (March 5, 2012). "Single Review: Alan Jackson - "So You Don't Have To Love Me Anymore"". Roughstock. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
6. Coyne, Kevin John (January 23, 2012). "Single Review: Alan Jackson, "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore"". Country Universe. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
7. Thanki, Juli (January 18, 2012). "Alan Jackson — "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore"". Engine 145. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
8. Wyland, Sarah (January 19, 2012). "Watch Alan Jackson's New Video for "So You Don't Have To Love Me Anymore"". Great American Country . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
9. Morris, Edward (January 21, 2012). "Eric Church Hits No. 1 for First Time With "Drink in My Hand"". Country Music Television . Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
10. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
11. "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Week of June 30, 2012". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
12. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
13. "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.