Southside (Sam Hunt album)

Last updated
Southside
Sam Hunt - Southside.png
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)
StudioNashville, Tennessee
Genre
Length39:01
Label MCA Nashville
Producer
Sam Hunt chronology
Montevallo
(2014)
Southside
(2020)
Singles from Southside
  1. "Body Like a Back Road"
    Released: February 2, 2017
  2. "Downtown's Dead"
    Released: May 16, 2018
  3. "Kinfolks"
    Released: October 11, 2019
  4. "Hard to Forget"
    Released: March 9, 2020
  5. "Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s"
    Released: October 12, 2020

Southside [lower-alpha 1] is the second studio album by American singer Sam Hunt. It was released through MCA Nashville on April 3, 2020. [2] [3] [4] It was slated to be supported by the Southside Summer Tour 2020, which would have featured guests Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Brandi Cyrus, and Ernest, and was set to begin in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 28, 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [6]

Contents

Background

Following the success of Hunt's debut album Montevallo , released in 2014, [7] Hunt sporadically released several singles [8] [9] while delaying his second studio album. [10] [11] In the years between, he released the massive hit "Body Like a Back Road",[ citation needed ] "Downtown's Dead", [12] as well as the track "Drinkin' Too Much". [13] Hunt gave little details on when his second album would be released until the release of "Kinfolks" in October 2019, [14] when he stated the full album would be released in 2020 and followed it up with the release of the track "Sinning with You" in January 2020. [15] In February 2020, Hunt finally revealed the album title Southside as well as an April 2020 release date. [4] The track "Hard to Forget" was soon released to coincide with the beginning of pre-orders, [16] and was later announced to be the next single. [17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Robert Christgau A− [20]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [21]
Pitchfork 7.5/10 [22]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Tom Hull B+ ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [25]

Southside was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album holds an average score of 72 based on six reviews. [18]

Writing for Rolling Stone , Jon Freeman highlighted the "thread of sensitivity" in Southside and opined that the album made Hunt "a crossover star." [23] Chris DeVille of Stereogum positively compared the album to Montevallo, praising how the former contains "ever more adventurous packaging and a more seasoned perspective". [26] In concurrence, Pitchfork 's Natalie Weiner stated that the album "shows a clarity of purpose that his debut lacked" while also praising Hunt's "enviably organic" way of threading "the country/hip-hop needle". [22] In a mixed review, Seth Wilson of Slant Magazine took note of the album's "ingratiating charm" but criticized its lyrical content. [24] Robert Christgau awarded the album an A− grade in his online subscription letter praising in particular Hunt's "way with words" prevailing throughout the record, citing the chorus of 'Body Like a Back Road' as an example of his words cherishing "the American vernacular that imbues great pop songwriting from Irving Berlin to Jay-Z in a Nashville dialect that recalls John Prine". [27]

Rankings

Critics' rankings for Southside
PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Billboard Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
Billboard Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2020
43
The New York Times Best Albums of 2020 (Jon Caramanica)
1
Stereogum Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
33
Substream Magazine Best Albums of 2020 (Logan White)
2

Commercial performance

Southside debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, opening with 46,000 album-equivalent units, including 18,000 pure album sales. It earned the third-largest streaming week for a country album, and is Hunt's second US top-10 album. [33]

Track listing

Southside track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."2016"3:55
2."Hard to Forget"
3:24
3."Kinfolks"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • Jerry Flowers
  • Osborne
3:01
4."Young Once"
3:05
5."Body Like a Back Road"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • McAnally
  • Osborne
2:42
6."That Ain't Beautiful"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • McAnally
2:44
7."Let It Down"
2:50
8."Downtown's Dead"
3:33
9."Nothing Lasts Forever"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • Osborne
  • McAnally
3:04
10."Sinning with You"
  • Hunt
  • Osborne
  • Paul DiGiovanni
  • Emily Weisband
3:16
11."Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • LaCorte
  • Osborne
  • Smith
3:35
12."Drinkin' Too Much"
  • Hunt
  • Crowell
  • McAnally
  • Stuart Hine
3:52
Total length:39:01

Personnel

Adapted from Southside liner notes. [34]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Southside
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [48] Platinum80,000
United States (RIAA) [49] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release formats for Southside
CountryDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousApril 3, 2020 Compact disc MCA Nashville [1]
Digital download
Streaming
July 17, 2020 Vinyl

Notes

  1. stylized in all caps
  2. Contains a sample of "There Stands the Glass" by Webb Pierce.

Related Research Articles

<i>Timeless</i> (Martina McBride album) 2005 studio album by Martina McBride

Timeless is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Martina McBride. The album was released on October 18, 2005, through RCA Nashville Records. The album is McBride's first covers album, containing covers of classic country songs made famous by artists such as Buck Owens, Eddy Arnold, Johnny Cash, Don Gibson and Loretta Lynn.

<i>On Your Way Home</i> 2003 studio album by Patty Loveless

On Your Way Home is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Patty Loveless. It was released in 2003 on Epic Records, the album produced only one Top 20 country single: a cover of Rodney Crowell's 1992 hit "Lovin' All Night" (#18). "Lovin' All Night" would go on to be Loveless' last top 20 hit, the album's second single "On Your Way Home" peaked at #29 marking Patty's last appearance in the country top 40. The third and final single "I Wanna Believe" was the last charting single of her career barely making it to #60 on the single chart.

<i>Country Club</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Travis Tritt

Country Club is the debut studio album by American country music artist Travis Tritt, released in 1990 by Warner Bros. Records. The tracks "Country Club", "I'm Gonna Be Somebody", "Help Me Hold On", "Drift Off to Dream", and "Put Some Drive in Your Country" were released as singles. Of these, "Help Me Hold On" was a Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts; all the other singles except for "Put Some Drive in Your Country" reached Top Ten.

<i>Drinkin Songs and Other Logic</i> 2005 studio album by Clint Black

Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic is a 2005 album by country singer Clint Black. He describes it as a "barroom, honky-tonk kind of album" with songs "about drinking, good for drinking, or written while drinking". The tracks "Rainbow in the Rain", "Code of the West", "Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic" and "Heartaches" were all released as singles. Kimberly Roads and Jimi Westbrook of the group Little Big Town are featured on this album as background vocalists.

<i>Jasper County</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

Jasper County is the tenth studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood. It was Yearwood's first studio album in four years since 2001's Inside Out.

<i>Home to You</i> 1999 studio album by John Michael Montgomery

Home to You is the sixth studio album by the American country music artist John Michael Montgomery, released in 1999. It includes the singles "Hello L.O.V.E.", "Home to You", "You Are", and "Nothing Catches Jesus By Surprise". "Hello L.O.V.E." reached #15 on the Billboard country charts and the title track peaked at #2. The latter two singles both failed to make Top 40, thus becoming the first singles of Montgomery's career to miss Top 40. It was also the first album of Montgomery's career not to receive an RIAA certification.

<i>Learn to Live</i> 2008 studio album by Darius Rucker

Learn to Live is the second studio album and country debut by American country music artist Darius Rucker. The album was released September 16, 2008 on Capitol Nashville Records and produced by Frank Rogers. Learn to Live was Rucker's first studio album marketed towards country music, and is also his first release since the 2002 R&B release of Back to Then. The album spawned three number one singles on the Billboard country music chart: "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," "It Won't Be Like This for Long," and "Alright." Learn to Live is Rucker's best-selling solo album to date, and is his only solo album to go Platinum.

<i>Laredo</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Steve Wariner

Laredo is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. His last release for MCA Records, it produced three chart singles on the Billboard country charts: "The Domino Theory" at #7, "Precious Thing" at #8, and "There for Awhile" at #17. After the final single charted, Wariner was dropped from MCA's roster. He later signed to Arista Records in 1991 for the release of his next album, 1991's I Am Ready.

<i>Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences</i> 2013 box set by Garth Brooks

Blame it All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences is the fourth compilation box set by American country music artist Garth Brooks, released by Pearl Records on November 28, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Hunt</span> American singer and songwriter

Sam Lowry Hunt is an American singer and songwriter. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Hunt played football in his high school and college years and once attempted to pursue a professional sports career before signing with MCA Nashville in 2014.

<i>Platinum</i> (Miranda Lambert album) 2014 studio album by Miranda Lambert

Platinum is the fifth studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Miranda Lambert. It was released on June 3, 2014, by RCA Nashville.

<i>I Dont Dance</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Lee Brice

I Don't Dance is the third studio album by American country music artist Lee Brice. It was released on September 9, 2014 by Curb Records.

<i>Montevallo</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Sam Hunt

Montevallo is the debut studio album by American country music singer Sam Hunt. It was released on October 27, 2014, by MCA Nashville. Hunt co-wrote all 10 tracks on the album. The album was produced by Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally. "Cop Car" was previously recorded by Keith Urban on his eighth studio album Fuse, who released it as a single in January 2014.

<i>Girl Problems</i> 2016 studio album by Chris Lane

Girl Problems is the second studio album by American country music singer Chris Lane. It was released on August 5, 2016 by Big Loud Records. Produced by Joey Moi, the album includes Lane's first No. 1 single, "Fix", his top 10 single, "For Her", as well as a cover of Mario's 2004 hit, "Let Me Love You".

<i>The Mountain</i> (Dierks Bentley album) 2018 studio album by Dierks Bentley

The Mountain is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released on June 8, 2018 by Capitol Records Nashville. It features the singles "Woman, Amen", "Burning Man" and "Living". The album was co-produced by Jon Randall and Ross Copperman.

<i>State Im In</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Aaron Lewis

State I'm In is the third studio album by American rock musician Aaron Lewis of Staind. It was released by the Valory Music division of Big Machine Records on April 12, 2019, a day before Lewis’ 47th birthday. Buddy Cannon is the album's producer.

<i>Fire & Brimstone</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Brantley Gilbert

Fire & Brimstone is the fifth studio album by American country rock artist Brantley Gilbert. It was released on October 4, 2019 via Big Machine Records' Valory imprint. The album includes the singles "What Happens in a Small Town", a duet with Canadian country singer Lindsay Ell and "Fire't Up". Fire & Brimstone debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 with 36,000 album-equivalent units, of which 28,000 were pure album sales. A deluxe edition of the album featuring the single "Hard Days" was released on October 2, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinfolks</span> 2019 single by Sam Hunt

"Kinfolks" is a song recorded by American country music singer Sam Hunt, released as a single on October 11, 2019. It is the third single from Hunt's second studio album Southside. It is Hunt's ninth single release, and he co-wrote it with Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, and Josh Osborne. It debuted at number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately peaked at number 34.

<i>Yours Truly</i> (Earl Thomas Conley album) 1991 studio album by Earl Thomas Conley

Yours Truly is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Earl Thomas Conley. It was released on July 9, 1991, by RCA Records. It was Conley's final album for RCA and his final to chart. "Shadow of a Doubt" was the first single released from the album and went to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on August 23, 1991. The second release, "Brotherly Love" peaked at No. 2 on the country singles chart on November 15, 1991.

<i>Where We Started</i> 2022 studio album by Thomas Rhett

Where We Started is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Thomas Rhett, released by Big Machine Records' Valory imprint on April 1, 2022. Rhett collaborated with Katy Perry, Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Southside - AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic . Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  2. Freeman, Jon (February 5, 2020). "Sam Hunt Announces New Album 'Southside,' Plots Summer Tour". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  3. "Country Hitmaker Sam Hunt Schedules First Album Since 2014 Debut". Variety . February 5, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Everything We Know About Sam Hunt's Sophomore Album 'Southside'". The Boot. February 5, 2020.
  5. Whitaker, Sterling (February 5, 2020). "Sam Hunt Announces Long-Awaited Sophomore Album, 'Southside'". Taste of Country . Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  6. "Sam Hunt Announces 'Southside' Album and Summer Headline Tour". Sounds Like Nashville. February 5, 2020.
  7. "Sam Hunt Announces Sophomore Album 'Southside' After Six-Year Wait, Preps 2020 Tour". Billboard . February 5, 2020.
  8. Volmers, Eric (September 20, 2019). "Country star Sam Hunt debuts new song in Calgary". Toronto Sun . Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  9. "With Second Album Not Yet in Sight, Sam Hunt Embraces Being a Singles Guy". Billboard . April 14, 2017.
  10. "Sam Hunt Takes His Time With 'Montevallo' Followup: 'I'm Going to Put Music Out When I Feel Like it's Ready'". Billboard . October 26, 2016.
  11. "Sam Hunt Sophomore Album: Expect a Few Singles Before Its Release". KXRB AM. October 26, 2016.
  12. "Hunt finds "Downtown's Dead"". Country Standard Time . May 16, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  13. References confirming release of "Drinkin' Too Much":
  14. Freeman, Jon (October 10, 2019). "Hear Sam Hunt's New Song 'Kinfolks'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  15. References confirming release of "Sinning with You":
  16. "Hard to Forget – Single by Sam Hunt". Apple Music . Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  17. "Check Out Sam Hunt's Next Single, "Hard To Forget" [LISTEN]". Country 106.5 WYRK. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Southside by Sam Hunt Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  19. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Southside – Sam Hunt". AllMusic . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  20. "Consumer Guide: May, 2020". May 13, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  21. Johnston, Maura (April 3, 2020). "Sam Hunt showcases his affable charm on Southside: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Weiner, Natalie (April 9, 2020). "Sam Hunt: Southside Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  23. 1 2 Freeman, Jon (April 8, 2020). "Sam Hunt Looks Backward While Continuing to Push Country's Boundaries on 'Southside'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  24. 1 2 Wilson, Seth (April 3, 2020). "Review: Sam Hunt's Southside Is a Shallow Attempt at Genre Pastiche". Slant Magazine . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  25. Hull, Tom (18 April 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  26. DeVille, Chris (April 6, 2020). "Country Innovator Sam Hunt's New Southside Was Worth The 6-Year Wait". Stereogum . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  27. Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: May, 2020". robertchristgau.substack.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  28. "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Billboard . June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  29. Brooks, Dave (December 7, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020: Staff Picks". Billboard . Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  30. Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (2020-12-02). "Best Albums of 2020". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  31. "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum . June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  32. White, Logan (December 22, 2020). "Substream AOTY: Logan White's Favorite Albums Of 2020". Substream Magazine . Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  33. Caulfield, Keith (April 12, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Scores Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  34. Southside (CD booklet). Southside. MCA Records Nashville. 2020. B0031776-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. "Australiancharts.com – Sam Hunt – Southside". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  36. "ARIA Report". ARIA. April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  37. "Sam Hunt Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  38. "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  39. "Sam Hunt Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  40. "Sam Hunt Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  41. "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums for 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  42. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  43. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  44. "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums for 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  45. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  46. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  47. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  48. "Canadian album certifications – Sam Hunt – Southside". Music Canada.
  49. "American album certifications – Sam Hunt – Southside". Recording Industry Association of America.