Straight and Narrow (song)

Last updated
"Straight and Narrow"
Sam Barber - Straight and Narrow.jpg
Single by Sam Barber
from the album Million Eyes and Restless Mind
ReleasedNovember 30, 2022
Genre Country
Length3:19
Label
Songwriter(s) Sam Barber
Producer(s) Joe Becker
Sam Barber singles chronology
"Ramblin Man"
(2022)
"Straight and Narrow"
(2022)
"As Time Passes"
(2022)
Music video
"Straight and Narrow" on YouTube

"Straight and Narrow" is a song by American country singer Sam Barber, first released on November 30, 2022 as the lead single from his EP Million Eyes (2023). [1] It became his breakout hit through exposure on the video-sharing app TikTok and also appears on his debut studio album Restless Mind (2024).

Contents

Background

Sam Barber wrote the song when he was 16 years old. He was trying to write music that "sounded good" to him and did not feel like the song would be important to him at the time. [2] [3] Although he recorded his earliest music from voice memos on his phone, he decided on a higher-quality recording for "Straight and Narrow" and recorded it with a microphone in a bedroom. [2] In November 2022, about a year after being discovered by his managers, Barber released the song. It received little attention until April 2023, after it was used on TikTok. The song subsequently gained traction on the platform and propelled Barber to mainstream popularity. [3]

Composition

"Straight and Narrow" is an acoustic guitar-based song with lyrics about persevering through times of adversity. [2]

Charts

Chart performance for "Straight and Narrow"
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [4] 41
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [5] 53
Ireland (IRMA) [6] 29
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [7] 14
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 33
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [9] 13

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [10] 3× Platinum240,000
United States (RIAA) [11] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1977 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Dreams" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and sung by Stevie Nicks for the band's eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). In the United States, "Dreams" was released as the second single from Rumours in March 1977, while in the United Kingdom, the song was released as the third single in June 1977. A stage performance of "Dreams" was used as the promotional music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tik Tok (song)</span> 2009 single by Kesha

"Tik Tok" is a single by American singer Kesha, who co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. It was released on August 7, 2009, as the lead and debut single from her debut studio album, Animal (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jax (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter

Jacqueline Cole Miskanic Gregg, known professionally as Jax, is an American singer-songwriter and social media personality. Her 2022 single "Victoria's Secret" reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Dear Joe, was released on Atlantic Records on June 28, 2024.

"See You Again" is a song written, produced, and performed by American rapper Tyler, the Creator featuring vocals from Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis. It was released as the fourth single from Tyler's fifth studio album Flower Boy (2017) on August 29, 2017. The single went viral on TikTok, leading the song to enter several charts around the world for the first time as a sleeper hit in April 2023.

Trevor Daniel is an American singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2018 single "Falling", which hit the charts in more than twenty countries after going viral in 2019. His debut studio album Nicotine was released in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Idea (song)</span> 2019 single by Don Toliver

"No Idea" is a song by American rapper and singer Don Toliver. It was released by Cactus Jack Records, Atlantic Records, and We Run It Entertainment on May 29, 2019, as the lead single from Toliver's debut studio album, Heaven or Hell (2020). It was produced by WondaGurl and Cubeatz. The song gained popularity in December 2019 after going viral on video sharing app TikTok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tai Verdes</span> American singer (born 1995)

Tyler James Colon, known professionally as Tai Verdes, is an American singer. He grew up in Southern California where he played guitar, piano, and ukulele. Playing on the basketball team during his attendance at Babson College, he maintained his love for music and eventually dropped out. He was also featured on and won season 6 of Are You the One?. He worked at a phone store during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this still helped further his musical passion and during the same time, he released his breakout single "Stuck in the Middle" in June 2020. The song went viral on TikTok. He responded to his newfound success saying the song "doesn't just turn into a million dollars and a nice car. It turns into waiting-which I think I've gotten pretty good at."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Spencer-Smith</span> Canadian singer-songwriter

Lauren Spencer-Smith is a British-born Canadian singer-songwriter from Port Alberni in British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To the Moon (song)</span> 2021 single by Jnr Choi and Sam Tompkins

"To the Moon" is a song by Gambian-born England-based rapper Jnr Choi, released as a single on 5 November 2021 independently, and later through Epic and Black Butter Records. It is a drill track that samples British singer-songwriter Sam Tompkins's cover of Bruno Mars's "Talking to the Moon". It went viral on TikTok and was prominently playlisted by Spotify.

Jacob Dodge Lawson,, known professionally as Jvke, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and social media personality. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he started creating TikTok videos for his songs, one of which, "Upside Down", went viral in 2021. His debut album, This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022), peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200, while the song "Golden Hour" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailey Zimmerman</span> American singer

Bailey Lynn Zimmerman is an American country singer. In 2022, he charted the singles "Fall in Love" and "Rock and a Hard Place", which both reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. His debut album Religiously. The Album. was released on May 12, 2023. This album also includes the singles "Religiously" and "Where It Ends".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria's Secret (song)</span> 2022 single by Jax

"Victoria's Secret" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jax. It was written by Jax with Mark Nilan and Dan Henig and produced by Jesse Siebenberg and Nilan. It was released in June 30, 2022 to all streaming platforms, after being previously teased on TikTok and performed at Governors Ball Music Festival earlier that month. The song charted internationally and was included on her debut studio album, Dear Joe, (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Favorite Song (Toosii song)</span> 2023 single by Toosii

"Favorite Song" is a song by American rapper and singer Toosii, released on February 17, 2023, serving as the lead single from his second studio album, Naujour. It was produced by ADELSO and Tatiana Manaois. The slow R&B beat with a sample sees Toosii sing about him being the perfect valentine for his partner. A remix with fellow American singer Khalid, along with a remix entitled as the "Toxic Version" with fellow American rapper Future, were respectively released on May 5 and May 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Kushner (singer-songwriter)</span> American singer-songwriter (born 2000)

David Alan Kushner II is an American singer-songwriter. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and began releasing music. Kushner's song "Miserable Man" (2022) went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 11 on the charts in Norway and number 19 in Ireland, additionally reaching the top 40 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Along with the single "Mr. Forgettable", it appeared on his debut extended play Footprints I Found (2022). Kushner received 556 million streams within a year of releasing music. His song "Daylight" was released on April 14, 2023, and also gained huge traction on TikTok; the song would appear on his debut album The Dichotomy (2024). Kushner has served as the opening act for one of Lauv's tours. He headlined the Daylight 2.0 tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Warren</span> American YouTuber and singer

Alexander Warren Hughes is an American singer-songwriter and comedic video creator on YouTube. He is also popular on TikTok and Instagram. He was previously a member and a co-founder of the collaborative TikTok group The Hype House.

Samuel Robert Barber is an American country singer-songwriter from Frohna, Missouri. He has released one studio EP, one live EP, and several singles. Both of Barber's EP's and most of his singles were released through Lockeland Springs under Atlantic Records. His single "Straight and Narrow" was his first to chart in the U.S. and is certified platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Praise Jah in the Moonlight</span> 2023 single by YG Marley

"Praise Jah in the Moonlight" is a song by American singer YG Marley. Released independently as his debut single on December 27, 2023, it was written by Marley and his mother Lauryn Hill, both of whom also produced the song with Johnny G. The song also samples his grandfather Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1978 song "Crisis". The song charted internationally, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. The song also peaked at number one in New Zealand, and reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.

Tommy Richman is an American singer and rapper. He is best known for his 2024 single "Million Dollar Baby", which received major virality from a snippet on TikTok before peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was included in former President Barack Obama's Summer 2024 Playlist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Down</span> 2024 single by Alex Warren

"Burning Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alex Warren. It was released through Atlantic Records as the sixth single from his debut studio album, You'll Be Alright, Kid , on September 20, 2024. He wrote the song with producer Aaron Yaron, alongside Cal Shapiro and Mags Duval. Another version of the song is in collaboration with fellow American singer-songwriter Joe Jonas and was released on December 6, 2024. The song was Warren's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as it debuted at number 76 on the chart.

"Indigo" is a song by American country singer Sam Barber, released on October 31, 2024 as the eighth single from his debut studio album Restless Mind, which was released the following day. It features American singer Avery Anna and is the highest charting song of both artists, peaking at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also became popular on the video-sharing app TikTok.

References

  1. "Straight and Narrow - Single by Sam Barber". Spotify . November 30, 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Nicholson, Jessica (October 12, 2023). "'Straight and Narrow' Singer Sam Barber on His Breakthrough Song: 'I Think It Has Found Its Own Kind of Purpose'". Billboard . Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 Hyman, Dan (April 24, 2024). "Sam Barber Is in Go-Mode". Spin . Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  4. "Sam Barber – Straight and Narrow". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  5. "Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  6. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Sam Barber". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  7. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of May 20, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  8. "Hot Country Songs: May 30, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  9. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard . Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  10. "Canadian single certifications – Sam Barber – Straight and Narrow". Music Canada.
  11. "American single certifications – Sam Barber – Straight and Narrow". Recording Industry Association of America.