Brett Young (album) explained

Brett Young
Type:studio
Artist:Brett Young
Cover:Brett Young album cover.jpg
Released:February 10, 2017[1]
Recorded:2014–2017
Genre:Country
Length:41:55
Label:Big Machine
Producer:Dann Huff
Prev Title:Brett Young
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Ticket to L.A.
Next Year:2018

Brett Young is the debut studio album by American the country pop singer Brett Young,[2] and his fourth album overall. Young is a featured co-writer on 11 out of the 12 tracks on the album, which was produced by Dann Huff and recorded in Nashville.[3] The album was released on February 10, 2017, through Big Machine Label Group. The album was produced by Dann Huff, known for working with crossover-friendly country pop acts like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban.

Background

Young co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album, including the four singles from the album, "Sleep Without You", "In Case You Didn't Know", "Like I Loved You" and "Mercy".[4] Six of these songs had been previously released on his self-titled EP. Young stressed the importance of honesty in his music; according to him, of the 12 songs in the album, 10 of them he had lived, and the other two he can completely relate to. He said that the album is "a very clear picture of me as a person."[5] Young also said: "I really wanted to make sure that I put a lot of myself into these songs so that fans were given a chance to get to know me when they listened. Watching people sing these songs back to us at live shows means so much more knowing that they aren’t just connection to words but also to my genuine life experience. I think vulnerability is important in songwriting and I feel like show that."[6]

Critical reception

Laura Hostelley of Sounds Like Nashville reviewed the album positively, and described Young's debut effort as "straying away from the 'bro-country' trend, to mark his own genuine path by not being afraid to be vulnerable in matters of the heart."[7]

Commercial performance

Brett Young debuted at number two on the Top Country Albums chart, and number 18 on the US Billboard 200, based on 17,800 copies sold (25,000 equivalent album units when tracks and streams are included).[8] On August 7, 2018, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States. The album has sold 253,400 copies in the United States as of January 2019.[9]

Personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart! scope="col"
YearPosition
US Billboard 200[10] 201770
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[11] 7
US Billboard 200[12] 201861
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] 8
US Billboard 200[14] 2019161
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[15] 15
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[16] 202026
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[17] 202157

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[18] 20

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brett Young by Brett Young . iTunes . 10 February 2017 . February 11, 2017.
  2. Web site: Brett Young Makes a First Impression With Debut Album. https://web.archive.org/web/20170211072209/http://www.cmt.com/news/1776928/brett-young-makes-a-first-impression-with-debut-album/. dead. February 11, 2017. CMT news. 10 February 2017. 11 February 2017.
  3. News: Album Review: Brett Young's Self-Titled Debut. 2017-02-07. Sounds Like Nashville. 2017-02-14. en-US.
  4. 'Sleep Without You' Singer Brett Young Talks California Sound, New Album. February 10, 2017. Rolling Stone .
  5. Brett Young Talks Getting Raw & Real on Debut Album: 'You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression'. February 10, 2017 . Taylor . Weatherby . Billboard.
  6. Breaking Big: Fall in love with Brett Young's confessional, soulful country gems. Madison . Vain. June 6, 2017 . Entertainment Weekly.
  7. News: Album Review: Brett Young's Self-Titled Debut. 2017-02-07. Sounds Like Nashville. 2017-02-15. en-US.
  8. Little Big Town Tops Country Airplay With Taylor Swift-Penned 'Better Man' . February 22, 2017. Jim. Asker . Billboard .
  9. News: Top 10 Country Albums: January 7, 2019. Matt. Bjorke. January 7, 2019. Roughstock. January 11, 2019.
  10. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 12, 2017.
  11. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  12. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
  13. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  14. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  15. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  16. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 13, 2020.
  17. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 12, 2021.
  18. Decade-End Charts: Top Country Albums. Billboard. December 1, 2020.