Country, God or the Girl explained

Country, God or the Girl
Type:	studio
Artist:	K'naan
Cover:	K'naan - Country, God, or the Girl.jpg
Recorded:	2010–2012
Genre:	Hip hop pop rock Afrobeat folk
Length:	46:58 (standard edition) 63:09 (deluxe edition)
Label:	A&M/Octone
Prev Title:	More Beautiful Than Silence
Prev Year:	2012

Country, God or the Girl is the fourth studio album by Somali-Canadian hip hop artist K'naan. It was released worldwide on October 16, 2012.^[1]

Background and development

The album was first announced in February 2012, with a release date of May 1, 2012. Coinciding with the announcement, he confirmed that he had collaborated with Nas, U2 lead singer Bono, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, American hip-hop and electronic artist and producer will.i.am and Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado.^[2]

Release and promotion

Singles

"Is Anybody Out There?" was released as the lead single from More Beautiful Than Silence. It features vocals from Nelly Furtado. The song was released as a promotional single in the United States in early January, and as a single worldwide on January 24, 2011.^[3] The single made its chart debut on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 67, before peaking at number 14.^[4] It notably topped the New Zealand charts and peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Nothing to Lose", featuring American hip-hop artist Nas, was released as the second single from More Beautiful Than Silence on February 1, 2012.

"Hurt Me Tomorrow" was released as the album's first official single on May 1, 2012, notably the album's original release date. It peaked at number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100^[5] and at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.^[6]

Critical reception

Country, God or the Girl received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 5 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[7] K'naan wrote an op-ed criticizing himself and his attempts to make the album more palatable for American audiences.^[8]

Track listing

Personnel

• Smith Carlson – engineering^[9]

Charts

Chart (2012)! scope="col"

Peak position
US Billboard 200^[10]	129
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)^[11]	13

Notes and References

1. Web site: K'NAAN Set to Release Country, God or The Girl on Oct 16th. A&M Octone. 2012-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20121107155916/http://site.amoctone.com/artist/news/default.aspx?nid=39457&aid=600. 2012-11-07. dead.
2. Web site: Paine . Jake . K'Naan Announces Country, God Or The Girl Album, Nas, Bono Featured | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales . . 2012-02-21 . 2013-06-21.
3. Web site: iTunes Store . itunes.apple.com . 2013-06-21.
4. Web site: Canada Singles Top 100 - Music Charts . ACharts.US . 2013-06-21.
5. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=k'naan|chart=all}} K'naan Chart History]. . 2013-06-21.
6. Web site: Chart Beat - Definitive Sales & Airplay Analysis . Billboard . 2013-06-21.
7. Web site: Country, God or the Girl by K'NAAN.
8. News: Opinion K'naan, on Censoring Himself For Success. K'Naan. 2012-12-08. The New York Times. 2018-12-15. en-US. 0362-4331.
9. Web site: Country, God or the Girl - K'NAAN | Credits | AllMusic.
10. Chart Moves: Donald Fagen Charts Highest Album Since 1993 on Billboard 200. Billboard. Trust. Gary. October 25, 2012. June 16, 2023.
11. Top Rap Albums: Week of November 3, 2012. Billboard. June 16, 2023.