Long Stretch of Love explained

Long Stretch of Love
Cover:Long Stretch of Love by Lady Antebellum.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Lady Antebellum
Album:747
Recorded:2014
Label:Capitol Nashville
Prev Title:Freestyle
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:Something Better
Next Year:2015

Long Stretch of Love is a song recorded by American country music group Lady Antebellum and serves as the third and final single from the group's sixth studio album, 747 (2014). It was released to radio in the UK on February 6, 2015 and then to American country radio on March 23, 2015, and it features lead vocals from both Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley, who wrote the song with Dave Haywood and Josh Kear.

Content

The song is an upbeat country rock song with "brash kick drum, thumping bass, and crunchy electric guitar riffs". Lyrically, it is about "commitment to love and sticking with it through the ups and downs". All three members of Lady Antebellum co-wrote the song with Josh Kear, and co-produced it with Nathan Chapman. Kear told Nash Country Weekly magazine that he had a track started for a writing session with the band, and when he presented it to them, co-lead singer Charles Kelley "hit on the verse melody pretty quickly, and the verses were all four of us throwing in ideas until the lyric matched the intensity of the track."

The main riff is played on a Woodrow, an Appalachian instrument manufactured only in Asheville, North Carolina, which is described as having a sound "halfway between a dulcimer and a banjo."[1] Kear chose to use the instrument in the song after buying one in Asheville. Dan Williams, who invented the Woodrow, played the instrument with Lady Antebellum when they performed the song at the Country Music Association telecast on April 19, 2015.[2]

Critical reception

Giving the song a "B", Tammy Ragusa of Nash Country Weekly (then Country Weekly) wrote that the song was "driving, edgy, and electric…occasionally to the detriment of the band's thick and beautiful harmonies" but added that "the combination does add to the aggressive nature of the lyrics".[3] An uncredited review from Taste of Country was also favorable, saying that "A forgotten tension between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott reappears during this uptempo love song. It's the same chemistry that always left fans wondering 'Are they?' before it became obvious they weren’t." and "Scott mostly plays lead on the chorus, but unlike many of Lady A's most recent singles, the song feels like a true three-part collaboration."[4]

Commercial performance

"Long Stretch of Love" debuted at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week ending April 4, 2015.[5] It has since reached a peak of sixteen. The song debuted at number forty on the Hot Country Songs chart for the week ending July 11, 2015.[6]

Music video

A music video was directed by Justin Key and premiered in April 2015.[7] This video was shot during their sold-out show at The O2 Arena in London. At the beginning of the video you can hear Charles, Hillary, and Dave talking about performing live, selling out a show at The O2 and playing in one of their favorite cities, London. The video also shows backstage footage of the band.[8] A second music video was directed by TK McKamy and premiered in July 2015.[9]

Chart performance

Year-end charts

Chart (2015)Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[10] 72
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 79

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United KingdomFebruary 6, 2015Radio airplayParlophone[12]
United StatesMarch 23, 2015Country radioCapitol Nashville[13]

Notes and References

  1. Conaway. Alanna. 31 August 2015. Behind the Song: Road Warriors. Nash Country Weekly. 22. 35. 54–55.
  2. Web site: New Lady Antebellum single features Asheville-made Woodrow instrument. Patrick. Emily. 14 April 2015. The Citizen-Times. 30 August 2015.
  3. Ragusa. Tammy. 13 April 2015. Reviews: Lady Antebellum - 'Long Stretch of Love'. Country Weekly. 22. 15. 67. 1074-3235.
  4. Web site: Lady Antebellum - 'Long Stretch of Love' [Listen]]. 10 March 2015. Taste of Country. 8 April 2015.
  5. Trust. Gary. Chart Highlights: Madonna's 'Ghosttown' Debuts on Adult Contemporary. 3 July 2015. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 23 March 2015.
  6. Billboard Country: Mid-Week Update. 3 July 2015. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2 July 2015.
  7. Web site: CMT : Videos : Lady Antebellum : Long Stretch of Love (Wheels Up Tour Version). https://web.archive.org/web/20150518070025/http://www.cmt.com/videos/lady-antebellum/1192786/long-stretch-of-love-wheels-up-tour-version.jhtml. dead. May 18, 2015. Country Music Television. May 3, 2015.
  8. Web site: Lady Antebellum's 'Long Stretch of Love' Video Showcases Sold-Out O2 Performance: Watch. US99.5.cbslocal.com. CBS Local Media. April 20, 2015. May 7, 2015.
  9. Web site: CMT : Videos : Lady Antebellum : Long Stretch of Love. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710143516/http://www.cmt.com/videos/lady-antebellum/1217187/long-stretch-of-love.jhtml. dead. July 10, 2015. Country Music Television. July 9, 2015.
  10. Billboard Country Update for December 14, 2015. 7. December 14, 2015. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 15, 2015.
  11. Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs . . . 2015 . December 9, 2015.
  12. Web site: BBC - Radio 2 - Playlist. BBC Music. British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150204193012/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/playlist. 4 February 2015.
  13. Web site: Single Releases. MusicRow. 4 January 2013 . March 3, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150304160303/http://www.musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/. 4 March 2015.