Marry Me (Thomas Rhett song) explained

Marry Me
Cover:Thomas Rhett - Marry Me (single cover).jpg
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Thomas Rhett
Album:Life Changes
Recorded:2017
Genre:Country
Label:Valory
Prev Title:Unforgettable
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:Life Changes
Next Year:2018

"Marry Me" is a song recorded by American country music singer Thomas Rhett. It was released to country radio on November 20, 2017, via Valory Music Group as the third single from his third studio album, Life Changes (2017).[1] The song was written by Rhett, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley and Shane McAnally.[2]

Background

"Marry Me" is a song where the narrator watches a desired woman marry someone else.[3] It was quoted as "a clever ode to rejection" by StarTribune.com.[4]

Commercial performance

The song peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart on February 17, 2018 where it stayed for 6 weeks.[5] It reached No. 1 on Country Airplay for charts dated March 10, 2018.[6] It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on March 13, 2018, and has sold 451,000 copies in the United States as of June 2018.[7] By August 2021 it was certified 4× Platinum, for sales of an equivalent of 4,000,000 units.

Critical reception

American Songwriter and Taste of Country both ranked the song number three on their lists of the greatest Thomas Rhett songs.[8] [9]

Music video

The official music video was directed by TK McKamy and released on December 17, 2017 on Thomas Rhett's Vevo channel.[10]

In the video, a young girl named Ellie is seen playing dress up with her dolls and imagining her wedding day. Sam, the boy next door, peeks through the window and watches it all unfold before heading out to play football. As the song progresses, their friendship develops and Ellie becomes his biggest fan at a high school football game. Later, at a local diner, he almost kisses her, only for the moment to be interrupted by one of his teammates, whom Ellie merely shrugs off as just a friend.[11] However, Ellie later ends up engaged to that same person, and the pain causes Sam to leave the wedding after dropping off the gift he got for her, wrapped in the same tie-dyed T-shirt with his name on the back that Ellie used to wear to his games. Sam is later seen eating alone at the same diner, the same table where he nearly kissed Ellie, as he pours whiskey from his flask into a coffee cup. The video ends on a cliffhanger as Sam hears a tap on the window, only to find Ellie, still in her wedding dress, with tears in her eyes and the same confused shrug as the other night at the diner. One possible explanation for this is that Ellie's fiance left her standing at the altar and it made her realize she was ready to reciprocate Sam's feelings.

Rhett completes the story of Sam and Ellie in his 2019 video Remember You Young.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 99
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 76
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[14] 24
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[15] 5

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Future Releases For Country Radio. September 8, 2017. AllAccessMusicGroup. 23 December 2017. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20171116032606/https://www.allaccess.com/country/future-releases. 16 November 2017.
  2. Web site: Thomas Rhett – Marry Me. September 8, 2017. Genius. 23 December 2017.
  3. Web site: Thomas Rhett Gives Fans Exactly What They've Been Waiting For On 'Life Changes' — Review. September 8, 2017. HollywoodLife. December 23, 2017.
  4. Web site: Thomas Rhett's pop country pleasant but innocuous. November 30, 2017. Startribune. December 23, 2017.
  5. Hot Country Songs. February 17, 2018 . Billboard .
  6. Country Airplay. March 10, 2018 . Billboard .
  7. News: Top 30 Digital Country Singles: June 20, 2018 . Roughstock. Bjorke. Matt. June 20, 2018 . July 8, 2018 .
  8. Web site: Top Ten Thomas Rhett Songs. Anna. d'Amico. American Songwriter. November 22, 2021. March 20, 2023.
  9. Web site: Thomas Rhett's 20 Best Songs. Carena. Liptak. Taste of Country. March 23, 2022. March 20, 2023.
  10. Web site: Thomas Rhett - Marry Me. YouTube. 17 December 2017 . December 23, 2017.
  11. Web site: Thomas Rhett Releases 'Marry Me' Video. December 19, 2017. AntiMusic. 23 December 2017.
  12. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
  13. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
  14. Country Airplay – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 7, 2018.
  15. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 6, 2018.
  16. Web site: 2018 CMA Award Winners. The CMA Awards. 2019-05-12.