We Were Explained

We Were
Cover:Keith Urban - We Were.png
Type:single
Artist:Keith Urban
Album:The Speed of Now Part 1
B-Side:Happier
Genre:Country
Label:Capitol Nashville
Prev Title:Never Comin' Down
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:God Whispered Your Name
Next Year:2020

"We Were" is a song written by Eric Church, Ryan Tyndell, and Jeff Hyde and recorded by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 13 May 2019 as the first single from Urban's eleventh studio album The Speed of Now Part 1 (2020). A duet version featuring Church was later released, making it the second collaboration between Urban and Church, following 2015's "Raise 'Em Up". The song reached number-one on the Canada Country chart.

Background

Country music singer Eric Church wrote the song with Ryan Tyndell and Jeff Hyde, and Urban produced it with longtime producer Dann Huff. The song uses "vivid imagery" and "earnest nostalgia" to tell of "romances that we all know won't last".[1] Billy Dukes of the blog Taste of Country found the song similar in content and tone to previous Urban singles such as "'Til Summer Comes Around" and "We Were Us", while also noting a more "sparse" production compared to the Graffiti U album preceding it.[2] On 2 August 2019, Urban released an acoustic remix.[3] The song was released as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl with a cover of Marshmello and Bastille's "Happier" as its B-side.[4]

Chart performance

"We Were" reached number four on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.[5] It has sold 65,000 copies in the United States as of November 2019.[6]

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[8] 33
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 43

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Keith Urban Recalls Fleeting Romances, Cover Bands in New Song 'We Were' . Rolling Stone Country . 14 May 2019 . 14 October 2019 . Joseph Hudak.
  2. Web site: Keith Urban's 'We Were' Pulls Back to Center For Lost-Love Song . Taste of Country . 14 May 2019 . 14 October 2019 . Billy Dukes.
  3. Web site: Keith Urban's Acoustic 'We Were' Will Fill You With Longing . Taste of Country . 2 August 2019 . 14 October 2019 . Ryan Reichard.
  4. Web site: "We Were" Blue Cover with Blue 7" Vinyl. keithurban.net. 26 September 2020.
  5. Country Airplay . 30 November 2019. Billboard .
  6. Web site: Bjorke . Matt . Top 30 Digital Country Songs: November 24, 2019 . Rough Stock . 30 November 2019 . 12 December 2019.
  7. Keith Urban Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Songs). Billboard. June 20, 2021.
  8. Country Airplay – Year-End 2019. Billboard. 6 December 2019.
  9. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. 6 December 2019.
  10. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2020. Billboard. 3 December 2020.