When It Rains It Pours (song) explained

When It Rains It Pours
Cover:WhenItRainsItPours.jpg
Alt:The cover consists of a scratchcard revealing the song title. Beside it is a penny showing Abraham Lincoln.
Type:single
Artist:Luke Combs
Album:This One's for You
Genre:Country
Length:4:02
Producer:Scott Moffatt
Prev Title:Hurricane
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:One Number Away
Next Year:2018

"When It Rains It Pours" is a song recorded by American country music singer Luke Combs. It was released in June 2017 as the second single from his debut album This One's for You (2017). Written by Combs, Ray Fulcher and Jordan Walker, the song is about a man gaining a streak of luck after his girlfriend left him, something that Combs himself had similarly gone through that acted as the basis for the song's creation. "When It Rains It Pours" reached number one on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively, giving Combs his second number-one country hit overall. It also charted at number 33 on the Hot 100 chart. The song was certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 9,000,000 units as of August 2023. It achieved similar chart success in Canada, giving Combs his first number-one hit on the Canada Country chart and peaking at number 54 on the Canadian Hot 100. It garnered a 2× Platinum certification from Music Canada. Although it didn't chart in Australia, it was certified 7x Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting sales of 490,000 units in that country. An accompanying music video for the single, created by TA Films, retells the song's story. It was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2018 CMT Music Awards. For promotion, Combs performed the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CMT Crossroads with Leon Bridges.

Background and development

Taste of Countrys Sterling Whitaker described the song as "a more uptempo, lighthearted song that turns the old woe-is-me phrase on its ear with a savvy twist."[1] In the song, the narrator humorously recalls a streak of favorable occurrences beginning with his girlfriend leaving him.[2] Combs co-wrote the track with Jordan Walker of the country music duo Walker McGuire, and they both met with Ray Fulcher at a Nashville bar where they talked about wanting to write a song together, and went over the idea at Walker's house.[3] The song's inspiration came from Combs having gone through a breakup and Walker suggesting that it be about making his ex-girlfriend mad.[3]

Commercial performance

"When It Rains It Pours" first entered the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated July 1, 2017, at number 56,[4] and the Hot Country Songs chart at number 43 the same week.[5] It reached atop the Country Airplay chart the week of November 3 and the Hot Country Songs chart three weeks later.[6] [7] On the Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at number 85 the week of August 19.[8] Eleven weeks later, it peaked at number 33 the week of November 3, and remained on the chart for twenty weeks.[9] [10] The song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 22, 2018, and has sold 459,000 copies in the United States as of August 2018.[11]

In Canada, the song debuted at number 96 on the Canadian Hot 100 the week of September 9,[12] peaked at number 54 for two non-consecutive weeks, and stayed on the chart for twenty weeks.[10] It was certified double platinum by Music Canada on August 23, 2018.

Music video

The music video was created by TA Films. The song's music video retells the story, featuring Combs encountering his ex-girlfriend, and then driving, celebrating with his friends, getting a phone number from a waitress (played by his then-girlfriend, now wife Nicole Hocking), and celebrating over winning money on a lottery ticket.[13] On June 6, 2018, it was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2018 CMT Music Awards, but lost to "I'll Name the Dogs" by Blake Shelton.[14]

Live performances

On November 8, 2017 (recorded October 2), Combs performed the track along with "One Number Away" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards.[15] On June 28, 2018, he performed it on CMT Crossroads as a duet with Leon Bridges.[16]

Personnel

From This One's for You liner notes.[17]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

2017 weekly chart performance for "When It Rains It Pours"! Chart (2017)! Peak
position
Chart (2022–2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 24

Year-end charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Position
Canada Country (Billboard)[19] 41
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[20] 33
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] 11
Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[22] 65
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[23] 93
Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[24] 51

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[25] 39

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Luke Combs - When It Rains It Pours song review. Whitaker. Sterling. June 6, 2017. Taste of Country. August 15, 2017.
  2. Web site: When It Rains, It Pours for Luke Combs. https://web.archive.org/web/20170616203558/http://www.cmt.com/news/1782944/when-it-rains-it-pours-for-luke-combs/. dead. June 16, 2017. Tingle. Lauren. June 16, 2017. Country Music Television. August 15, 2017.
  3. Web site: Lyrics Uncovered: Luke Combs, 'When It Rains It Pours'. Houghton. Cillea. Taste of Country. January 16, 2018. May 20, 2020.
  4. Country Airplay: July 1, 2017. Billboard. September 21, 2017. subscription.
  5. Hot Country Songs: July 1, 2017. Billboard. September 21, 2017. subscription.
  6. Country Airplay: November 3, 2017. Billboard. June 30, 2020. subscription.
  7. Hot Country Songs: November 24, 2017. Billboard. June 30, 2020. subscription.
  8. The Hot 100: August 19, 2017. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  9. The Hot 100: November 3, 2017. Billboard. May 20, 2020.
  10. Web site: When It Rains It Pours by Luke Combs. aCharts.co. July 9, 2018.
  11. News: The Top 30 Digital Country Tracks: August 14, 2018. Roughstock. Matt. Bjorke. August 14, 2018. September 7, 2018.
  12. Canadian Hot 100: September 9, 2017. Billboard. July 9, 2018. subscription.
  13. Web site: Luke Combs Hits the Jackpot in Fun New Video for 'When It Rains It Pours'. Burchard. Jeremy. Wide Open Country. August 15, 2017 . August 15, 2017.
  14. Here Are All the Winners from the 2018 CMT Music Awards. Billboard Staff. Billboard. June 6, 2018. June 30, 2020.
  15. Watch Luke Combs' Cheeky 'When It Rains It Pours' on 'Kimmel'. Gage. Jeff. Rolling Stone. November 9, 2017. May 30, 2020.
  16. Web site: Watch Luke Combs and Leon Bridges' Duet Version of 'When It Rains It Pours' From 'CMT Crossroads'. Moore. Bobby. Wide Open Country. June 27, 2018. June 30, 2020.
  17. This One's for You. Luke Combs. 2017. CD booklet. River House Artists/Columbia Nashville. 88985-38883-2.
  18. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. August 28, 2023. August 25, 2023.
  19. Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017. Billboard. December 22, 2017 . December 31, 2017.
  20. Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 18, 2017.
  21. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 18, 2017.
  22. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 7, 2018.
  23. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2022. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 4, 2023.
  24. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2023. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 12, 2024.
  25. Decade-End Charts: Hot Country Songs. Billboard. January 11, 2020.