Brett Young is the debut studio album by American the country pop singer Brett Young,[3] and his fourth album overall. Young is a featured co-writer on 11 out of the 12 tracks on the album, which was produced by Dann Huff and recorded in Nashville.[4] The album was released on February 10, 2017, through Big Machine Label Group. The album was produced by Dann Huff, known for working with crossover-friendly country pop acts like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban.

Brett Young
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 10, 2017[1]
Recorded2014–2017
GenreCountry
Length41:55
LabelBig Machine[1]
ProducerDann Huff
Brett Young chronology
Brett Young
(2016)
Brett Young
(2017)
Ticket to L.A.
(2018)
Singles from Brett Young
  1. "Sleep Without You"
    Released: April 11, 2016
  2. "In Case You Didn't Know"
    Released: January 9, 2017
  3. "Like I Loved You"
    Released: July 17, 2017
  4. "Mercy"
    Released: February 20, 2018[2]

Background

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Young co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album, including the four singles from the album, "Sleep Without You", "In Case You Didn't Know", "Like I Loved You" and "Mercy".[5] Six of these songs had been previously released on his self-titled EP. Young stressed the importance of honesty in his music; according to him, of the 12 songs in the album, 10 of them he had lived, and the other two he can completely relate to. He said that the album is "a very clear picture of me as a person."[6] Young also said: "I really wanted to make sure that I put a lot of myself into these songs so that fans were given a chance to get to know me when they listened. Watching people sing these songs back to us at live shows means so much more knowing that they aren’t just connection to words but also to my genuine life experience. I think vulnerability is important in songwriting and I feel like show that."[7]

Critical reception

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Laura Hostelley of Sounds Like Nashville reviewed the album positively, and described Young's debut effort as "straying away from the 'bro-country' trend, to mark his own genuine path by not being afraid to be vulnerable in matters of the heart."[8]

Commercial performance

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Brett Young debuted at number two on the Top Country Albums chart, and number 18 on the US Billboard 200, based on 17,800 copies sold (25,000 equivalent album units when tracks and streams are included).[9] On August 7, 2018, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.[10] The album has sold 253,400 copies in the United States as of January 2019.[11]

Track listing

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Brett Young track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sleep Without You"
3:08
2."Close Enough"3:07
3."Like I Loved You"3:28
4."In Case You Didn't Know"
3:46
5."Olivia Mae"
  • Young
  • Ben Caver
3:42
6."Left Side of Leavin'"
  • Young
  • Robbins
  • Nite
3:36
7."You Ain't Here to Kiss Me"
  • Young
  • Matt Alderman
  • Tiffany Goss
3:39
8."Back on the Wagon"3:35
9."Makin' Me Say"3:10
10."Memory Won't Let Me"
  • Young
  • Steven Jones
  • Justin Ebach
3:32
11."Beautiful Believer"
  • Young
  • Annie Wildgen
  • Jason Adamo
3:34
12."Mercy"3:35
Total length:41:53

Personnel

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  • J. Bonilla – programming (tracks 1, 4, 6)
  • Joeie Canaday – bass guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11)
  • Ben Caver – background vocals (tracks 1, 5–7, 10)
  • Paul Franklinsteel guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7)
  • Dann Huff – acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 11), electric guitar (all tracks except 12), bouzouki (track 6), electric guitar solo (tracks 1, 6), ganjo (track 4), keyboards (tracks 6, 7), mandolin (tracks 1, 6, 11), percussion (track 7), programming (track 7), slide guitar (track 6)
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards (all tracks except 12), piano (track 12), programming (tracks 2, 9)
  • Rob McNelley – electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11), electric guitar solo (track 7)
  • Noah Needleman – background vocals (track 2)
  • Jerry Roe – drums (tracks 2, 9)
  • Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar (tracks 2, 5, 8–11)
  • Aaron Sterling – drums (tracks 1, 3–8, 10, 11)
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals (tracks 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12)
  • Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–10), mandolin (track 1), resonator guitar (track 7)
  • Derek Wells – electric guitar (2, 5, 6, 8–11)
  • Brett Young – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (track 6)

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Brett Young
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25] Platinum 80,000
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000 / 253,400[11]

Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Brett Young by Brett Young". iTunes. 10 February 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. January 16, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "Brett Young Makes a First Impression With Debut Album". CMT news. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Album Review: Brett Young's Self-Titled Debut". Sounds Like Nashville. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  5. ^ "'Sleep Without You' Singer Brett Young Talks California Sound, New Album". Rolling Stone. February 10, 2017.
  6. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (February 10, 2017). "Brett Young Talks Getting Raw & Real on Debut Album: 'You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression'". Billboard.
  7. ^ Vain, Madison (June 6, 2017). "Breaking Big: Fall in love with Brett Young's confessional, soulful country gems". Entertainment Weekly.
  8. ^ "Album Review: Brett Young's Self-Titled Debut". Sounds Like Nashville. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  9. ^ Asker, Jim (February 22, 2017). "Little Big Town Tops Country Airplay With Taylor Swift-Penned 'Better Man'". Billboard.
  10. ^ a b "American album certifications – Brett Young – Brett Young". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (January 7, 2019). "Top 10 Country Albums: January 7, 2019". Roughstock. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  12. ^ "Brett Young Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  14. ^ "Brett Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  15. ^ "Brett Young Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  16. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  17. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  18. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  19. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  20. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  22. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  23. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  24. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Top Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  25. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Brett Young – Brett Young". Music Canada. Retrieved April 14, 2019.