Back to Us

Back to Us
Back to Us
Studio album by Rascal Flatts
Released	May 19, 2017
Genre	Country
Length	35:14 (Standard edition); 45:11 (Deluxe edition)
Label	Big Machine
Producer	Rascal Flatts; busbee;
Rascal Flatts chronology
Singles from Back to Us
	"Yours If You Want It"; Released: January 9, 2017; "Back to Us"; Released: August 21, 2017;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Sputnikmusic	^[3]

Back to Us is the tenth and final studio album by American country music trio Rascal Flatts. It was released on May 19, 2017 through Big Machine Records. The group produced the album themselves, save one track on the deluxe edition, which was produced by Busbee.^[4] "Yours If You Want It" was released in January 2017 as the album's lead single, followed by the title track "Back to Us" in August of the same year. The album serves as a follow-up to 2014's Rewind. Back to Us earned the group their twelfth top-10 album on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. A deluxe edition of the album also includes the songs "Hands Talk," "Thieves," and "Roller Rink."

This is the group's first album not to be produced by Dann Huff since 2004's Feels Like Today.

Content

Country singer Lauren Alaina features on the track "Are You Happy Now", which was co-written by all three members of Rascal Flatts.^[5] "I Know You Won't" was previously recorded by Carrie Underwood on her 2007 album, Carnival Ride.^[6]

Singles

The record's lead single, "Yours If You Want It", was released on January 9, 2017. One of the song's writers, Andrew Dorff, died shortly before its release.^[7] Another single "Back to Us" was released on August 21, 2017.^[8]

Commercial performance

Back to Us debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart dated June 10, 2017 with 30,000 album equivalent units (of which 25,000 were traditional album sales). The album also entered the Top Country Albums chart the same week at number 2, earning the group their twelfth top-10 album.^[9] The album has sold 68,600 copies in the US as of December 2017.^[10] The album did reach No. 1 on the Australian country album charts upon release.

Critical reception

The album received positive reviews. Lauren Laffer of Sounds Like Nashville spoke positively of the album, saying, "The 10 tracks within the project feature Gary LeVox’s distinctive warm and emotive vocals while Jay DeMarcus' production skills only amplify Joe Don Rooney's guitar chops. Rascal Flatts continue to prove their staying power with Back to Us."^[11] A Sputnikmusic user wrote that "Rascal Flatts returns to their roots by returning to their career hallmarks of sterling vocal harmonies, high production value and genre-transcending composition."^[12]

Track listing

*Back to Us* – Standard edition^[1]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Yours If You Want It"	Andrew Dorff Jonathan Singleton	3:25
2.	"Back to Us"	Cary Barlowe David Hodges Josh Thompson	3:58
3.	"I Know You Won't"	Steve McEwan Wendell Mobley Neil Thrasher	3:53
4.	"Hopin' You Were Lookin'"	Barlowe Jesse Frasure Shay Mooney Dan Smyers	2:56
5.	"Dance"	Joe Don Rooney Blair Daly Troy Verges	3:21
6.	"Are You Happy Now" (with Lauren Alaina)	Jay DeMarcus Gary LeVox Rooney Sean McConnell	3:59
7.	"Love What You've Done with the Place"	Benjy Davis Mooney	3:31
8.	"Kiss You While I Can"	DeMarcus Steven Lee Olsen Greg Wells	3:14
9.	"Vandalized"	Luke Laird Chris Stapleton	3:22
10.	"Our Night to Shine"	LeVox Chris DeStefano Travis Hill	3:35
Total length:			35:14

*Back to Us* – Deluxe edition^[2]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Yours If You Want It"	Dorff Singleton	3:25
2.	"Hopin' You Were Lookin'"	Barlowe Frasure Mooney Smyers	2:56
3.	"I Know You Won't"	McEwan Mobley Thrasher	3:53
4.	"Dance"	Rooney Daly Verges	3:21
5.	"Back to Us"	Barlowe Hodges Thompson	3:58
6.	"Kiss You While I Can"	DeMarcus Olsen Wells	3:14
7.	"Vandalized"	Laird Stapleton	3:22
8.	"Are You Happy Now" (with Lauren Alaina)	DeMarcus LeVox Rooney McConnell	3:59
9.	"Hands Talk"	LeVox busbee Jon Nite	3:35
10.	"Thieves"	DeMarcus LeVox Scooter Carusoe DeStefano	3:10
11.	"Love What You've Done with the Place"	Davis Mooney	3:31
12.	"Roller Rink"	Nick Brophy Jeffrey East Jennifer Hanson	3:12
13.	"Our Night to Shine"	LeVox DeStefano Hill	3:35
Total length:			45:11

Notes

All songs produced by Rascal Flatts except "Hands Talk", produced by busbee.

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic^[13]

Rascal Flatts

Jay DeMarcus – acoustic piano, keyboards, synthesizers, Moog bass, programming, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, bass guitar, horn arrangements, backing vocals
Gary LeVox – lead vocals
Joe Don Rooney – electric guitar, backing vocals

Additional Musicians

Casey Brown – programming
Dave Cohen – keyboards
David Dorn – keyboards
Rob McNelley – electric guitar
Danny Rader – acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin
Travis Toy – steel guitar
Dorian Crozier – drums
Evan Hutchings – drums
Jim Riley – drums
Jimmy Bowland – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
Chris McDonald – trombone, horn arrangements
Jeff Bailey – trumpet
Steve Patrick – trumpet
Carole Rabinowitz – cello
Betsy Lamb – viola
Kristin Wilkinson – viola, string arrangements
David Angell – violin
Zeneba Bowers – violin
David Davidson – violin
Conni Ellisor – violin
Lauren Alaina – lead and harmony vocals on "Are You Happy Now"

Production

Rascal Flatts – producers
busbee – producer on "Hands Talk"
Allison Jones – A&R
Derek Bason – engineer, mixing, digital editing
Sean Neff – engineer, digital editing
Justin Niebank – mixing
Nick Lane – assistant engineer
Bryce Roberts – assistant engineer
Chris Small – assistant engineer, mix assistant
David Huff – digital editing
Adam Ayan – mastering
Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordinator
Laurel Kittleson – production coordinator
Janet Soled – production coordinator
Sandi Spika Borchetta – art direction, design
Becky Reiser – art direction, design
David McClister – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[14]	24
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)^[15]	1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[16]	19
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)^[17]	5
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[18]	45
UK Country Albums (OCC)^[19]	3
US Billboard 200^[20]	11
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[21]	2