I Hope (Gabby Barrett song)

"I Hope"
Single by Gabby Barrett
from the album Goldmine
ReleasedJuly 29, 2019[1]
Genre
Length3:30
LabelWarner Music Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Gabby Barrett singles chronology
"I Hope"
(2019) 		"The Good Ones"
(2020)
Charlie Puth singles chronology
"Cheating on You"
(2019) 		"I Hope"
(2020) 		"Summer Feelings"
(2020)
Music video
"I Hope" on YouTube

"I Hope" is a song recorded by American country music singer Gabby Barrett. She released the single independently following her third-place finish on season 16 of American Idol. It led to her signing a deal with Warner Music Nashville,[2] and it was released on July 29, 2019, as her debut single and the first from her debut studio album Goldmine.[1] Barrett co-wrote the song with Jon Nite and Zach Kale, with Kale and Ross Copperman handling production.

A remix featuring American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth was released on April 17, 2020. It received a Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year nomination at the 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards. The song is certified 7× Platinum in the United States, 8× Platinum in Canada, and Silver in the United Kingdom. It has also been hailed as a crossover hit, topping the Billboard Country Airplay, Adult Pop Songs and all-format Radio Songs charts[3] and becoming the best-selling country song of 2020 in the United States, as well as the third-bestselling country and adult contemporary song of 2021 in the country.[4] It spent 62 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.[5]

Background

Gabby Barrett co-wrote "I Hope" with Zach Kale and Jon Nite, and the track was produced by Ross Copperman and Zachary Kale.[1] Barrett revealed that she "had a terrible relationship in high school that just went south, and [she] ended up getting [her] heart broken."[3] They originally sat down to write a song about a woman suffering a breakup and still wishing for her ex to be happy, but Barrett decided to turn it toward a more revengeful nature: "The fact is that sometimes we hope for the worst when it comes to our exes. We would never voice that, but it wreaks [havoc] inside. This song now says the things that maybe you or I never said."[6]

Remix

After the single reached number one and its popularity on streaming services began to skyrocket, American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth messaged Barrett on Instagram expressing how much he loved the song and wanted to remix it. Though Barrett didn't quite believe it was really Puth, once she agreed, there was a quick turnaround in creating the new version, with Puth adding vocals to the song's second verse and including a more pop-leaning production. The remix helped catapult the song into the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the biggest crossover hits in 2020.[7]

Critical reception

In a review for Goldmine, Bob Paxton of Sounds Like Nashville called the song "the anthem for every heartbroken girl" and praised the songwriters for exploring a "new angle on the "woman scorned" theme."[8] Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal wrote that Barrett "is able to convey a wide range of raw emotions" in the song and that "I Hope" proves she has "everything it takes to become the next big female star in the country genre."[9] Mike Wass of Idolator wrote that "I Hope" is the "rowdiest, most biting country breakup anthem since Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats"."[10]

Music video

The music video for "I Hope" was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee and premiered on February 7, 2019.[11] In the video, Barrett sits alone in a warehouse, reflecting on experiences with her ex through a series of flashbacks.[12]

Live performances

Barrett returned to the American Idol stage to give her first televised performance of "I Hope" on May 5, 2019.[13]

Barrett performed the song live at the 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards alongside Charlie Puth that was televised on November 11, 2020.[14]

Commercial performance

"I Hope" debuted at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated January 11, 2020,[15] and peaked at number three, on the chart dated November 21, 2020, becoming Barrett's first top-ten entry on the Hot 100 and Puth's fourth top 10 (Puth is given a featured artist credit on the chart from the issue dated October 3, 2020, as overall consumption for the remix outpaced that of the Barrett-only original).[16][17] Reaching the top five in its 45th week on the chart, "I Hope" broke the record for the longest ascent to the top five in Billboard history, surpassing the previous record set by "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, which took 42 weeks to reach the top five.[18] It also reached No. 1 on the Country Streaming Songs chart on April 11, 2019, with 9 million U.S. streams for the week, which made Barrett the first woman to score a No. 1 on that chart with her debut single.[19] It also reached No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay for the chart dated April 25, 2020,[20] and No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Songs for the chart dated July 25, 2020, making it the first female debut single to top the latter chart since 2006.[21] Additionally, it replaced Maren Morris's "The Bones" at number one, making it the first time since 2011 that two back-to-back solo female artists topped the chart.[21] "I Hope" became only the fourth song in history to top both the Country Radio Airplay and all-format Radio Songs chart, and its record 20-week run atop the Hot Country Songs chart made Barrett the first female solo artist to remain at the summit for that long.[3]

"I Hope" was certified seven times platinum by the RIAA in 2023.[22] The song has sold 351,000 copies in the United States as of December 2020.[23]

The song topped Billboard's year-end Hot Country Songs chart for 2020, making Barrett the first female artist to achieve this since Wynonna Judd with "I Saw the Light" in 1992.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[57] 8× Platinum 640,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[22] 8× Platinum 8,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Version Label
United States January 25, 2019
  • Digital download
 Original —
July 29, 2019
Warner Music Nashville
April 17, 2020
  • Digital download
 Remix featuring Charlie Puth
May 11, 2020 Hot adult contemporary radio[59]
June 9, 2020 Contemporary hit radio[60]
July 26, 2021 Adult contemporary radio[61] Original

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c Roland, Tom (August 19, 2019). "Makin' Tracks: 'Idol' Alum Gabby Barrett's 'I Hope' Is Not What the Title Implies". Billboard.
  2. ^ "Warner Music Nashville Signs Gabby Barrett". June 26, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Newman, Melinda. "How Gabby Barrett Made One of 2020's Defining Crossover Hits". Billboard. PMC. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Billboard 2020 Year-End Hot Country Songs". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Gabby Barrett | Biography". billboard.com.
  6. ^ Tricia Despres (May 23, 2019). "American Idol Alum Gabby Barrett Turns Up the Revenge on Vengeful New Song 'I Hope'". People.com. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "Gabby Barrett's 'I Hope' remix with Charlie Puth helped make her a country music anomaly - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ Paxman, Bob (June 18, 2020). "Album Review: Gabby Barrett's 'Goldmine'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Papadatos, Markos (March 20, 2020). "Review: Gabby Barrett shines on 'I Hope' country single and music video". Digital Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  10. ^ Wass, Mike (April 22, 2020). "Gabby Barrett Taps Charlie Puth For "I Hope" Remix". Idolator. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Jerry Holthouse (February 7, 2019). "Rising Star Gabby Barrett Releases "I Hope" Video". Nashville.com. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  12. ^ "American Idol Alum Gabby Barrett: Behind the Scenes of 'I Hope' (Exclusive)". YouTube. March 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  13. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  14. ^ Grein, Paul (29 October 2020). "The CMA Awards Promise to Bring Top Country Stars Together 'Safely, All in One Room'". Billboard.com. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Chart Search: Gabby Barrett, Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  16. ^ Trust, Gary (October 26, 2020). "24kGoldn & iann dior's 'Mood' No. 1 for 2nd Week on Hot 100, Gabby Barrett & Charlie Puth's 'I Hope' Rules Radio". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Trust, Gary (September 28, 2020). "BTS' 'Dynamite' Back to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Justin Bieber & Chance the Rapper's 'Holy' Debuts at No. 3". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. ^ "24kGoldn & iann dior's 'Mood' Swings Back to No. 1 on Hot 100; Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez Debut in Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  19. ^ ASKER, Jim (April 8, 2020). "Gabby Barrett Scores Historic No. 1 on Country Streaming Songs Chart With 'I Hope'". Billboard.
  20. ^ Asker, Jim (April 21, 2020). "Gabby Barrett's 'I Hope' Tops Country Airplay, As Women Hit a 24-Year High On Hot Country Songs. I Hope became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Rolling Stones 100 peaking at 16 and 18, respectively". Billboard.
  21. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2020-07-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ a b "American single certifications – Gabby Barrett – I Hope". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  23. ^ "MRC Data Year-End Report U.S. 2020" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  24. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  25. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  26. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  27. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  28. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  29. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  30. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  32. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Songs, June 19, 2020 - June 25, 2020". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  34. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  35. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  36. ^ "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  37. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  38. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  39. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  40. ^ "Gabby Barrett feat. Charlie Puth – I Hope" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  41. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  42. ^ "Gabby Barrett discography". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  43. ^ Arvunescu, Victor (9 November 2020). "Top Airplay 100 - Jason Derulo dă hitul momentului!" [Top Airplay 100 – Jason Derulo gives the hit of the moment!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  44. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  45. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  46. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  47. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  48. ^ "Gabby Barrett Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  49. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  50. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  51. ^ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  52. ^ "Pop Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  53. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  55. ^ "Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  56. ^ "Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  57. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Gabby Barrett – I Hope". Music Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  58. ^ "British single certifications – Gabby Barrett – I Hope". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  59. ^ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  60. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  61. ^ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.