The South (song)

This article is about the 2013 song by The Cadillac Three. For other songs, see South (disambiguation).
"The South"
Single by the Cadillac Three featuring Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line and Mike Eli
from the album Bury Me in My Boots
ReleasedDecember 3, 2013 (2013-12-03)[1]
Genre
Length4:36
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)Jaren Johnston
Producer(s)
The Cadillac Three singles chronology
"The South"
(2013) 		"Party Like You"
(2014)
Dierks Bentley singles chronology
"I Hold On"
(2013) 		"The South"
(2013) 		"Drunk on a Plane"
(2014)
Florida Georgia Line singles chronology
"Stay"
(2013) 		"The South"
(2013) 		"This Is How We Roll"
(2014)
Music video
"The South" on YouTube

"The South" is a song recorded by American country music band the Cadillac Three. It is their debut release for Big Machine Records.

History

Lead singer Jaren Johnston, who wrote the song, told Billboard: "I wanted something for our live set that mirrored 'Kashmir' by Led Zeppelin – maybe a southern version of that. I got into writing it, and started with the lyrics, I remembered the first time I heard 'Sweet Home Alabama,' and I was just mesmerized with it. I thought 'We need something like that.'"[3] The song features guest vocals from Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, and Eli Young Band lead singer Mike Eli.[4]

Critical reception

The song has received positive critical reception. Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal reviewed the song favorably, praising Johnston's lead vocals and the Southern rock influences.[5] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country also described the song's Southern rock sound favorably. He also said that the song "has depth" and that "Johnston's voice is suited for grungy honky-tonks".[6] Giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars, Matt Bjorke of Roughstock wrote that " there’s some nice lyrical choices…and an overall understanding of what can make an artist unique".[7]

Music video

Shane Drake directed the song's music video.[8]

Chart performance

The song has sold 165,000 copies in the U.S. as of May 2014.[9]

Chart (2013–2014) Peak
position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[10] 33
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 32

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "The South". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  2. ^ "10 Random Questions With Jaren Johnston". Nashville Gab. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  3. ^ Dauphin, Chuck (28 January 2014). "The Cadillac Three Rise With 'The South,' Score Time on 'Nashville'". Billboard. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  4. ^ Wyland, Sarah (12 February 2014). "The Cadillac Three Brings 'The South' to Country Radio". Great American Country. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  5. ^ Papadatos, Markos (3 January 2014). "Review: The Cadillac Three rocks on new single and video for 'The South'". Digital Journal. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  6. ^ Dukes, Billy (13 November 2013). "The Cadillac Three (Feat. Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, Mike Eli), 'The South' – ToC Critic's Pick [Listen]". Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  7. ^ Bjorke, Matt (20 January 2014). "Single Review: The Cadillac Three - The South". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  8. ^ "CMT : Videos : The Cadillac Three : The South". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Matt Bjorke (May 8, 2014). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - May 8, 2014: Brantley Gilbert's Guns N Roses Debut". Roughstock. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014.
  10. ^ "The Cadillac Three Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "The Cadillac Three Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "American single certifications – The Cadillac Three – The South". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2023.