Lonely Tonight

This article is about the 2014 song. For the 1980 song, see Johnny Logan (singer).
"Lonely Tonight"
Single by Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe
from the album Bringing Back the Sunshine
ReleasedNovember 17, 2014 (2014-11-17)
Recorded2014
GenreCountry
Length3:38
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Scott Hendricks
Blake Shelton singles chronology
"Neon Light"
(2014) 		"Lonely Tonight"
(2014) 		"Sangria"
(2015)
Ashley Monroe singles chronology
"Weed Instead of Roses"
(2013) 		"Lonely Tonight"
(2014) 		"On to Something Good"
(2015)

"Lonely Tonight" is a song written by Brent Anderson and Ryan Hurd and recorded by American country music singer Blake Shelton, featuring country singer and Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe. It was recorded for Shelton's eighth studio album, Bringing Back the Sunshine (2014) and was released to country radio in fall 2014 as the album's second single. The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Content

"Lonely Tonight" is a country song about a bittersweet one night stand, with Shelton and Monroe playing ex-lovers who reconnect for one last night. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country described the ballad as "dark love song", while Carolyn Menyes of Music Times called it "relatable and heartbreaking".[1][2] Billboard writer Chuck Dauphin compared "Lonely Tonight" to Shelton's earlier work from Pure BS (2007) and Startin' Fires (2008).[3]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country praised the "swell[ing]" production and traditional styling, while also praising the choice of duet partner.[1] Michael McCall of The Calgary Herald noted that the song "shows off [Blake's] vocal and emotional range."[4]

Chart performance

"Lonely Tonight" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week ending November 29, 2014.[5] It peaked at number 1 on that chart, making for Shelton's 14th consecutive number 1 hit on that chart. It is also Monroe's first solo number 1 hit, although she previously had a number 1 as one-third of Pistol Annies when they contributed a guest vocal to Shelton's "Boys 'Round Here" in 2013.[6]

The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on March 19, 2015,[7] and has sold 530,000 copies in the US as of April 2015.[8] "Lonely Tonight" was also certified Gold by Music Canada in March 2015 for sales exceeding 40,000 digital units.[9]

Music video

A teaser video featuring the audio of "Lonely Tonight" was uploaded to Blake Shelton's official YouTube channel on September 30, 2014, along with the other songs off Bringing Back the Sunshine.[10] The official music video for "Lonely Tonight" was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered November 12, 2014.[11]

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ a b Dukes, Billy (10 November 2014). "Blake Shelton (Feat. Ashley Monroe), 'Lonely Tonight' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  2. ^ Menyes, Carolyn. "Blake Shelton, Ashley Monroe Get Contemplative in "Lonely Tonight" Music Video [WATCH]". Music Times. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  3. ^ Dauphin, Chuck. "Blake Shelton, 'Bringing Back The Sunshine': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  4. ^ McCall, Michael. "Music Review: Grown-up Blake Shelton shines on new album 'Bringing Back the Sunshine'". Calgary Herald. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  5. ^ Trust, Gary. "Chart Highlights: Maroon 5 Moves To No. 1 on Pop Songs With 'Animals'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  6. ^ Jessen, Wade (2 March 2015). "'Lonely' extends Shelton's No. 1 streak; Brice, Hunt crack top 10" (PDF). Billboard. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  7. ^ a b "American single certifications – Blake Shelton – Lonely Tonight". Recording Industry Association of America.
  8. ^ a b Matt Bjorke (April 15, 2015). "Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: Week of April 15, 2015". Roughstock. Sales figure given here
  9. ^ "Canadian digital single certifications – Blake Shelton – Lonely Tonight". Music Canada.
  10. ^ Blake Shelton (30 September 2014). "Blake Shelton - Lonely Tonight". YouTube. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Blake Shelton | Lonely Tonight | Music Video". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  12. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  13. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  14. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  15. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  16. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  17. ^ "Best of 2015: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  18. ^ "Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  19. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Blake Shelton – Lonely Tonight". Music Canada. Retrieved March 21, 2015.