Roller Coaster (Luke Bryan song)
"Roller Coaster" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Luke Bryan | ||||
from the album Crash My Party | ||||
Released | July 14, 2014 | |||
Format | Digital download | |||
Recorded | 2013 | |||
Genre | Country pop | |||
Length | 4:19 | |||
Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
Writer(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jeff Stevens | |||
Luke Bryan singles chronology | ||||
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"Roller Coaster" is a song written by Michael Carter and Cole Swindell, and recorded by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released to country radio on June 14, 2014 as the fifth single from his fourth studio album, Crash My Party.
Contents
Songwriting
Cole Swindell, who formerly sold merchandise for Bryan, wrote the song with Bryan's guitarist and bandleader, Michael Carter, on October 6, 2011 in Valdosta, Georgia. The inspiration for the song was the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City, Florida, a destination that Bryan, Swindell, and Carter had visited on summer vacations.[1] Swindell and Carter recorded a demo for Bryan, which featured Swindell singing. Upon hearing the demo, Bryan thought that Swindell had the potential to get a record deal of his own;[1] after Swindell became a recording artist himself, Carter produced his self-titled debut album.[2] Swindell said that he considered the song "one of my favorite songs I've ever written" and "special" because of his and Carter's friendships with Bryan.[2]
Composition
The song is a mid-tempo ballad about a man who encounters a woman while on vacation in Panama City. The first verse contains details specific to the area, such as Thomas Drive, a road near the former amusement park. In the song, the narrator befriends the woman, then states that "she's got me twisted like that old beach roller coaster" after she leaves. Swindell told Billboard, "Going down there, you always met a girl — like a day before you had to leave, you got up enough courage to finally talk to her, and then she's got to leave the next day." [1]
Tom Roland of Billboard described the song as "smooth and understated" and "reflective [and] melancholy". Carter noted that the melody of the chorus repeats a single note because he wanted the song to be easily sung along with by fans.[1] The original demo featured a cold open, but Bryan and his producer, Jeff Stevens, decided to create an intro because Bryan felt that "[s]tarting with a straight-in lyric, half the time you miss the lyrics." Stevens decided to "start it off with the easy beach feel and let it ride." The song features a bass guitar line performed by Jimmie Lee Sloas, and two backing vocal tracks both sung by session vocalist Perry Coleman.[1] It is in the key of A-flat major with a moderate tempo and a primary chord pattern of A♭-E♭/G-Fm7-D♭ and a vocal range of D♭4-F5.[3]
Critical reception
Country music blog Taste of Country reviewed the song positively. The review contrasted it with "'Til Summer Comes Around" by Keith Urban in saying that it was more "positive" than that song, also saying that "The roller coaster metaphor is creative — it’s what separates this song from others that rely on an increasingly used country trope. Once again it’s Bryan’s natural charisma that lifts a lyric that wouldn’t work for someone less lovable. Little details like Thomas Drive feel personal. He’s becoming one of country’s top storytellers."[4]
Music video
The official music video for "Roller Coaster" was directed by Michael Monaco and filmed in Panama City Beach, Florida in the spring of 2014 as part of spring break festivities. It premiered June 20, 2014.[5]
Chart performance
"Roller Coaster" debuted at No. 60 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week ending July 5, 2014.[6] The same week, "Roller Coaster" re-entered at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[7] For the week ending October 18, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making it Bryan's tenth #1 hit. As of November 2014, the song had sold 583,000 copies in the US.[8]
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] | 56 |
Canada Country (Billboard)[10] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 43 |
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[12] | 1 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] | 5 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2014) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 26 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[15] | 19 |
Preceded by | Billboard Canada Country number-one single October 4–11, 2014 |
Succeeded by "Neon Light" by Blake Shelton |
Preceded by | Billboard Country Airplay number-one single October 18, 2014 |
Succeeded by "Dirt" by Florida Georgia Line |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. sales figure given here
- ↑ "Luke Bryan – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Luke Bryan.
- ↑ "Luke Bryan – Chart history" Billboard Canada Country for Luke Bryan.
- ↑ "Luke Bryan – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Luke Bryan.
- ↑ "Luke Bryan – Chart history" Billboard Country Airplay for Luke Bryan.
- ↑ "Luke Bryan – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Luke Bryan.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- Singlechart called without song
- Singlechart usages for Billboardcanadacountry
- Singlechart usages for Billboardcountryairplay
- Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs
- 2013 songs
- 2014 singles
- Luke Bryan songs
- Capitol Records Nashville singles
- Songs written by Cole Swindell
- Songs written by Michael Carter (musician)
- Billboard Canada Country number-one singles
- Billboard Country Airplay number-one singles
- Country ballads