What a Song Can Do
| What a Song Can Do | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 22, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Country pop[1] | |||
| Length | 51:24 | |||
| Label | Big Machine | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Lady A chronology | ||||
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| Singles from What a Song Can Do | ||||
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What a Song Can Do is the ninth studio album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2021, through Big Machine Records. The album includes the single "Like a Lady" and thirteen other tracks. It is also the first new album released under the name Lady A and second after the deluxe edition of Ocean in 2020.
Background[edit]
Prior to the album's release, the band issued the extended play What a Song Can Do (Chapter One), containing tracks from the album. This extended play contains seven songs, and the album contains seven more. Thirteen of the project's fourteen songs were co-written by at least one member of the band; Dave Haywood wrote "Workin' on This Love" by himself and even sings lead vocals on it, making this the first and so far only album to feature a solo from him.[3] The track "Friends Don't Let Friends" features guest vocals from Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Darius Rucker. Dann Huff is the album's producer.[4]
Critical reception[edit]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that "The 14 songs never deviate from the middle of the road, a path they follow with the urgency of a Sunday afternoon drive[...] they give the arrangements enough room to be breezy and help keep the melody in the forefront -- tricks that make for a very pleasant listen, even if it is quite a familiar one."[1]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Talk of This Town" |
| Kelley, Scott | 3:45 |
| 2. | "What a Song Can Do" | Kelley, Scott | 3:41 | |
| 3. | "Like a Lady" |
| Scott | 3:01 |
| 4. | "Things He Handed Down" |
| Kelley | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Fire" |
| Scott | 3:14 |
| 6. | "Chance of Rain" |
| Kelley | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Worship What I Hate" |
| Scott | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Where Would I Be" | David Garcia, Hemby, Jordan Minton | Scott, Kelley | 3:43 |
| 9. | "Friends Don't Let Friends" (featuring Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, and Carly Pearce) | Rhett, Kelley, Bunetta, Ashley Gorley | Kelley, Rhett, Rucker, Pearce, Scott | 3:32 |
| 10. | "In Waves" | Kelley, Joey Hendricks, Alysa Vanderheym, Michael Whitworth | Kelley | 3:22 |
| 11. | "You Keep Thinking That" | Kelley, Dave Cohen, Chris Gelbuda, Steven Lee Olsen | Scott | 3:01 |
| 12. | "Be That for You" | Haywood, Kelley, Corey Crowder | Kelley, Scott | 4:43 |
| 13. | "Workin’ on This Love" | Haywood | Haywood | 3:49 |
| 14. | "Swore I Was Leaving" | Haywood, Kelley, Scott, Reynolds, Parker Welling | Scott, Kelley | 4:24 |
| Total length: | 51:24 | |||
Personnel[edit]
Adapted from liner notes.[5]
Lady A[edit]
- Dave Haywood - vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (all tracks), bouzouki (track 8), mandolin (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 10–13), percussion (track 8), resonator guitar (track 8), strings (tracks 1, 8), synthesizer (track 1), tambourine (track 10), bar noise (track 1)
- Charles Kelley - vocals (all tracks)
- Hillary Scott - vocals (all tracks)
Additional musicians[edit]
- Roy Agee - trombone (track 11), bass trombone (track 11)
- David Angell - violin (track 7)
- Monisa Angell - viola (track 7)
- Kevin Bate - cello (track 7)
- Jenny Bifano - violin (track 7)
- Tom Bukovac - electric guitar (all tracks except 11 & 13)
- Julian Bunetta - programming (track 9)
- Vinnie Ciesielski - flugelhorn (track 11), trumpet (track 11), horn arrangements (track 11)
- Dave Cohen - B-3 organ (tracks 1, 2, 6, 14), keyboards (track 3), piano (tracks 2, 4–7), programming (track 11), synthesizer (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11, 12), synth bass (track 11)
- David Davidson - violin (track 3)
- Stuart Duncan - fiddle (track 3)
- Justin Ebach - electric guitar (track 5), programming (track 5), synthesizer (track 5), synth bass (track 5)
- Sam Ellis - programming (track 2)
- Alicia Engstrom - violin (track 7)
- Shannon Forrest - drums (tracks 10, 11, 13), percussion (track 13)
- Paul Franklin - steel guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 10, 13, 14)
- Jesse Frasure - programming (track 4)
- Chris Gelbuda - electric guitar (track 11)
- Austin Hoke - cello (track 7)
- Dann Huff - bouzouki (track 5), dobro (tracks 3, 5), dobro solo (track 5), electric guitar (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 9–12, 14), electric guitar solo (tracks 1–3, 6, 9, 12, 14), high string acoustic guitar (track 5), programming (tracks 2–4, 9–13), synthesizer (tracks 10, 13), synth bass (track 3)
- David Huff - programming (all tracks), synth bass (track 10)
- Jun Iwasaki - violin (track 7)
- Martin Johnson - electric guitar (track 3)
- Charlie Judge - B-3 organ (tracks 9, 11), piano (tracks 2, 11), synthesizer (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13), synth bass (track 12)
- Betsy Lamb - viola (track 7)
- Tony Lucido - bass guitar (tracks 10, 11, 13)
- Justin Niebank - programming (all tracks except 3)
- Brandon Paddock - dobro (track 3), programming (track 3)
- Carly Pearce - featured vocals (track 9)
- Jordan Reynolds - programming (track 1)
- Thomas Rhett - featured vocals (track 9)
- Jerry Roe - drums (tracks 8, 9), percussion (track 8)
- Darius Rucker - featured vocals (track 9)
- Jimmie Lee Sloas - bass guitar (tracks 1–9, 12, 14)
- Aaron Sterling - drums (tracks 1–7, 12, 14), percussion (tracks 3, 6, 7, 14)
- Ilya Toshinsky - acoustic guitar (all tracks except 3 & 7), banjo (tracks 3, 5, 9), dobro (track 7), mandolin (track 3)
- Alysa Vanderheym - synthesizer (track 10), background vocals (track 10)
- Derek Wells - electric guitar (tracks 10, 11, 13), electric guitar solo (track 11)
- Kris Wilkinson - string arrangements (track 7)
- Karen Winkelmann - violin (track 7)
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] | 48 |
| Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[7] | 5 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[8] | 31 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 52 |
| UK Country Albums (OCC)[10] | 1 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[11] | 18 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 135 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] | 12 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "What a Song Can Do review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Vitagliano, Joe (October 22, 2021). "The Lady A Interview: How The Trio Discovered 'What A Song Can Do'". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Billy Dukes (August 20, 2021). "Lady A announce full 'What a Song Can Do' album". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ What A Song Can Do (CD booklet). Lady A. BMLG. 2021. 00843930065400.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Lady A – What a Song Can Do". Hung Medien.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 1, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lady A – What a Song Can Do". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Lady A Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Lady A Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.