Back to Us is the tenth studio album by American country music trio Rascal Flatts. It was released on May 19, 2017 through Big Machine Records. The group produced the album themselves, save one track on the deluxe edition, which was produced by Busbee.[3] "Yours If You Want It" was released in January 2017 as the album's lead single, followed by the title track "Back to Us" in August of the same year. The album serves as a follow-up to 2014's Rewind. Back to Us earned the group their twelfth top-10 album on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. A deluxe edition of the album also includes the songs "Hands Talk," "Thieves," and "Roller Rink."
| Back to Us | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 19, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 35:14 (Standard edition)[1] 45:11 (Deluxe edition)[2] | |||
| Label | Big Machine | |||
| Producer |
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| Rascal Flatts chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Back to Us | ||||
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This is the group's first album not to be produced by Dann Huff since 2004's Feels Like Today. To date, it is also the band's last full-length studio album released before this disbandment in 2021 and subsequent reformation in 2024.
Content
editCountry singer Lauren Alaina features on the track "Are You Happy Now", which was co-written by all three members of Rascal Flatts.[4] "I Know You Won't" was previously recorded by Carrie Underwood on her 2007 album, Carnival Ride.[5]
Singles
editThe record's lead single, "Yours If You Want It", was released on January 9, 2017. One of the song's writers, Andrew Dorff, died shortly before its release.[6] Another single "Back to Us" was released on August 21, 2017.[7]
Commercial performance
editBack to Us debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart dated June 10, 2017 with 30,000 album equivalent units (of which 25,000 were traditional album sales). The album also entered the Top Country Albums chart the same week at number 2, earning the group their twelfth top-10 album.[8] The album has sold 68,600 copies in the US as of December 2017.[9] The album did reach No. 1 on the Australian country album charts upon release.
Critical reception
editThe album received positive reviews. Lauren Laffer of Sounds Like Nashville spoke positively of the album, saying, "The 10 tracks within the project feature Gary LeVox’s distinctive warm and emotive vocals while Jay DeMarcus' production skills only amplify Joe Don Rooney's guitar chops. Rascal Flatts continue to prove their staying power with Back to Us."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yours If You Want It" |
| 3:25 |
| 2. | "Back to Us" | 3:58 | |
| 3. | "I Know You Won't" | 3:53 | |
| 4. | "Hopin' You Were Lookin'" | 2:56 | |
| 5. | "Dance" |
| 3:21 |
| 6. | "Are You Happy Now" (with Lauren Alaina) | 3:59 | |
| 7. | "Love What You've Done with the Place" |
| 3:31 |
| 8. | "Kiss You While I Can" |
| 3:14 |
| 9. | "Vandalized" | 3:22 | |
| 10. | "Our Night to Shine" |
| 3:35 |
| Total length: | 35:14 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yours If You Want It" |
| 3:25 |
| 2. | "Hopin' You Were Lookin'" |
| 2:56 |
| 3. | "I Know You Won't" |
| 3:53 |
| 4. | "Dance" |
| 3:21 |
| 5. | "Back to Us" |
| 3:58 |
| 6. | "Kiss You While I Can" |
| 3:14 |
| 7. | "Vandalized" |
| 3:22 |
| 8. | "Are You Happy Now" (with Lauren Alaina) |
| 3:59 |
| 9. | "Hands Talk" | 3:35 | |
| 10. | "Thieves" |
| 3:10 |
| 11. | "Love What You've Done with the Place" |
| 3:31 |
| 12. | "Roller Rink" |
| 3:12 |
| 13. | "Our Night to Shine" |
| 3:35 |
| Total length: | 45:11 | ||
- Notes
- All songs produced by Rascal Flatts except "Hands Talk", produced by busbee.
Personnel
edit- Rascal Flatts
- Jay DeMarcus – acoustic piano, keyboards, synthesizers, Moog bass, programming, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, bass guitar, horn arrangements, backing vocals
- Gary LeVox – lead vocals
- Joe Don Rooney – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Additional Musicians
- Casey Brown – programming
- Dave Cohen – keyboards
- David Dorn – keyboards
- Rob McNelley – electric guitar
- Danny Rader – acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin
- Travis Toy – steel guitar
- Dorian Crozier – drums
- Evan Hutchings – drums
- Jim Riley – drums
- Jimmy Bowland – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Chris McDonald – trombone, horn arrangements
- Jeff Bailey – trumpet
- Steve Patrick – trumpet
- Carole Rabinowitz – cello
- Betsy Lamb – viola
- Kristin Wilkinson – viola, string arrangements
- David Angell – violin
- Zeneba Bowers – violin
- David Davidson – violin
- Conni Ellisor – violin
- Lauren Alaina – lead and harmony vocals on "Are You Happy Now"
Production
edit- Rascal Flatts – producers
- busbee – producer on "Hands Talk"
- Allison Jones – A&R
- Derek Bason – engineer, mixing, digital editing
- Sean Neff – engineer, digital editing
- Justin Niebank – mixing
- Nick Lane – assistant engineer
- Bryce Roberts – assistant engineer
- Chris Small – assistant engineer, mix assistant
- David Huff – digital editing
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordinator
- Laurel Kittleson – production coordinator
- Janet Soled – production coordinator
- Sandi Spika Borchetta – art direction, design
- Becky Reiser – art direction, design
- David McClister – photography
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalog no. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | May 19, 2017 | CD | Big Machine | TBA | [21] |
| Digital download | — | [2] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Back to Us; Rascal Flatts". iTunes Store (CA). May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Back to Us (Deluxe); Rascal Flatts". iTunes Store (CA). May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ Horton, Carrie (March 29, 2017). "Everything We Know About Rascal Flatts' New Album, 'Back to Us'". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Konicki, Lisa (March 29, 2017). "Rascal Flatts Announce Track List for New Album, "Back To Us"". Nash Country Weekly. American Media. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Betts, Stephen L. (March 29, 2017). "Rascal Flatts' New Album 'Back to Us' to Include Lauren Alaina Duet". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ McKenna, Brittney (January 6, 2017). "Hear Rascal Flatts' Surging New Song 'Yours If You Want It'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ "Hear Rascal Flatts' New Single, 'Back to Us'". The Boot. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. May 31, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (December 27, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: December 27, 2017". Roughstock. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ "Album Review: Rascal Flatts' Back to Us". Sounds Like Nashville. May 17, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-04. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Rascal Flatts – Back to Us". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ "ARIA COUNTRY ALBUMS CHART (WEEK COMMENCING 29 MAY, 2017)" (PDF). ARIA Charts. ARIA. May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts - Back To Us - Amazon.com Music". Retrieved April 6, 2017.