"One Hell of an Amen" is a song co-written and recorded by American country rock singer Brantley Gilbert. It was released in November 2014 as the third single from his third studio album Just as I Am. The song was written by Gilbert, along with Mike Dekle and Brian Davis.
| "One Hell of an Amen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Brantley Gilbert | ||||
| from the album Just as I Am | ||||
| Released | November 10, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–14 | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | Valory | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Dann Huff | |||
| Brantley Gilbert singles chronology | ||||
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Background
editGilbert revealed that the song is based on a true story regarding the death of a US military soldier who was like a brother to one of his close friends.[1]
Content
editThe song is about the loss of loved ones, using "a soldier who's a cancer victim" as an example.[2]
Critical reception
editGiving it a B+, Bob Paxman of Country Weekly wrote that "Brantley's low-key, heartfelt delivery, along with straightforward lyrics that aren't trying to make a statement, dispel any notion of pandering", although he criticized the "crunchy and overloaded" production.[2] A less favorable review came from Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe, who rated the song a "D" criticizing the weak songwriting as well as the lack of emotion in Gilbert's vocals, writing that "I actually feel kind of bad for Brantley Gilbert. His heart is totally in the right place. But the execution is absolutely horrendous. Attempting to tackle two different tragedies in one song – a fallen soldier and death by cancer – and fails to stumble upon any truth in either individual situation, let alone a compelling connection between the two." and "His monotonous delivery doesn’t help matters, but the song was beyond saving anyway."[3]
Music video
editThe music video was directed by Shane Drake and premiered in January 2015.[4]
Chart performance
editThe song reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart in its 37th week of release (chart dated August 8, 2015). It is his fourth No. 1 on the chart.[5] The song has sold 428,000 copies in the US as of September 2015.[6]
| Chart (2014–2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] | 80 |
| Canada Country (Billboard)[8] | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 44 |
| US Country Airplay (Billboard)[10] | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 5 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2015) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Airplay (Billboard)[12] | 16 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] | 29 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 428,000[6] |
References
edit- ^ Bjorke, Matt (22 December 2014). "Brantley Gilbert's "One Hell Of An Amen" Based On True Story". Roughstock. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b Paxman, Bob (2 February 2015). "Reviews: 'One Hell of an Amen'". Country Weekly. 22 (5): 66. ISSN 1074-3235.
- ^ Coyne, Kevin John (February 25, 2015). "Single Review: Brantley Gilbert, "One Hell of an Amen"". Country Universe. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Gets Personal with "One Hell of an Amen"". Country Outfitter. January 29, 2015. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Jim Asker (July 28, 2015). "Jason Isbell Lands No. 1 on Country Albums Chart". Billboard.
- ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (September 8, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles: September 8, 2015". RoughStock. Sales figure given here
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Brantley Gilbert Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Best of 2015: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ^ "Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ^ "American single certifications – Brantley Gilbert – One Hell of an Amen". Recording Industry Association of America.