"That Girl" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Jennifer Nettles, lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland. It was released August 20, 2013, via Mercury Nashville as Nettles' first solo single and the lead single from her debut solo album of the same name.[1][2]
| "That Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Jennifer Nettles | ||||
| from the album That Girl | ||||
| Released | August 5, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | Mercury Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||
| Jennifer Nettles singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "That Girl" on YouTube | ||||
Content
editNettles co-wrote the song with Butch Walker. The song is about a woman who is tricked into having relations with a man who did not reveal that he is already in a relationship. She contacts the man's wife and tells her that "I don't wanna be that girl."[3]
"That Girl" has been described as a lyrical counterpoint to Dolly Parton's classic, "Jolene".[4][5] Nettles was reportedly inspired by the idea of putting a different spin on the story: "Everyone knows this legendary Dolly song ... But, what is the other side to the story? What if Jolene didn't want to 'take her man, just because she can', so to speak?"[6]
The song is a mid-tempo country record with jazz[7] and Flamenco[4] elements. It features a fairly stripped-down production, driven by a percussion line, hand claps, and an acoustic guitar.[4]
Critical reception
editGiving the song a B+, Joseph Hudak of Country Weekly contrasted it with the relationship seen in Sugarland's "Stay", in which the female narrator instead pleads a man to stay with her instead of returning to his wife. He also wrote that "Refreshingly, there’s no slick production here. The payoff, though, is the chanteuse’s smokey vocals, which prove yet again why Jennifer is one of country (or pop’s) most nuanced singers."[4] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock rated it 5 out of 5 stars, saying that "It's simple. It's powerful. And mostly, it's unique in a land of songs about beer and rural field parties".[7]
Music video
editThe song's music video, directed by Philip Andelman,[8] was filmed in New York City, and features Nettles portraying both female roles in the song.[9] It was released October 4, 2013.
Chart performance
edit"That Girl" debuted at number 57 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of August 24, 2013.[10]
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11] | 37 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 37 |
References
edit- ^ "That Girl - Single". iTunes. Apple Inc. January 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ Philbrook, Erik. "Jennifer Nettles Goes from Sugarland to Solo Star on New Album". Playback Magazine. ASCAP. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ "Jennifer Nettles Plays The Other Woman In 'That Girl' Video". Radio.com. October 4, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Hudak, Joseph. ""That Girl" by Jennifer Nettles". Country Weekly. American Media, Inc. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ Scott, Jason (6 August 2013). "Jennifer Nettles, "That Girl" - Single Review". Nashville Gab. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ Pacella, Megan. "Jennifer Nettles, 'That Girl' - Lyrics Uncovered". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ a b Bjorke, Matt. "Single Review: Jennifer Nettles - That Girl". Roughstock. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Jennifer Nettles : That Girl". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- ^ Vinson, Christina (October 4, 2013). "Jennifer Nettles Shows Her Remorseful Side in 'That Girl' Video". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ Morris, Edward. "Luke Bryan Crashes Album Chart a Week Early". CMT. Viacom. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ "Jennifer Nettles Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Jennifer Nettles Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.