The 21 Project is the third studio album by American country music artist Hunter Hayes, released in physical format on November 6, 2015 through Atlantic Nashville.[3] Hayes co-produced the collection with Dann Huff.[2] The album includes five songs from his similarly-titled EP, 21, released earlier that year, as well as two new tracks. Each song is available as a studio recording, an acoustic recording, and a live performance from the Wheels Up Tour.[4]
| The 21 Project | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 6, 2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Nashville[1] | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Hunter Hayes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The 21 Project | ||||
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Background
editIn May 2015, Hayes released the project's lead single, "21", exclusively to streaming service Spotify (and later to digital music platforms including iTunes) in an effort to inspire country music to adapt to new, digital forms of music distribution.[5] Over the next two months, he released a series of additional one-off singles that were then incorporated into an extended play, also titled 21, that was released on Spotify on August 7, 2015.[6][7] Hayes told Billboard that "this [current] music wasn't created with an album in mind," but his management team confirmed to the magazine that a conventional physical album was expected to be released in the fall of 2015.[6] Warner Music officially announced said album, The 21 Project, in a press release dated October 12, 2015,[8] and was released on November 6, 2015.[8]
Hayes told country music blog The Boot that due to the way it developed, he's "trying not to call [The 21 Project] a record," but thinks of it more as a box set or an art project.[9] According to him, the goal of the project was to "bring the focus back to the music," and to demonstrate how a song evolves "from its original form into something we play on stage."[2][8] The songs were all rearranged for the acoustic and live performances.[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "21" | 3:15 | |
| 2. | "Young and in Love" | 3:50 | |
| 3. | "Saint or a Sinner" |
| 3:10 |
| 4. | "Where It All Begins" (featuring Lady Antebellum) | 3:33 | |
| 5. | "Suitcase" |
| 3:46 |
| 6. | "The Trouble with Love" |
| 3:57 |
| 7. | "I Mean You" |
| 3:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "21" (Acoustic) |
| 3:19 |
| 2. | "Young and in Love" (Acoustic) |
| 4:15 |
| 3. | "Saint or a Sinner" (Acoustic) |
| 3:09 |
| 4. | "Where It All Begins" (Acoustic) |
| 3:46 |
| 5. | "Suitcase" (Acoustic) |
| 5:24 |
| 6. | "The Trouble with Love" (Acoustic) |
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "I Mean You" (Acoustic) |
| 3:09 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "21" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 4:01 |
| 2. | "Young and in Love" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:52 |
| 3. | "Saint or a Sinner" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:19 |
| 4. | "Where It All Begins" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:54 |
| 5. | "Suitcase" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:34 |
| 6. | "The Trouble with Love" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:59 |
| 7. | "I Mean You" (Live - Wheels Up 2015 Tour) |
| 3:25 |
Personnel
edit- Justin Eason - bouzouki, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, background vocals
- Hunter Hayes - bouzouki, drum programming, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, resonator guitar, mandola, mandolin, percussion, synthesizer, lead vocals, background vocals
- Dave Haywood - mandolin and vocals on "Where It All Begins"
- Charles Kelley - vocals on "Where It All Begins"
- Devin Malone - banjo, cello, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, resonator guitar, slide guitar, background vocals
- Luke Moller - violin
- Hillary Scott - vocals on "Where It All Begins"
- Andy Sheridan - accordion, Fender Rhodes, acoustic guitar, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, background vocals, Wurlitzer
- Steve Sinatra - drums, percussion, background vocals
- Matt Utterback - bass guitar, upright bass, synthesizer bass
- Nir Z. - drums
Charts
editThe album debuted at No. 16 on Top Country Albums, and No. 93 on Billboard 200, selling 5,300 copies in its first week.[10] The album has sold 12,400 copies in the United States as of December 2015.[11]
Album
edit| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[12] | 93 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] | 16 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [14] |
US Country Airplay [15] |
US Bubble [16] |
CAN [17] | ||
| 2015 | "21" | 26 | 21 | 14 | 65 |
Other songs
edit"Where It All Begins" also charted at number 45 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in July 2015.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Hunter Hayes - The 21 Project - Amazon.com Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ a b c Reuter, Annie (October 13, 2015). "Hunter Hayes Reveals Details for 'The 21 Project'". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ Cage, Joe (2015-10-13). "Hunter Hayes announces 'The 21 Project'". AXS. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- ^ Rolling Stone Staff (October 14, 2015). "Hunter Hayes Takes Unique Approach to New '21 Project': The Ram Report". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ^ Hampp, Andrew (May 22, 2015). "Country Star Hunter Hayes to Release Digital-Only Singles: 'Change Is Not a Bad Thing'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ a b Olson, Cathy Applefeld (August 6, 2015). "Hunter Hayes Talks Nickelodeon Cameo & New Music: 'The Definition of a Record Is Changing'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (August 7, 2015). "Hunter Hayes to Launch '21 Tour' in the Fall". MusicRow. Sherod Robertson. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ a b c "HUNTER HAYES SET TO RELEASE THE 21 PROJECT ON NOVEMBER 6". Warner Music Canada. October 12, 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ^ a b Stefano, Angela (October 13, 2015). "Hunter Hayes Plans Experimental New Release, 'The 21 Project'". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (November 16, 2015). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: November 16, 2015". Roughstock.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (December 12, 2015). "Top Country Albums Chart: December 14, 2015". Roughstock.
- ^ "Hunter Hayes Dupe 1 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ "Hunter Hayes Dupe 1 Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ a b "Hunter Hayes Album & Song Chart History – Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Hunter Hayes Album & Song Chart History – Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Chart Search". Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles for Hunter Hayes. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ^ "Hunter Hayes Album & Song Chart History – Canada Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 14, 2015.