Sure Be Cool If You Did

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"Sure Be Cool If You Did"
Single by Blake Shelton
from the album Based on a True Story…
B-side"There's a New Kid in Town"
ReleasedJanuary 8, 2013 (2013-01-08)
Recorded2012
GenreCountry
Length3:35
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Scott Hendricks
Blake Shelton singles chronology
"Just a Fool"
(2012) 		"Sure Be Cool If You Did"
(2013) 		"Boys 'Round Here"
(2013)

"Sure Be Cool If You Did" is a song written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Jimmy Robbins[1] and recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released on January 8, 2013, as the first single from Shelton's 2013 album Based on a True Story….[2][3] The song reached number one on both the US Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts.

Content[edit]

Shelton described "Sure Be Cool If You Did" as having "a lot of the elements that you try and include on an album, all in one song", calling it "kind of manic" and "a little bit mischievous".[4] He compared its production to that of songs by artists like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, which he considered indicative of where he wanted to be "going musically", and said, "It’s got a loop in it, and it’s got some snaps and some samples and different sounds like that that people I don’t think would have ever expected to hear from me."[4]

Shelton compared the song to R&B, which he felt was "kind of a new sound for country music".[5] Because of this, he said, that "a lot of time" was spent "working on that track".[5]

The song was written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Jimmy Robbins. Clawson performed the song's demo.[5]

I had an e-mail from my manager Brandon Blackstock, and he said, 'Man, this is a cool song, you need to listen to it.' I did, and I was like, 'Holy Cow!' Rodney's a great singer and it was him singing on the demo and they just did a great job. My only fear was, 'I hope I can make my record as good as what they’ve done.' - Shelton.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

"Sure Be Cool If You Did" was praised by Entertainment Weekly, which gave it an A− and called it "ludicrously catchy".[6] Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five, calling it "comparatively ordinary next to catalog hits like 'She Wouldn't Be Gone' and the infectious 'Honey Bee'" and writing that "a break in the name of artistry would satisfy fans of his rowdier songs, while giving those who discovered him on TV something more nourishing to listen to."[7] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song three and a half stars out of five, saying that "the production of Scott Hendricks may not be as groundbreaking or as 'identifying' as say Jay Joyce or Joey Moi's productions are but the sound here is still likable - albeit a tad MOR."[8] Bob Paxman of Country Weekly gave the song a C and compared the song's melody to that of an earlier Shelton single, "Over". He felt that "Sure Be Cool If You Did" featured cliche lyrics but praised Shelton's vocal performance as "truly rich and expressive" while singling out "the searing guitar breaks" as "the most interesting components" of the song.[9]

Gary Graff of The Oakland Press called the song "as polished and melodic as any pop hit".[10] Chuck Dauphin of Billboard wrote, "it’s not exactly the most well-written song of his career, but his vocal is very pleasing on the cut – as well as the arrangement."[11] Steve Legget of AllMusic gave "Sure Be Cool If You Did" three-and-a-half stars out of five and wrote that it has "an unassuming but memorable and melodic chorus hook" that highlights Shelton's "considerable strengths as an interpreter of country love ballads."[12]

Commercial performance[edit]

"Sure Be Cool If You Did" debuted at number 32 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of January 19, 2013.[13] It was Shelton's second highest debut.[14] In addition, the song entered in at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of January 26, 2013, and it sold over 98,000 downloads during its first week of release.[15] The song also debuted at number 45 on Hot Country Songs for the week of January 19, 2013, and at number 43 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of January 26, 2013. On the country chart dated March 9, 2013, "Sure Be Cool If You Did" became Shelton's eighth consecutive number one hit, and his thirteenth overall. It reached number one faster than any of his previous singles.[11] As of November 2013, the song has over sold 1,519,000 copies in the United States.[16] It was certified double Platinum on May 8, 2015, by the RIAA for combined two million units of sales and streams.[17]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for this song was directed by Trey Fanjoy and premiered in February 2013. It depicts Blake singing the song in a city bar at night, and a wild party going on at the same bar. It was filmed mainly on vintage film, resulting in a grainy texture.[18]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 32
Canada Country (Billboard)[20] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 24
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[22] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[23] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2013) Position
Canada Canadian Hot 100[24] 95
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 80
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[26] 45
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[27] 9

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Platinum 80,000*
United States (RIAA)[17] 3× Platinum 1,519,000[16]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wilbur, Sam (January 9, 2013). "Blake Shelton, 'Sure Be Cool If You Did' -- New Song". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  2. ^ "Blake Shelton: Video Premiere, Album Cover, Release Date, Tracklist, Demo Sneak Peek (AUDIO)!". 11 February 2013.
  3. ^ "Blake Shelton 'Sure Be Cool If You Did' Tops Charts; Kellie Pickler Is an Aunt + More: Country Music News Roundup". Taste of Country. January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Tillman, Chris (2013-03-08). "Blake Shelton Previews a Rowdier New Album and a More Competitive New 'Voice' Season". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  5. ^ a b c d Bjorke, Matt. "Blake Shelton "Based On A True Story..." Song-By-Song - RoughStock". RoughStock. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  6. ^ January 11, EW Staff Updated; EST, 2013 at 05:00 AM. "Singles: Jan. 28 2013". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-10-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Dukes, Billy (January 2, 2013). "Blake Shelton, 'Sure Be Cool if You Did' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Bjorke, Matt (January 4, 2013). "Single Review: Blake Shelton - "Sure Be Cool If You Did"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  9. ^ Paxman, Bob (January 26, 2013). ""Sure Be Cool If You Did" by Blake Shelton". Country Weekly. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  10. ^ Graff, Gary (March 22, 2013). "Listening Room: Blake Shelton celebrates redneck loyalties in "Based on a True Story"". The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Dauphin, Chuck (2013-03-26). "Blake Shelton, 'Based On A True Story…' Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  12. ^ Blake Shelton - Sure Be Cool If You Did Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-09-22
  13. ^ Morris, Edward (January 12, 2013). "Red and "Goodbye in Her Eyes" Still in Charge of Charts". Country Music Television. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  14. ^ Jessen, Wade (January 10, 2013). "Florida Georgia Line Interrupts Taylor Swift on Country Charts, Again". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  15. ^ Trust, Gary (January 18, 2013). "Chart Moves: David Bowie's 'Where Are We Now?' Debuts On Hot Rock Songs, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift Soar Onto Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Matt Bjorke (November 13, 2013). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - November 13, 2013: CMA Awards Drive Sales; Eric Church "The Outsiders" #1; Taylor Swift "Red" #3". Roughstock. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014.
  17. ^ a b "American single certifications – Blake Shelton – Sure Be Cool If You Did". Recording Industry Association of America.
  18. ^ "CMT : Videos : Blake Shelton : Sure Be Cool If You Did". Country Music Television. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  19. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  22. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  23. ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "Best of 2013: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  25. ^ "Best of 2013: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  26. ^ "Best of 2013: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  27. ^ "Best of 2013: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  28. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Blake Shelton – Sure Would Be Cool If You Did". Music Canada. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
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