"Pickup" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country artist MacKenzie Porter.[1] She wrote the track with Lydia Vaughan and Will Bundy, while it was produced by Joey Moi.[2] It is the lead single from Porter's 2024 studio album Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart.[3]

"Pickup"
Single by MacKenzie Porter
from the album Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart
ReleasedNovember 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)[A]
Recorded2020
GenreCountry pop
Length2:48
LabelBig Loud
Songwriter(s)
  • MacKenzie Porter
  • Lydia Vaughan
  • Will Bundy
Producer(s)Joey Moi
MacKenzie Porter singles chronology
"This Sucks."
(2021)
"Pickup"
(2021)
"One Too"
(2022)
Music video
"Pickup" on YouTube

Background edit

After holding many writing sessions over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter wrote "Pickup" with several co-writers in one of her first writing sessions back in-person.[4] She stated that it "felt like a really special song," adding that she's "never been more excited to release a song".[5]

Critical reception edit

Rock N' Load stated that the song "features a bright, open-road feel, a rush of lush vocals and a hooky, modern-timeless presentation, as her mind and heart race with full-throttle nostalgia".[5] Country 100 named the song their "Fresh Music Friday Song of the Day" for February 4, 2022.[6]

Accolades edit

Year Association Category Result Ref
2022 Canadian Country Music Awards Songwriter(s) of the Year Nominated [7]
[8]
Video of the Year Nominated

Commercial performance edit

"Pickup" reached a peak of number one on the Billboard Canada Country chart for the week of June 18, 2022, marking Porter's fourth career number one in her home country.[9] The song also peaked at number 65 on the Canadian Hot 100 for the same week.[10] It has also been certified Platinum by Music Canada.[11]

Music video edit

The official music video for "Pickup" premiered on CMT on March 12, 2022,[12] and on Paramount's billboard in Times Square in New York City.[13] It was directed by Justin Clough,[14] and features a young girl playing with Barbie dolls, with Porter and two other actors occasionally taking the place of the dolls and portraying the story of the song.[12] Her co-writer Lydia Vaughan came up with the "‘Barbie comes to life but doesn’t get the guy in the end’ idea" for the video, with Porter saying she "really wanted the video to tell the story of a breakup in a unique way".[12] She added that "even though "someone’s life looks ‘perfect’ on paper, that never really reflects reality. Nobody’s life is perfect, and we all get our hearts broken at some point".[13] Her dog Willa made an appearance in the video as well.[12]

Charts edit

Chart performance for "Pickup"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australia Country Hot 50 (The Music)[15] 2
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] 65
Canada Country (Billboard)[16] 1

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Platinum 80,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Pickup" was released to Canadian country radio on January 22, 2022.

References edit

  1. ^ "(New Music Friday) "PICKUP" MACKENZIE PORTER". MacKenziePorter.com. November 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "Pickup - Single by MacKenzie Porter". Spotify. 19 November 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Porter finds "Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart,"". Country Standard Time. January 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Thomson, Lauren (January 19, 2022). "MacKenzie Porter making big moves". Toronto Star.
  5. ^ a b "NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: 'PICKUP' MACKENZIE PORTER". Rock N' Load. November 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Fielder, Courtney (February 4, 2022). "Fresh Music Friday Song Of The Day: MacKenzie Porter- "Pickup"". Country 100.
  7. ^ "2022 CCMA AWARD NOMINEES". Canadian Country Music Association. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  8. ^ "CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION REVEALS FIRST ROUND OF 2022 AWARD WINNERS AT THE CCMA MUSIC INDUSTRY GALA DINNER & AWARDS". Canadian Country Music Association. Global News Wire. September 12, 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  9. ^ MacKenzie Porter chart positions on Canada Country
  10. ^ a b "Canadian Hot 100: June 18, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2022.(subscription required)
  11. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – MacKenzie Porter – Pickup". Music Canada. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Watts, Cindy (March 12, 2022). "CMT Premiere: MacKenzie Porter's New Video for 'Pickup' is Barbie and Broken Hearts". CMT.
  13. ^ a b Dagg, Nanci (March 16, 2022). "MacKenzie Porter releases video for "Pickup"". Canadian Beats Media.
  14. ^ "MacKenzie Porter - Pickup (Official Music Video)" (video). YouTube. March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  15. ^ "Countrytown Hot 50 Chart". The Music Network. January 20, 2023. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Canada Country chart for June 18, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2022.(subscription required)