Somethin' 'Bout a Truck

"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Kip Moore. It was released in September 2011 as the second single from his debut album Up All Night.[1] Moore wrote this song with and Dan Couch.[2] It garnered positive reviews from critics who praised Moore's delivery for being able to elevate generic lyrics. "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the only single in Moore's career to reach that peak to date. It also gave him his first and only top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 29. The song was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over two million units in the country. It also charted in Canada, peaking at number 33 on the Canadian Hot 100. Two accompanying music videos were made for the single, the official version by Roger Pistole and an acoustic version by Stephen Shepherd.

"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck"
Single by Kip Moore
from the album Up All Night
ReleasedSeptember 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)
Recorded2011
GenreCountry, country rock
Length3:36
LabelMCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)
  • Kip Moore
  • Dan Couch
Producer(s)Brett James
Kip Moore singles chronology
"Mary Was the Marrying Kind"
(2011)
"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck"
(2011)
"Beer Money"
(2012)

Content edit

Moore discussed the album in an interview with American Songwriter. He stated, "I made a conscious effort on this record to try to capture the youthful spirit that we all have inside of us. So often people as they get older they feel like things have to change inside their spirit. We all have to mature and take on different responsibilities. I tried to really capture...that you don’t have to let your soul die or spirit die. You can still keep that youthful way and still live that way."[3]

The song is in a moderate tempo in the key of B major. Its accompaniment is open fifths instead of chords, in a pattern of B5-E5-B5-F5-B5.[4]

Critical reception edit

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five, saying that "vocally, he's not a perfect match for this style, but he's able to overcome somewhat cliche lyrics to create a memorable single."[5] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a B+ grade, writing that Moore "sounds like he's reveling in the pleasures that await him at the end of the week after forty hours at the factory," calling it "a welcome change from those who sound like high schoolers who hit up that back country road on their way home from the mall."[6] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin put "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" at number three on his top 10 list of Moore's best songs.[7]

Music video edit

The music video was directed by Roger Pistole and premiered in October 2011.[8] An acoustic music video was directed by Stephen Shepherd and premiered in June 2012.[9]

Chart performance edit

"Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 22, 2011.[10] It also debuted at number 89 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of February 25, 2012. It also debuted at number 97 on Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of April 14, 2012.

Chart (2011–2012) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 33
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 29
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] 1

Year-end charts edit

Chart (2012) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 96
US Country Songs (Billboard)[15] 12

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[16] Platinum 70,000
United States (RIAA)[17] 3× Platinum 3,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ Duvall, Erin (March 2, 2012). "Kip Moore, 'Up All Night' Album Coming in April". The Boot. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  2. ^ Conaway, Alanna (September 18, 2011). "Kip Moore, 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' – Lyrics Uncovered". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Jewly, Jewly. "Behind The Wheel: A Q&A With Kip Moore". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  4. ^ "'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' sheet music". MusicNotes.com. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  5. ^ Dukes, Billy (September 13, 2011). "Kip Moore, 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  6. ^ Coyne, Kevin John (January 22, 2012). "Single Review: Kip Moore, "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck"". Roughstock. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  7. ^ Dauphin, Chuck (September 27, 2017). "Kip Moore's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Dukes, Billy (October 25, 2011). "Kip Moore Releases Simple and Sexy 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' Video". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  9. ^ "CMT : Videos : Kip Moore : Somethin' 'Bout A Truck (Acoustic)". Country Music Television. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Morris, Edward (October 15, 2011). "Scotty McCreery, Keith Urban Top This Week's Album, Songs Charts". Country Music Television. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  11. ^ "Kip Moore Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Kip Moore Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Kip Moore Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Best of 2012 - Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  15. ^ "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  16. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "American single certifications – Kip Moore – Somethin%27 Bout a Truck". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.