Famous Friends (album) explained

Famous Friends
Type:studio
Artist:Chris Young
Cover:Young FF cover.jpeg
Recorded:2018–2021
Genre:Country
Length:43:18
Label:RCA Nashville
Prev Title:Losing Sleep
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:Young Love & Saturday Nights
Next Year:2024

Famous Friends is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on August 6, 2021, by RCA Records Nashville. It was preceded by the three singles "Raised on Country", "Drowning" and the title track. "At the End of a Bar" would be released on September 13, 2021, as the album's fourth single.[1] Young co-wrote all but two of the songs on the album overall.

Content

"Raised on Country" was released as the leadoff single on January 28, 2019. It was originally intended to be the title track, but following the releases of "Drowning" on September 23, 2019 and "Famous Friends" on November 20, 2020, Young announced after the COVID-19 pandemic that the album would be retitled to Famous Friends.[2] [3]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that Young "started drifting toward the middle of the road around the mid-2010s", but that Famous Friends "finds him making a course correction, adding some livelier, stylish elements to his smooth foundation".[4]

Commercial performance

Famous Friends debuted at number three on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 24,000 copies (including 14,000 album units) in its first week.[5] [6]

Personnel

Adapted from liner notes.[7]

Tracks 1–4 and 10–13

Track 5

Tracks 6–9

Track 14

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 64

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 65
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] 69

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Future Releases for Country Radio Stations. All Access. August 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210826083218/https://www.allaccess.com/country/future-releases. August 26, 2021.
  2. Web site: Raised on Country by Chris Young. Songfacts. August 20, 2021.
  3. Web site: Chris Young Announces New Album Famous Friends Set to Drop in August: 'I'm Really Excited'. Brianne Tracy. June 9, 2021. People. August 20, 2021.
  4. Web site: Famous Friends review. Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. AllMusic. August 20, 2021.
  5. Chris Young's 'Famous Friends' Debuts at No. 3 on Top Country Albums Chart. Asker. Jim. Billboard. August 17, 2021. August 20, 2021.
  6. Chris Young Chart History - Billboard 200. Billboard. August 20, 2021.
  7. Famous Friends . Chris Young . 2021 . CD booklet . RCA Records Nashville . 19075-93292-2.
  8. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 16 August 2021. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1641. 6. August 16, 2021.
  9. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 12, 2021.
  10. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. February 19, 2023.