Country Girl (Shake It for Me)
Encyclopedia
"Country Girl" is the title of a song written by artist Luke Bryan
and Dallas Davidson
. It was recorded by Bryan and released in March 2011 as the first single from his third studio album, Tailgates & Tanlines
. Upon being released, it debuted at number 52 on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts for the week of April 2, 2011.
. Bryan said that he and Davidson came up with the idea after listening to hip-hop songs, when Bryan began playing a "groove". He then told Davidson that the country genre needed more songs about "country girls shaking it a little bit". Davidson said that he and Bryan were initially "suspicious" about the song's prospects as a hit, since it sounded so different from "Rain Is a Good Thing
", which Davidson also co-wrote. After he found that he got a positive reaction from playing it in concert, Bryan then decided to release it as a single.
(i.e., a scale of E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E), with open fifths in the accompaniment instead of chords, forming a pattern of E5-G5-D5-E5 twice in the verses. The chorus uses this pattern twice, and then follows it with a pattern of E5-G5-A5-E5-D5-A5-E5-G5-A5-E5 as Bryan sings "Country girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me."
would've passed on." Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a four-star rating, calling it a "ditty" but saying "the song screams hit" and calling it "downright charming." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B rating, saying that Jason Aldean
would have would have been too aggressive in this song, but Bryan "melts away its sexist edge by layering it with goofiness and playful energy." He goes on to call it a "shamelessly catchy ditty."
at Siren Studios. The video tells a story of a small-town girl coming to L.A. to audition and beat out all the big-city dancers.
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is an American country singer who debuted in 2007 with the single "All My Friends Say", a Top 5 single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His debut album, I'll Stay Me, was released on Capitol Records in 2007. This album also produced chart singles in "We Rode in...
and Dallas Davidson
Dallas Davidson
Dallas Davidson is an American country music singer-songwriter.Davidson moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 and joined Broadcast Music Incorporated for performing rights representation and signed a publishing deal with Big Borassa Music, which is administered worldwide by Third Tier Music.Trace...
. It was recorded by Bryan and released in March 2011 as the first single from his third studio album, Tailgates & Tanlines
Tailgates & Tanlines
Tailgates & Tanlines is the third studio album by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released on August 9, 2011 via Capitol Nashville...
. Upon being released, it debuted at number 52 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts for the week of April 2, 2011.
Background and writing
"Country Girl" is a song about "a country girl getting up there getting a little wild", according to co-writer Dallas DavidsonDallas Davidson
Dallas Davidson is an American country music singer-songwriter.Davidson moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 and joined Broadcast Music Incorporated for performing rights representation and signed a publishing deal with Big Borassa Music, which is administered worldwide by Third Tier Music.Trace...
. Bryan said that he and Davidson came up with the idea after listening to hip-hop songs, when Bryan began playing a "groove". He then told Davidson that the country genre needed more songs about "country girls shaking it a little bit". Davidson said that he and Bryan were initially "suspicious" about the song's prospects as a hit, since it sounded so different from "Rain Is a Good Thing
Rain Is a Good Thing
"Rain Is a Good Thing" is a country music song written by Luke Bryan and Dallas Davidson recorded by Bryan for his second studio album Doin' My Thing. The song serves as the second single from the album, and was released on January 25, 2010...
", which Davidson also co-wrote. After he found that he got a positive reaction from playing it in concert, Bryan then decided to release it as a single.
Song structure
The song is in E dorianDorian mode
Due to historical confusion, Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different musical modes or diatonic scales, the Greek, the medieval, and the modern.- Greek Dorian mode :...
(i.e., a scale of E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E), with open fifths in the accompaniment instead of chords, forming a pattern of E5-G5-D5-E5 twice in the verses. The chorus uses this pattern twice, and then follows it with a pattern of E5-G5-A5-E5-D5-A5-E5-G5-A5-E5 as Bryan sings "Country girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me."
Critical reception
Sam Gazdziak of the 9513 gave the song a "thumbs down," calling it "shamelessly sexist" and "thoroughly unremarkable," and saying it sounded like "something Justin MooreJustin Moore (singer)
Justin Cole Moore is an American country music singer and songwriter signed to Big Machine Records imprint Valory Music Group. He has released two albums for Big Machine Records: Justin Moore in 2009 and Outlaws Like Me in 2011...
would've passed on." Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a four-star rating, calling it a "ditty" but saying "the song screams hit" and calling it "downright charming." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B rating, saying that Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldine Williams is an American country music singer, known professionally as Jason Aldean. Since 2005, Aldean has recorded for Broken Bow Records, an independent record label for which he has released four albums and twelve singles...
would have would have been too aggressive in this song, but Bryan "melts away its sexist edge by layering it with goofiness and playful energy." He goes on to call it a "shamelessly catchy ditty."
Music video
The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered in May 2011. It was filmed in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at Siren Studios. The video tells a story of a small-town girl coming to L.A. to audition and beat out all the big-city dancers.
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
| Territory | Certifier | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Music Canada Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... |
Gold |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |