"Real" is the title of a song written by Neal Coty

Neal Coty

Neal Lee Coty is an American country music artist. A musician from an early age, Coty has recorded two studio albums, both on divisions of Mercury Records...

 and Jimmy Melton and recorded by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist James Wesley

James Wesley

James Wesley Prosser is an American country music singer. In 1999, Prosser released the album Life Goes On through Warner Bros. Records. Ten years later, he signed to Broken Bow Records under the name James Wesley...

. It was released in May 2010 as the second single and title track from his debut album, Real. It peaked at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs in 2011.

Background and writing

Wesley told The 9513 that when he heard the song for the first time, he immediately related with its sentiments. "I know what it’s like to try to make a dollar and beat the check to the bank," Wesley said. "It hit me… that’s where I’ve been. I did that up until a year ago."

Content

The first verse discusses how shows like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette

The Bachelorette

The Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...

are pedaled as real examples of love when they’re anything but. The chorus then goes on to show off everything that is really real in life. The second verse compares popular reality show titles with real-life situations like a drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

and a soldiers funeral.

Critical reception

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, saying that the song is "instantly relatable to anyone who takes a chance to really listen to the lyrics." He goes on to say that it "never feels pandering and instead sounds like something that everyone has thought about ‘reality TV’ shows since their mainstream arrival a decade ago."

Chart performance

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Chart (2010-2011)	Peak position