Song Review – Carrie Underwood’s “Smoke Break”
In a much-anticipated and highly-publicized announcement early Thursday evening (8-20), Carrie Underwood revealed she would be releasing her fifth studio album called Storyteller on October 23rd—her latest full-length release of original music since 2012’s Blown Away. Underwood also released Greatest Hits Decade #1 in December of 2014, which included two new singles, “Something in the Water” and “Little Toy Guns.” The Greatest Hits release and new singles helped tide fans over as Carrie Underwood gave birth to her first son Isaiah, and took a slight hiatus from the public eye to focus on her family.
As part of the new album announcement, Carrie Underwood also revealed the first single from the new album called “Smoke Break.” A fairly raucous, country rock song with a sound wide enough to fill an arena, it reveals a different side of Carrie compared to what we’ve heard more recently. The single is an ode to the hard working closet smoker and drinker who despite claiming to avoid bad habits, admits to partaking in a bit of vice every once in a while to take the edge off of a dreary existence.
Co-written by Carrie with Chris Destefano and Hillary Lindsey, and produced by Jay Joyce, “Smoke Break” has a resonant chorus bolstered by ample servings of rock guitar that will invariably reverberate with mainstream listeners and have a difficult time being headed off a path to #1. It’s hard to focus on much besides Underwood’s always-superb singing and the message of the song itself, but some inconsistencies in the perspective of the song weaken its prospects of being called not just a big song, but a good one.
The line “It’s hard to be a good mom, and good wife, and a good Christian” doesn’t really sync up with the character portrayed in the song as being a generally good person who just happens to sneak a few puffs between commercials during cartoon time. Taking a smoke or a sip isn’t exactly a prescription for eternal damnation, and what exactly does it have to do with being a good wife or mother? Even God left the 7th day to rest. Repeating “drink” at the end of the first two lines of the chorus instead of resolving the rhyme also seemed a little lazy in the songwriting.
“Smoke Break” is a song many will relate to, but it doesn’t really leave the listener fulfilled in any meaningful capacity besides raising the spirits with an energetic delivery, and a sort of tacit justification for behavior one could question as truly sinful to begin with. It’s also worth broaching the subject if Carrie and Company hope to carry some of the momentum of the marijuana topic with “Smoke Break” as has been done with other songs recently which make no effort out to disambiguate tobacco from pot. It certainly doesn’t feel like a pot anthem, and it would seem pretty out-of-character for Carrie as the All-American girl, but some may decide to interpret the song that way.
It’s also only fair to measure “Smoke Break” within the context of Carrie’s most recent output. The blockbuster Gospel-esque “Something in the Water” played very much to Carrie Underwood’s pristine Christian side. Then the next single “Little Toy Guns” unabashedly faced the social issue of domestic violence and parental fighting. So we can’t be too shocked Carrie revealed something a bit more light, especially for a lead single for an upcoming album, which pretty consistently these days in the mainstream is an album’s #1 bullet and blockbuster, with the rest of the material filing behind it to deliver greater measures of substance.
Graded beside its peers, there’s nothing especially wrong with “Smoke Break” and it really can’t be accused of chasing trends like so many of 2015’s singles. But it’s fluff. Like a smoke or a nip, it’s there to make you forget your worries for a minute, and there’s nothing especially wrong with that. But there’s nothing especially right about it either.
1 of 2 Guns Up.
– – – – – – – –
You can hear a full version of “Smoke Break” HERE.
The single will be available on iTunes soon.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:17 pm
FINALLY, a Carrie song that contains an actual melody and a real country story, with vocals that don’t just scream.
This song reminds me of pre-bro country, the type of song that used to dominate country radio when I started listening in 2010. I like it.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:18 pm
I agree it reminds me of country radio before the bro-storm. I like the song more than any current radio song I’ve heard for awhile, but I do think the guitar is overdone. I’m more willing to give Carrie a pass on that for this one. Beats the hell out of Sam Hunt et al, even if it isn’t textbook country.
August 21, 2015 @ 4:58 am
If you PROMISE me she’s really not screaming, then I might give it a listen.
But if I find one sprinkle, I will Kill You. – Stewie Griffin
August 21, 2015 @ 4:31 pm
“I don’t have to defend Carrie Underwood to you, she is doing just fine without you.” – also Stewie Griffin
August 25, 2015 @ 4:21 pm
It’s still too much screaming for me. Here is the video – 2nd one down http://www.etonline.com/music/170567_exclusive_watch_carrie_underwood_brand_new_smoke_break_video/
August 20, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
To me, the “It”™s hard to be a good mom, and good wife, and a good Christian” line is talking about how being in all of those roles pulls you in a million different directions. Everybody has different expectations of you and needs from you, and it can be difficult to keep up with it all.
I enjoy the song – it doesn’t feel like the “epic” lead single I was expecting, but I am liking this new sound (a bit countrier than the last few singles) and curious to hear what else Jay Joyce will do with Carrie on this album. I’m a little more wary of Zach Crowell’s involvement, but I like that Carrie is (finally) branching out and working with other producers in addition to Mark Bright.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:25 pm
Yes, I definitely noted a hint of irony in the “good Christian” part.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:24 pm
By the way, the lyrics sound like they were inspired by Kacey Musgraves’s “Blowin’ Smoke”.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
…which was a song that began as a waitress on a smoke break (similar to this), and then somehow veered to become a pot anthem to many listeners, aided by a remix featuring Tupac and Dr. Dre. I sincerely don’t want to make too much of this issue because I DON’T think that is what Carrie Underwood or the producers are angling for. But similar to how “Girl Crush” was aided by the fact that some thought it was portraying girl on girl action, I think some listeners will decide to partake of something other than tobacco on their smoke breaks, which again, I’m not even saying is a bad thing. Just an observation that I’m sure crossed someone’s mind in the Underwood camp at some point.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:31 pm
I really like this! Honestly, I think that some fans – especially Carrie fans – hype themselves so much that some feel as though the single isn’t a “lead single” and that’s why a few aren’t liking this song yet. I think that it’s great that CU released a song that even fans weren’t expecting…after all, isn’t that what a superstar is supposed to do??? Can’t wait for the whole album!!! 🙂
August 20, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
If the whole album sounds like this, it could serve as a real game-changer in rolling back the bro/EDM-country trends.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:47 pm
Actually, neither the woman or the man in the song smokes or drinks but the song said they felt like they would like to at times (but they don’t do it) because of the pressures of life, etc.. You should read the lyrics of the song carefully before writing a review and giving the wrong impression of the song. Kudos to Ms Underwood for writing about today’s problems. She is a good storyteller and the song is far better than most of what is being played on radio today. Sometimes I wonder if Ms Underwood can do anything right with some people. She is too poppy sounding, too christian, too loud, songs over produced, etc., etc.. I would not be surprised if someone complains now that she sounds “too country and twangy” (even though she has a natural twang). One thing I have learned is that she is loyal to the country genre and to the Grand Ole Opry and fulfills her commitment to the Opry while the other artists her age does not even come close. That alone should garner her some respect and stop some people from picking her apart at her every action. It has gotten very, very old and irritating now.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
“Actually, neither the woman or the man in the song smokes or drinks but the song said they felt like they would like to at times (but they don”™t do it) because of the pressures of life, etc.. You should read the lyrics of the song carefully before writing a review and giving the wrong impression of the song.”
I stand behind my interpretation of the lyrics. If it is truly meant to be interpreted some other way than the way I did, then that’s on the songwriters for not being clear enough with the intentions of the song. I listened to this song many many times before I reviewed it. I actually pondered if the way you interpreted the song was the way it was meant to be taken, and decided against it. In the end every song is interpreted different by the individuals who listen to it, and a song shouldn’t have to rely on an explanation to be understood. That’s a sign of bad songwriting. I’m not saying the songwriting of “Smoke Break” is bad. I think they were purposely trying to be ambiguous so it could be interpreted differently by different people, which can actually be a sign of good songwriting.
Either way, whether the characters in the song are truly smoking or drinking or not, it doesn’t really materially change the value of the song, or my sentiments about it.
” Sometimes I wonder if Ms Underwood can do anything right with some people.”
Just as many people wonder why some Carrie Underwood fans are so defensive.
I’m in no way a Carrie Underwood hater. I’m glad she’s met her commitments to the Opry, and have gone out of my way to commend her for that in print. If her upcoming album is truly more country than what we’re used to hearing on the radio today, them I’m all for it and I’ll be right here cheering her on. But none of that has to do with this song, right here. When reviewing a song, you have to wipe the slate clean and listen to it would taking anything else into consideration besides the song itself.
I look forward to hear the rest of the album. This song is not bad. It’s just not good either, in my opinion.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:41 pm
“Just as many people wonder why some Carrie Underwood fans are so defensive”
I am not a fan of any of the youngsters in music today and I am not a fan of this song. I do think Ms. Underwood is a good story teller. I am a devoted Loretta, Dolly, Patsy, George J. ,Tammy, . and the oldies fan. I used to wonder why the Carrie Underwood fans were so defensive also so I started reading the many posts, etc. and learned that when Carrie first came to Nashville she was not treated very well by some, including some of the artists, and a lot of negative things were said about her from a professional level to a very personal level and her fans started defending her. Now they are still very sensitive when she is criticized. I can understand why they feel this way. I started feeling sorry for the girl also. Some say the Carrie fans are really bad, however, they should visit some of the other female fan bases and see that their fans are far worse than the Carrie fans. BTW I am old and in a wheelchair now so I have the time to read articles.
August 20, 2015 @ 10:41 pm
I don’t think Carrie Underwood fans are bad in any way. I think it’s great that she has such passionate fans and they are organized and look out for her, and for country music to a certain extent. I’ve fought battles beside a lot of Carrie Underwood fans in the past, and probably will in the future as well. But I don’t think there’s any reason to feel sorry for Carrie Underwood. Of course she faced opposition because she came from American Idol, but she’s risen to become the most successful Idol contestant in history, to the point where you don’t think about her in the context any more. The greatest revenge is success, and Carrie is living proof of that.
August 21, 2015 @ 3:47 pm
I have to disagree that her fans are bad and nasty, I have first hand experience with them. If anyone posts anything remotely negative on an article about her there is immediate and lingering attack. They are downright viscious.
And yes they have an organized network to propel ever song she release to #1, found evidence of this on another site. They have a list of every radio station in the US and repeatedly request her newest song, every member calls every station.
Ever notice how after hitting #1 they fall off the charts so rapidly? Where is “Little Toy Guns” it just recently hit #1 and immediately disappeared.
They feel like they helped her achieve fame and are desperate to keep her there.
Sorry I feel she is a media creation.
I dislike her style, yelling and screaming; post it and they want to rip your throat out.
August 21, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
You admit that her fans organize to get the songs to #1 but then call her a media creation? Also, where is Sun Daze or Talledega or Lonely Tonight? All of those hit #1 and fell just as hard if not harder.
August 20, 2015 @ 7:50 pm
I think reviewer missed the point of the song.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:17 pm
It sounds a lot like “Automatic” to me.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:26 pm
I don’t know. “Automatic” seemed to be more pop leaning than rock. “Smoke Break” is pure Southern Rock, at best. To me, it sounds like one of Miranda’s older songs before she went full blown mainstream.
August 20, 2015 @ 9:52 pm
The “Automatic” chorus sounds much more like classic pop (synonymous with rock), than modern pop.
August 20, 2015 @ 9:45 pm
“Automatic” is really two songs: the verse and the chorus.
The verse is classic country, more country than this Carrie song. However, the chorus is strongly pop/rock, less country than “Smoke Break” and instead resembling many of Carrie’s other recent singles.
August 20, 2015 @ 9:48 pm
As an interesting parallel, that same verse-chorus gap is present in the Miranda/Keith duet “We Were Us”. When you start listening to that song, it sounds like a classic country ballad. However, the sonic style suddenly shifts to full-blown rock in the chorus.
August 20, 2015 @ 8:23 pm
This has to be one of the best songs from Carrie Underwood in years! Besides listening to Traditional, Neotraditional Country, and a hint of true Country Pop, I also like Southern Rock, and this song fits that description perfectly! The only complaint I have about this song, however, is that some of the instrumentation seems to drown out her vocals, which is rare….or perhaps the audio quality was to blame. Either way, in my opinion, this song is a winner for Underwood, and this leaves me tempted to check out how the rest of the album will sound!
August 20, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
I agree with your verdict.
“Smoke Break” sounds like the result of an effort where Underwood and her collaborators intended to go harder, but the end result felt too flat.
Musically, it actually felt rather conservative to me. I, too, sensed a lot of “Automatic” comparisons as far as production and melody is concerned. It may be loud and proud, but it still comes across as too polished to really stand out as either rock or country. And while I can partially get where the remarks regarding this being her most “country” single in a while are coming from, the percussion couldn’t help but sound too mechanical throughout the verses especially, while the wall-of-sound chorus also proved too much of a diversion. Even the lyrics could pass off anonymously as a rock song as opposed to a country song, and so I’d dare deem “Something In The Water” considerably more country than this.
As a whole, it doesn’t make any egregious missteps a la “Somethin’ Bad” or “Good Girl”, and so passes for agreeable radio fodder. But considering the strength and leadership Underwood displayed with her previous two singles at least as far as themes and lyricism were concerned, “Smoke Break” sounds like a regression. Her stellar vocals aren’t even given much room to breathe here like they were on “Something In The Water” most notably.
I’m feeling 1 1/4 Guns Down on this one. I expected more than this.
August 20, 2015 @ 9:36 pm
Interestingly, I found her vocals on “Something In The Water” to be much more mechanical than on this song. For much of “Water”, she sounded flat and out of breath, and the chorus almost sounded computerized (much like her other recent singles).
August 20, 2015 @ 9:52 pm
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. I thought “Smoke Break” was the more computerized recording of the two, between the drum machine-esque percussion and overtly familiar wall-of-sound chorus.
I don’t deny the breathy, imperfect vocals of “Something In The Water”. But at least the way I interpret it, that’s kind of the point. There’s a grave urgency driving the track in its entirely: from walking that tightrope between hopelessness and keeping the faith in the verses, to defiant optimism in the bridge, and the imperfections in the vocals actually made the song for me. I could have done without the reverb sprinkled in, but all in all I consider it one of her better performances.
August 20, 2015 @ 11:13 pm
Nadia,
I be interested in your take (and Eric’s take) on this idea that the characters in the song are not actually smoking and drinking, but that it’s all metaphor. I considered this while listening to the song and writing my review, but it seemed to be that this was sort of a non issue. Either way, I don’t think it materially changes the quality of the song, but I would be interested in y’alls perspective.
August 21, 2015 @ 12:47 am
I’d like to throw my opinion in here…I actually thought the woman who said “I need a stiff drink” and “I need a long drag” is smoking and drinking. I thought the man, who said, “I wanna pop that top” and “I wanna light it up” would like to smoke and drink, but hasn’t actually done so yet. If that is right, I think this makes the song better, because it shows two perspectives. It is relatable to those like the woman who decide to have a drink or a smoke sometimes to deal with life, as well as to those like the man, who think about these things, but for whatever reason (pressure from family, religion, etc), feel they can’t or shouldn’t.
August 21, 2015 @ 1:35 am
I think I see what you’re saying here, and I’d be inclined to agree the song’s three writers give the metaphor for “blowin’ off steam” or to decompress some decent mileage through the first two verses.
Here’s the first verse:
*
She”™s a small town hard working woman just trying to make a living,
working three jobs, feeding four little mouths in a run down kitchen.
When you”™re never taking nothing and doing nothing but giving
It”™s hard to be a good wife and a good mom and a good Christian…”
*
It immediately becomes clear that this is aiming for that same blue-collar populist rousing appeal that Lee Brice’s “Drinking Class” did, albeit in a decidedly less celebratory vein a la “Blowin’ Smoke”. That third line especially stands out, in itself, because I understand the dark side of self-sacrifice and being overly generous. And many fear that any showing of vulnerability will make you appear unstable in the eyes of others. And yet, even despite that………………sometimes we just need to vent (aka “need a smoke break”).
I admittedly struggle more with the highball glass as a metaphor for something else altogether, though. I suppose one can argue, by finally viewing your reflection in a shot glass, it can serve as an epiphany or realization of that one is not spending enough time nourishing and nurturing one’s self and fulfilling one’s own physiological and psychological needs………………..but it’s probably stretching it.
Then comes the second verse:
*
“He”™s a big city hard working man just trying to climb the ladder
First generation to go to college instead of driving a tractor
Never had nothing handed to him on a silver platter
It”™s hard to be a good man, good son, do something good that matters…”
*
This vaguely reminds me, most recently, of the premise of Brad Paisley’s “Crushin’ It”, albeit without the forced attempts at humor.
Here we have a well-meaning, hard-working type who nonetheless leads a rather unremarkable and mundane life………………..but come those moments where he feels the need to light it up when things get tough, he feels most in his own body.
*
The outro is where I feel that possible attempt of smoking and drinking as metaphor loses focus altogether, though.
It’s just a generic “Grab that cup, fill it up, sip it slow, and let it all go!” declaration. One could speculate “Yeah, this is really a ‘Carpe diem!’ anthem above all else!”……………and the cup is like some elixir of life or Holy Grail………………but at that point it is REALLY stretching it! You might as well then go on and argue: “Oh, didn’t you hear? Brantley Gilbert’s ‘Bottoms Up’ isn’t actually a song about drinking and partying in the sticks! It’s an ode to existentialism!” Or “Oh, I believe you have been misinformed! Little Big Town’s ‘Day Drinkin” is actually the modern-day sonic equivalent of a symposium!” 😉
*
But yeah, there’s definitely a rather sobering subtext the characters in the first two verses convey. I myself can’t ever begin to imagine what it must feel like juggling three jobs and raising four children. I can only imagine how that would make even the most strong-willed mother want to scream every once in a while.
I think the bridge and outro try way too hard to force that populist “Hell yeah! We’re all in this together! Drink up!” mantra, though.
August 21, 2015 @ 4:45 pm
“I myself can”™t ever begin to imagine what it must feel like juggling three jobs and raising four children. I can only imagine how that would make even the most strong-willed mother want to scream every once in a while.”
Brandy Clark portrayed that topic much better in ‘Get High’
August 21, 2015 @ 5:00 am
My take is of course they are smoking and drinking. How else would they know the benefits of doing so without partaking. If I never drank, how could I ever Jones for a drink.
August 25, 2015 @ 4:32 pm
Agree with Megan. I know a lot of people who don’t smoke but have a cigarette every now and then…I think she’s having a cigarette every now and then. It’s sometimes hard to be a good Christian.
August 20, 2015 @ 10:22 pm
If you can’t beat them (Miranda Lambert), might as well join them (Miranda Lambert).
It’s interesting all the comments about the likeness of Smoke to Automatic. But, the real likeness is the fact that Smoke Break sounds like a Miranda Lambert song and Underwood at times seems to be mimicking Lambert’s vocal dialect and stressed drawl.
It’s also funny that line about balancing being a good Christian and giving into minor vices like smoking and drinking. Hmmmm…. where have we heard that before?
Miranda Lambert’s, Heart Like Mine:
Even though I hate to admit it
Sometimes I smoke cigarettes
The Christian folks say I should quit it
And I just smile and say “God Bless”
Someone’s been taking notes while on pregnancy leave.
August 20, 2015 @ 10:47 pm
Early Miranda Lambert strongly resembled Kacey Musgraves today. If Carrie is following in those footsteps, then more power to her.
August 21, 2015 @ 5:32 am
i wonder who’s the real winner now?
airplay, sales, grammys…ehem…
Carrie, Hillary, Chris Destafano don’t need to follow someone’s footsteps
#WhosBeingJealousNow
August 21, 2015 @ 11:06 am
I had to go look up this guy, Chris Destafano, you speak of (I’m really on the wrong side of the tracks). Anyways, it just reinforces my theory that the woman in country music think the only way they can get radio play is if they sound like the only woman being played on country music radio – Miranda Lambert. This Destafano “dude” (from New Jersey) is a bro-country manufacturer. He’s co-written songs for Luke Bryan (That’s My Kind of Night, Kick the Dust Up), FGL (Take It Out On Me, Smile, Every Night), Cole Swindell (Swayin), A whole album for Chase Rice, and Rascal Flatts (Rewind). So now, he’s manufacturing formulated songs for the women of country music, like he did for the bro’s.
August 21, 2015 @ 11:43 am
Ummmmmmmm do you even listen to country music??? Carrie Underwood is the most played female on country radio also with 21 number ones so please explain to me wth are you talking about? Carrie underwood has been the most played female on radio in years well over a decade even when Taylor swift was still in country lmfaoooo please do your research before sounding stupid my dear!!! I love Miranda Lambert but this is not her year at all!!! She had no top ten hit while Carrie had two already with “something in the water” and ” little toy guns” and let’s not talk about her being the top country star of our time in digital sales so please!!! They both have their own style and it works for them both. Why must we pit two females together but no one ever compare Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton
August 21, 2015 @ 5:28 pm
Let’s look at the research. Let’s take a look at the last 5 years to establish a trend. Grant it, I’m aware Underwood has taken her foot off the gas recently to focus on her family, but I’d argue her career was declining before she got pregnant. Since 2010….
CMA AWARDS:
Carrie Underwood: 0
Miranda Lambert: 12
ACM AWARDS:
Carrie Underwood: 1
(she also won 2 non-traditional awards during his time – Triple Crown and Gene Weed Special Achievement)
Miranda Lambert: 19
GRAMMY AWARDS:
Carrie Underwood: 3
Miranda Lambert: 2
So, in the major award circuit the last 5 years:
Carrie Underwood: 4
Miranda Lambert: 35
Top Ten Singles:
Carrie Underwood: 8
Miranda Lambert: 9
Album sales are pretty much even at 2 million. Each gal has a Platinuim studio album. Lambert has an extra Gold studio album which Underwood matches with a Gold Greatest Hits compilation. So, tie.
In conclusion, their careers are surprisingly even, except in the award circuit.
FYI, I didn’t even consider Lambert’s contributions on the Pistol Annie’s albums.
August 25, 2015 @ 4:46 pm
Carrie’s hugely successful and so is Miranda. But Carrie starts from a very different point (AI) and you just can’t compare careers to date in a meaningful way.
August 21, 2015 @ 5:26 pm
What happened to Little Red Wagon? Lol
August 21, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
Most of Miranda’s awards since 2011 can be attributed to her being half of country music’s power couple…let’s see what happens now.
August 23, 2015 @ 8:57 am
Carrie isn’t WME or Live Nation. Block voting coupled with the power couple thing is why Miranda keeps winning. Female vocalist should be alternating between the two based on their success. Even your favorite knew she didn’t deserved ACM female vocalist two years ago. Also it’s kinda glaring that a song won by Carrie can win the Grammy for country song of the year but not even be nominated at either country awards show.
Don’t be naive that there aren’t shenanigans going on at music row. Blake even went so far as to throw a campaign themed party after one of his Nashville concerts. Look at Blake’s album of the year win. His album with the lowest critical acclaim of all the nominees but still won. Artists send out vote for me gifts to ask for votes all the time.
August 25, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
I agree. “Little Red Wagon” was a disaster and “Platinum” wasn’t as good as the critics were making it out to be. If anything, Miranda became more generic with “Platinum.”
August 21, 2015 @ 5:33 am
wait till the full album release…and you see who’s the better storyteller
August 21, 2015 @ 10:36 pm
Carrie Underwood has sold 16 million albums in the U.S.
Miranda hasn’t even sold 6 million
Carrie has 21 #1s all of which at least went gold, most went platinum, and a handful went multi platinum
Miranda has only 6 number ones and her single sales are a fraction of Carrie’s
Carrie has 7 Grammys
Miranda has 2
Let’s not try to say the facts in a way that benefits Miranda (who I love by the way) tell the truth. The only leg up on Carrie that she has are cma/acm awards and we all know how little those mean.
August 22, 2015 @ 7:19 am
The songs only been out for two days and it has already passed Smokin’ And Drinkin’ on the Mediabase chart.
August 21, 2015 @ 2:12 pm
Yeah i hardly doubt Carrie is copying Miranda and all this article is… is being judgemental,rude and hating on Carrie…
August 21, 2015 @ 4:04 pm
Please give me the quote in this article where I’m “hating on Carrie.”
August 21, 2015 @ 4:49 pm
“It”™s hard to focus on much besides Underwood”™s always-superb singing and the message of the song itself”
That one??
August 21, 2015 @ 5:59 pm
When were those two songs written?
August 22, 2015 @ 8:17 pm
Gah, if there’s one thing I dislike even more than specious fan war arguments, it’s bad/distorted data. Put them together, and Lord and Trigger forgive me, I’m going in:
hoptowntiger: “I”™d argue her career was declining before she got pregnant. Since 2010”¦.Album sales are pretty much even at 2 million.”
This is hilarious because you’re comparing sales of 2 full studio album releases from Miranda (2011’s Four The Record has sold 1 million, 2014’s Platinum has sold about 740k) to 1 full studio album release from Carrie, and that 1 full studio album from Carrie (2012’s Blown Away) has sold as much as those 2 full studio album releases from Miranda combined.
You also conveniently left off single sales, because they undermine your argument about a post-2010 career decline for Carrie. These numbers reflect sales only, not equivalent sales contributed by streams.
Carrie’s single sales: 7.7 million over 6 singles (“Good Girl,” “Blown Away,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “See You Again,” “Something In The Water,” “Little Toy Guns”)
Miranda’s single sales: 6.2 million over 7 singles (“Baggage Claim,” “Over You,” “Fastest Girl In Town,” “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “All Kinds Of Kinds,” “Automatic,” “Little Red Wagon”)
Not included: “Remind Me” and “We Were Us.” I also left off “Somethin’ Bad” for obvious reasons. Although come to think of it, I’m reminded of something I’ve said before here – the one good thing about “Somethin’ Bad” other than the video is the way it trolled the Miranda Lambert fans with superiority complexes about her material and how she’d never stoop so low as to go pop and the way it comprehensively trolled the Carrie Underwood fans with superiority complexes about how Carrie didn’t need to stoop to collaborate with somebody who’s a lesser singer and lesser star.
If Miranda was going to pick the song for their duet, she should’ve gone with something more alternative country, because she’s great at finding those. If Miranda wanted a mainstream-style song for a duet, she should’ve let Carrie pick/find the song, because Carrie’s been better at finding interesting mainstream-style songs over the past few years. To be honest, I would have enjoyed the heck out of them dueting on “Smoke Break” instead of “Somethin’ Bad.”
Not only did your Miranda goggles mess with your numbers presentation, they also got in the way of understanding “Smoke Break” for what it is. “Heart Like Mine” is a pointed and self-aware commentary about judgy people from a person who owns her flaws, a consistent theme from an artist who often focuses on the depiction of flawed people (including and especially herself). “Smoke Break”‘s focus is different – it’s about life’s stressors and people get tempted by things like smoking & drinking that might not be so good for them. Miranda’s focus is typically internal, Carrie’s is external.
Too, the characters Carrie’s singing about aren’t the kinds of characters Miranda usually sings about (and these days, Miranda’s singing about herself more often than not, anyway – not that there is a thing wrong with that). Carrie’s a mom now, you can’t help but grow up some when you become a parent, and so naturally her attention’s going to shift to adult things like juggling responsibility and the pressure that brings, and that’s what “Smoke Break” reflects.
The Southern rockishness of “Smoke Break” is probably a shock to people who’ve pigeonholed Carrie into the pop country corner. But she’s always been a lover of rock along with country and the production of the song brings those two together in a way that makes sense. Actually, “Smoke Break” is not THAT far removed from “Last Name” in that regard.
So yeah, the idea that Carrie’s trying to take a page out of somebody else’s book with “Smoke Break” only works if you’re so fixated on somebody else that you ignore Carrie’s own work and track record. As Trigger pointed out, she’s coming off yet another huge song in “Something in the Water” in just the past year, so the idea that she needed to reinvent herself for the sake of relevance is laughable. In fact, “Smoke Break” shows that, as she has in songs like “Wasted,” Temporary Home,” and “Little Toy Guns,” Carrie’s interested in singing about regular people with regular problems. I’ve always appreciated that about her, and even if I don’t think “Smoke Break” is among her best songs, I find it pretty likable and logical coming from Carrie.
August 22, 2015 @ 10:59 pm
I was surprised by the fact, excluding the awards, Miranda hasn’t separated herself from Underwood more the past 5 years. I truely don’t have a dog in this fight. I can’t name more than 4 Underwood songs. My favorite Lambert album (besides the first Pistol Annie’s album) was Revolution – released in 2009. To me as an outsider of main stream country, I hear way more about Lambert than Underwood these past 5 years. The only time I hear or see Underwood these days is when she’s hosting the CMAs. But she’s sold a ton of records and still has songs climbing the charts – I was wrong.
But, I still think this song sounds like something Miranda would record.
August 23, 2015 @ 8:38 am
It is refreshing to see someone admit they were wrong on the facts. Thank you.
Personally I find it incredibly ironic that people have been complaining for years that
Underwood is too pop yet when she decides to lean a little more traditional the same people complain that she is copying Miranda. I also find the whole fan war to be incredibly frustrating. Carrie and Miranda have never been anything but supportive and complimentary of each other personally and professionally. Why the fans feel the need to pit them against each other is baffling to me. They each have their own style and each have been incredibly successful. They are two of the very few women to find success in a blatantly sexist industry. More power to them both!
August 21, 2015 @ 6:32 am
Great song. It’s nice to see Carrie Underwood making new music,. But to be honest, this song doesn’t really sound country at all. It sound pop with a rock twang. This should’ve done better if Carrie Underwood makes Christian influenced pop rock music with a rock twang instead of pop country music. She needs pop music with a crossover appeal for pop audiences. I’m sure Carrie Underwood records pop music for Storyteller. If Carrie Underwood is following in footsteps of female pop stars like Katy Perry, then then more power to her. She needs to be a country and pop fusion singer. Fantastic song though.
August 21, 2015 @ 8:54 am
Heard this song yesterday and was interested to see a review from you on it. My first reaction to it was positive and in fact I thought it was her best release in years. Totally agree with the review. The most interesting part of the song to me was that it could have actually been construed as country song from beginning to end.
August 21, 2015 @ 8:56 am
Carrie Underwood hasn’t made anything country in a while. All of her singles, at least, have that generic arena rock screaming vocals type sound to them.
August 21, 2015 @ 5:54 pm
Carrie doesn’t have screaming vocals. She just has a big voice. You want screening? Go listen to Limp Bizcut song Faith.
August 21, 2015 @ 7:02 pm
Heard her on the Grand Ole Opry recently. She definitely screams her songs.
August 23, 2015 @ 4:08 pm
Oy. I hate this argument. It comes down to confusing volume with screaming.
August 23, 2015 @ 4:56 pm
Patsy Cline was strength and volume. Carrie is a belter (that’s a diplomatic way of saying “screaming”)
August 25, 2015 @ 4:48 pm
Amen, Erica.
August 23, 2015 @ 9:35 pm
I always felt it was the producer’s fault when it came to making Carrie ” scream” in keys that are out of her range. Obviously a lot of folks are put off by that …..I would wonder why a smart producer hasn’t picked up on the obvious . There’s a range that her voice just does not work in comfortably .Then again , if she is making money and making fans , I suppose no producer wants to mess with it no matter what .
August 26, 2015 @ 7:00 am
I agree on that. I personally think Carrie Underwood works really well as a more mature pop artist. I her pop music should be soft rock with a rock twang because Carrie Underwood needs pop music for pop audiences with a crossover appeal. I think it works well because she thinks mature pop music would fit pop music better than being a country star. That’s just my humble opinion.
August 21, 2015 @ 8:58 am
I can’t wait to listen to it.
August 21, 2015 @ 9:29 am
To me, the lyrics and instrumentation is reminiscent of Montgomery Gentry. I like it
August 21, 2015 @ 10:14 am
Wow. not a bad song from Carrie at all.
Trigger, I hope we get to hear your thoughts on the new Kip Moore album. Interesting artist.
August 21, 2015 @ 10:21 am
I like Carrie and this is a pretty good song but my first reaction was that she sounds like she is doing a Miranda Lambert impression. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. I am curious to hear the rest of the album.
August 25, 2015 @ 1:02 pm
Like how she pronounces the word “long” in the bridge of the song? I’ll admit that she does kind of sound like Miranda there. As far as I knew, Carrie never had a southern accent, so why start now? Not unless you’re telling me that she’s just starting to pick it up from living in Nashville.
August 21, 2015 @ 11:19 am
One thing to consider, Trigger:
I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma not far from Carrie’s hometown. In that area of the country and I expect many small towns across America legalism is very prevalent in small town churches. Therefore the fear of not being a “good Christian” because you occasionally drink or smoke is a very real thing for some folks. Just my two cents.
August 21, 2015 @ 2:01 pm
I have a feeling Carrie’s new album might be her most country album yet.
On her Facebook Q+A she stated:
“I feel like a lot of the songs that I wrote and gravitated to ended up being more traditional and “twangy” than anything I have ever done before. I just went with it! I love the story telling aspect of Country music…it’s one of the reasons I always wanted to be a part of it.”
August 21, 2015 @ 2:14 pm
What I find ridiculous is her calling these songs traditional and twangy. Really? You hear a steel guitar, she gets a gold star. One of her strengths is her vocals and this song filters them in an unnatural way. Also this whole things screams trying to rough up/Miranda her brand. Seems fake. Glad that we get a story but just not great. Carrie wrote 5 other songs hope they are better than this.
August 21, 2015 @ 3:23 pm
Sitting here listening to Whitney Rose’s new Heartbreaker of the Year album, wondering why these females cant get a chance!
August 21, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
I’m really tired of hand claps being used as a substitute for actual music.
August 22, 2015 @ 12:56 am
“I”™m really tired of hand claps being used as a substitute for actual music. ”
Indeed …and ” Whoa -o-o-o ” as a substitute for actual lyric
August 21, 2015 @ 5:30 pm
A contemporary mainstream country song built around a metaphor ? Surely you jest ? That’s Songwriting 101 . Nobody writing for contemporary country radio has passed THAT course in years .
August 21, 2015 @ 7:01 pm
I like Carrie Underwood’s music. But to me this sounds like a Miranda Lambert song without the edge. But I’ll still buy it…
August 21, 2015 @ 11:18 pm
You know, I can’t help but feel like every song Carrie puts out is nothing but a high pitch scream fest. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the producers said, ” ok Carrie let’s see how hard and high you can sign this with as many vocal runs as humanly possible.” Cheap pop trash. The guns shoulda been pointed way down.
August 22, 2015 @ 7:21 am
TM…Did you even listen to this song before writing that diatribe?
August 22, 2015 @ 3:00 pm
I’m not gonna lie, I made it to the first chorus
August 21, 2015 @ 11:25 pm
I love the melody and at it’s heart, it is a country song. A perfect story that will resonate with 25-49 female demo (do what I say, not what I do). Her voice is superb as usual. That said, the lyric is surprisingly clunky. Actually, for Nash songwriters, the lyric is just plain sloppy. But he’ll, what does that matter…….
August 22, 2015 @ 7:56 am
I love the way jealous Miranda fans flood these Carrie articles with negative comments. They are jealous because Carrie massively out sings and outsells Miranda, whether album or concert sales.
Please don’t quote awards because these are all political and hold zero value in the industry. Ask the Zac Brown Band who have won no awards for years despite being the biggest grossing band in country music today.
August 25, 2015 @ 5:01 pm
Pure silliness.
August 28, 2015 @ 12:00 am
I think Carrie is trying to sound like Miranda when she sings this song, but I would hardly call myself a “jealous Miranda fan.” I liked Carrie when she sounded like Carrie, and I like Miranda as Miranda. I don’t think Carrie needs to start recording inferior versions of Miranda Lambert songs and faking a drawl to sell. I would be just as upset if Miranda were trying to imitate Carrie. I like “Smoke Break” as a song, but it is brought down for me by the fact that Carrie Underwood doesn’t sound natural singing it. It sounds like a Miranda Lambert song, and Carrie can’t be Miranda. By the same token, Miranda Lambert shouldn’t be singing “Little Toy Guns.” This doesn’t make me a jealous Miranda fan, it makes me a worried Carrie fan. We already have a perfectly good Carrie Underwood, we don’t need an inferior Miranda Lambert. I hope the rest of Carrie’s album is better.
August 29, 2015 @ 9:34 pm
Carrie has always turned her twang on and off for certain songs. For example off of Blown Away Leave Love Alone she turned it on and for Forever Changed she turned it off. She isn’t copying Miranda.
August 23, 2015 @ 5:01 pm
If you hadn’t told me this was Carrie Underwood, I would have thought it was Miranda Lambert.
Is falling in line with the “drinking and smoking woes” the only way for women to get on the radio now without having to cater to the bro-country guys?
New Carrie Underwood Music; Help Out Phil Kaufman; Paul Simon Added to 'All for the Hall' Benefit | Country California
August 25, 2015 @ 10:04 am
[…] Universe and Saving Country Music offered differing takes on “Smoke […]
August 30, 2015 @ 9:36 am
You cover this overproduced American Idol shit now? I think you’ve lost your way. This website helped introduce me to a whole plethora of great independent minded and spirited country music over the last decade or so. This isn’t even worth discussion. It’s piss made for radio. Something this site once seemed to be a refuge from and voice against.
August 30, 2015 @ 10:15 am
G.L.,
I’ve been covering mainstream artists and mainstream singles since the first month Saving Country Music started (called Free Hank III then). That was nearly nine years ago. Nothing has changed. I was accused of selling out half a decade ago. So if I sold out then, how could I be in a position to sell out now?
This article has 90 comments. The article on Whitney Rose, which is the latest article to be posted, and is at the very top of the home page, has 11. Posted after this Carrie Underwood article were a review for Jason James, a live review for Dwight Yoakam, an announcement on a new album from Kinky Friedman, a study on how pop fans are the most closed-minded of any genre, and a personal account of visiting the grave of Waylon Jennings. You personally decided to skip over all of those articles and focus on this Carrie Underwood review published 10 days ago. In other words, this says much more about your browsing habits then it does about my posting habits. And am I promoting this single from Carrie Underwood? No, I am criticizing it. Go over to Carrie Underwood’s message board where I am being roasted as a closed-minded idiot for not “getting” this song.
Not sure why there’s so much vitriol towards me over this specific article (likely a social network thread somewhere people are reading aside from actually reading the article and thinking for themselves) but a post like this is extremely, achingly commonplace on Saving Country Music, and is completely within character for the site given it’s nearly decade-long history. You don’t want to read it, then don’t. It took more effort to seek this article out than it did to read something that may have been more appealing to you.
August 30, 2015 @ 10:30 am
You know what? You’re right. I apologize for my knee jerk reaction. Consider me set straight.
August 30, 2015 @ 3:37 pm
Sorry if it came across like I was jumping down your throat. I get really defensive on this issue, and it comes up often.
September 21, 2015 @ 7:17 am
This song is too much like a Miranda song. Since Miranda is the one winning all the awards (even in years that Carrie clearly should’ve won…probably even this year too), maybe Carrie thinks “if you can’t beat them, join them”
But there are two problems with that kind of thinking.
One is I doubt it’s going to change the voters’ minds anyway. These awards have become extremely politicized (even moreso than they were back in the day). Miranda arguably had the weakest year of her career this past year (at least weakest since she become popular) and she still got nominated for Entertainer Of The Year and will still likely win Female Vocalist. So, Carrie moving to a Miranda-type style isn’t going to change the voters’ minds.
Secondly, if Carrie & Miranda start sounding the same, that’s bad for country music as a whole because there is a lack of female voices on the airwaves to begin with. If we get no diversity at all from what little female representation we already have, then that makes the options for female-driven music even more limited. The whole bro-country movement was bad for country radio for many reasons, with “it all sounds the same” being one of the major complaints.
Smoke Break is a decent song, but it’s just way too Miranda-like. I don’t think that’s a good thing, and I hope Carrie isn’t moving in that direction.