Cop Car (Keith Urban song)
| "Cop Car" | ||||
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| Single by Keith Urban | ||||
| from the album Fuse | ||||
| Released | 13 January 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Keith Urban singles chronology | ||||
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"Cop Car" is a song written by Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, and Matt Jenkins and recorded by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in January 2014 as the third international single and fourth overall from Urban's 2013 album Fuse.
Content
[edit]The song is a mid-tempo ballad about two young lovers who are arrested when trespassing together, and "f[a]ll in love in the back of a cop car".[2] The song was inspired by a real-life story that happened with Sam Hunt and his now wife, Hannah.
Critical reception
[edit]Joseph Hudak of Country Weekly gave the song a B+ grade, saying that "[it]t's a clever concept, elevated to near greatness by its sheer originality." He praised Urban's "earnest" vocals, and said that "the production is slick and alive—though not necessarily squarely 'country'."[2] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave it an identical rating, saying that he did not believe its storyline, but said that "Keith Urban’s heartfelt delivery and careful choice of what lines to emphasize keep the proceedings grounded. He’s so effective at capturing the feeling of falling in love that the specifics of the event surrounding the moment are appropriately secondary to the emotions at play."[3] Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that "[t]he muted drum loop that fuels the shimmering 'Cop Car,' is layered in atmospherics worthy of Achtung Baby, but the melody is pure country."[4]
The song was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 57th Grammy Awards but lost to Carrie Underwood's "Something in the Water".
Chart performance
[edit]"Cop Car" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart in May 2014, making it his lowest-peaking single on that chart since 1999. As of June 2014, the song has sold 772,000 copies in the US.[5] On June 20, 2014, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital units in the United States.[6]
Music video
[edit]The music video was directed by John Urbano and premiered in January 2014.[7]
Personnel
[edit]Compiled from liner notes.[1]
- Zach Crowell — programming, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano, percussion, synthesizer, background vocals
- John Fields — bass guitar
- Devin Malone — dobro, pedal steel guitar, electric guitar
- Chris McHugh — drums
- Russell Terrell — background vocals
- Keith Urban — all vocals, electric guitar, EBow
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[15] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Sam Hunt version
[edit]| "Cop Car" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Sam Hunt | |
| from the album Montevallo | |
| Released | October 27, 2014 |
| Recorded | 2014 |
| Genre | Country pop |
| Length | 4:13 |
| Label | MCA Nashville |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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Sam Hunt—who co-wrote the song originally—recorded his version of it on his debut studio album Montevallo, which was released on October 27, 2014.
Hunt explains that the reason he included the song on his album is because "After writing the songs on the record, it was like a movie, and "Cop Car" was a pivotal scene in that movie. Even though Keith Urban had recorded it, I felt it still had a place on the record."[17]
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Country Digital Songs[18] | 48 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Fuse (Deluxe Edition) (CD booklet). Keith Urban. Capitol Records Nashville/Hit Red Records. 2013. B0019113-02.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Hudak, Joseph (27 January 2014). "Singles: Keith Urban — 'Cop Car'". Country Weekly. 21 (4): 50.
- ^ Coyne, Kevin John (16 January 2014). "'Cop Car' review". Country Universe. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Fuse review". Allmusic. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (June 19, 2014). "Country Chart News: The Top 30 Digital Singles For June 19, 2014". Roughstock. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
- ^ "RIAA Certifications - Keith Urban". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ Wyland, Sarah (28 January 2014). "Watch Keith Urban's "Cop Car" Music Video". Great American Country. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Best of 2014: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Best of 2014: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Keith Urban – Cop Car". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (October 13, 2014). "On the Verge: Sam Hunt's 'Night' shines bright". USA Today. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ "Sam Hunt Album & Song Chart History - Country Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ "American single certifications – Sam Hunt – Cop Car". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 21, 2021.