"Either Way" is a song written by

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Kentucky, Stapleton moved to Nashville in 1996 to study for an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pur ...

, Tim James and Kendell Marvel. It is the first single off Stapleton's 2017 album, '' From A Room: Volume 1''. The song was first recorded by

Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack (; born August 19, 1966) is an American singer and songwriter. She has charted 23 times on the American ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts; her highest peaking single there is her crossover signature song, " I Hope You Dance" ...

on her 2008 album, '' Call Me Crazy''. It won the award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 60th Grammy Awards.

Content

"Either Way" is a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

ballad performed with an acoustic guitar. Lyrically, is about the end of a relationship. Some reviewers opined in the song Stapleton offers a sparsely arranged requiem for a dormant marriage, telling the painful tale of a union nearing its end.

Critical reception

For Will Hermes of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', the ballad is set to acoustic guitar "that goes from broken whisper to chilling holler, with extravagantly curled phrasing informed, one imagines, by hours spent watching smoke plumes rise toward the ceiling." Also in ''Rolling Stone'', reviewer Robert Crawford wrote the studio version "doesn't differ much from that first live performance, with Stapleton screaming heartbroken lyrics over acoustic guitar arpeggios. Simple and stunning." Writing for ''

Taste of Country Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...

'', Billy Dukes commented the record "is a tremendous vocal performance that assures fans he’ll continue to be the gold standard moving forward. His guitar shadows him as Stapleton works up the scale at each thundering chorus. Contrast the power of his vocals with the dark, fragile and hopeless nature of his lyrics."

Commercial performance

The song debuted on ''Billboards

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

at No. 17 as the third best-selling country song of the week, with 23,000 copies sold. After his performance on the finale of ''The Voice'', it sold a further 21,000 copies. It has sold 87,000 copies as of June 2017.

Live performances

On May 23, 2017, Stapleton performed "Either Way" on the season 12 finale of '' The Voice''.

Cover versions

Australian Judah Kelly covered the song on his debut album, '' Count On Me'' (2017).

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

* {{authority control 2008 songs 2017 singles Chris Stapleton songs Lee Ann Womack songs Songs written by Tim James (country music songwriter) Songs written by Kendell Marvel Songs written by Chris Stapleton Song recordings produced by Dave Cobb Country ballads Mercury Nashville singles