''Nate Smith'' is the debut studio album by American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer
Nate Smith, released through
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville was an American record label that served as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specialized in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks ...
on April 28, 2023. It was supported by the singles "
Whiskey on You" and "
World on Fire”, with both reaching number one on
Country Airplay
Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, ...
,
and the latter song tying a record for the longest-running number one single in the chart's history, spending ten weeks at the top. Smith co-wrote 19 of the 26 tracks.
The album reached the top 30 of the US
''Billboard'' 200.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
wrote that Smith "doesn't rely on any flashy tricks and is happy to sing whatever kind of tune comes his way" and "has a slight rasp in his pleading voice that helps give his songs a slight earthiness". Erlewine also felt that Smith "truly flourishes when he's singing an appealingly tacky combination of modern pop and retro-dance. He doesn't do that all the way through this lengthy debut, but he does it enough to distinguish himself from the po-faced likes of
Bailey Zimmerman
Bailey Lynn Zimmerman (born January 27, 2000) is an American Country music, country singer. In 2022, he charted the singles "Fall in Love (Bailey Zimmerman song), Fall in Love" and "Rock and a Hard Place (Bailey Zimmerman song), Rock and a Hard ...
".
James Daykin of ''Entertainment Focus'' found "that by including so many tracks for consideration you aren't really presenting an album that creates a joined up narrative. There's no ebb and flow to the project as a whole", but if the listener wants "melodic, guitar orientated country pop/rock, Smith can deliver that in his sleep".
Soda Canter of ''Holler'' described the "album's subject matter
snot straying far from what has already been established. Smith acts with tender vulnerability, one that showcases his desire to find joy in love. It's love, both of the self and others, that's demonstrated throughout the near-hour-and-a-half blues, pop and rock-infused country album".
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{Nate Smith (singer)
2023 debut albums
Albums produced by Joel Bruyere
Arista Nashville albums
Nate Smith (singer) albums