"Slow Down Summer" is a song 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

Thomas Rhett Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins. Rhett has released seven studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: ''It Goes ...

. It was released on November 5, 2021 as the lead single from his sixth studio album, '' Where We Started''. The song was written by Rhett with his father

Rhett Akins Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. (born October 13, 1969) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Decca Records between 1994 and 1997, he released two albums for that label (1995's ''A Thousand Memories'' and 1996's ''Somebody New (a ...

, as well as

Ashley Gorley Ashley Gorley (born April 29, 1977) is an American songwriter, publisher, and producer from Danville, Kentucky, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Gorley has written 81 number 1 songs and has over 400 songs recorded by artists including Luke ...

, Sean Douglas, and

Jesse Frasure Jesse Vernon Frasure (born September 18, 1981), also known as DJ Telemitry, is an American music publisher, record producer, songwriter, and DJ. He has written 22 number one songs and has cuts with various artists including Chris Stapleton, M ...

Background

In a press release, Rhett stated: "I wrote this song from the point of view of two people who are in love during senior year of high school, I envisioned them headed off to different schools and they're starting to understand that the moment the weather starts to change, they've got a 99-percent chance this relationship is not going to work. I know that myself and a lot of people have been there before, wishing the fireworks stage doesn't have to end."

Content

Carena Liptak of

ABC Audio ABC Audio is a radio syndicator, radio network and digital audio network in the United States. It is under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company, parent company of American Broadcasting Company (ABC), with satellite distribution being handle ...

wrote that the lyrics "follow a couple who are soaking up every minute of their summer love together, knowing that when the weather cools, so will their relationship." Chris Parton of ''Sounds Like Nashville'' described the storyline as "two lovers locked in a summer they'll never forget—but knowing all too well their time together will soon end".

Composition

The song includes instrumentation from a 14-piece string section as well as a piano melody. It is written in the key of

B major B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equi ...

, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

of 156 beats per minute.

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of ''

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 ...

'' opined that the track is "a nostalgic summer love song that stings just like it should".

Music video

The music video was released on December 3, 2021, and directed by P. Tracy. It described a story of "two young people holding on to the last moments of a summer together, as they prepare to embark on a new season apart". It features as Rhett plays the piano in different seasons.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2021 singles 2021 songs Thomas Rhett songs Songs written by Ashley Gorley Songs written by Sean Douglas (songwriter) Songs written by Jesse Frasure Songs written by Rhett Akins Songs written by Thomas Rhett Song recordings produced by Dann Huff Big Machine Records singles