''Southern Gravity'' is the debut solo 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

Kristian Bush Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim (band), Billy Pi ...

, one half of the duo

Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, when Kristen Hall (vocals, gu ...

. It was released on April 7, 2015 via Streamsound Records

Content

Bush revealed the track list and title of the album on January 28, 2015. In an interview with ''

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 ...

'', he said, "I want people to go, 'I had no idea!' Using my voice is something I've shied away from, and I can't believe what a tool it is." Jon Freeman of ''

Country Weekly ''Country Weekly'' (known as ''Nash Country Weekly'' from 2015–16) was an American magazine about country music. It was in circulation between April 1994 and May 2016. The publisher, Cumulus Media, now maintains the site Nash Country Daily. O ...

'' described the album's content as "a remarkably positive album…with only 'House on the Beach' alluding to an air of exhaustion and 'Feeling Fine California' occurring in the bewildering in the aftermath of a breakup. In large part, the songs are as sunny and personable as the man who wrote and recorded them." Marrissa Moss of ''Rolling Stone'' noted influences of

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...

Zac Brown Band Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini (fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, ukulele, ...

, and

Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...

in Bush's work for the album. The album's first single is "

Trailer Hitch A tow hitch (or tow bar or trailer hitch in North America) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing, or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear. It can take the form of a tow ball to allow swiveling and articulation of a trailer, ...

". Bush co-wrote all 12 songs, and co-produced the album with Tom Tapley;

Byron Gallimore Byron Gallimore (born in Puryear, Tennessee) is an American record producer known for his work in the field of country music. He has worked with artists Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sugarland, Lee Ann Womack, and Jo Dee Messina. Faith Hill's 1999 albu ...

is the album's

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

Critical reception

Sarah Rodman of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' reviewed the album favorably, saying that Bush "offer up a collection of catchy radio-ready tunes that don’t go too heavy on the gloss and play up his rootsy leanings" and "Bush takes center stage behind the microphone for the first time and shows off his pleasantly gritty vocals as he waxes mostly chipper about life, love, and what it all means." Giving it a B+, Bob Paxman of ''Country Weekly'' wrote that "overall, you’ll be drawn to the good and positive vibes, delivered with Kristian’s laid-back but soulful style, unbelievably catchy melodies and warm sentiments. "

Track listing

Chart performance

The album debuted on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

at 160 and the Top Country Albums chart at No. 16, selling 3,700 copies for the week in the US. Sales figure give
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Album

Singles

References

{{Authority control 2015 debut albums Albums produced by Kristian Bush Kristian Bush albums Streamsound Records albums