"Prayed for You" is a song recorded by American country music singer Matt Stell. It is his debut single and appears on his debut extended play Everywhere but On. Stell co-wrote the song with Ash Bowers, with whom he co-produced it, and Allison Veltz.
| "Prayed for You" | ||||
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| Single by Matt Stell | ||||
| from the EP Everywhere but On | ||||
| Released | May 28, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Matt Stell singles chronology | ||||
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Content
editStell wrote the song with Allison Veltz and Ash Bowers. According to Stell, Veltz presented himself and Ash with the lyric "Didn’t know you from Adam, it was more than I could fathom, but I prayed for you" when the two were waiting for Bowers to arrive at a writing session. He told the site PopCulture.com that "We took off from there, and kind of infused it with our own relationship experiences, and not only relationships; the song is about a relationship, but it's also about persevering, in anything, whether it's school, work, family, just hanging in there long enough to allow good things to happen."[1] The song appears on Stell's debut EP, Everywhere but On.[2]
Critical reception
editIn Digital Journal, Markos Papadatos wrote that, "Stell’s song is meaningful and its lyrics are pure poetry."[3] Robert K. Oermann of MusicRow gave the single a mixed review, stating that "The winsome song is well crafted, and he sings with gusto. The paint-by-numbers production does nothing for me."[4]
Commercial performance
edit"Prayed for You" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart dated October 12, 2019.[5] It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on September 18, 2019.[6] The song has sold 134,000 copies in the United States as of December 2019.[7]
Music video
editThe music video for the song first premiered at People on July 9, 2018[8] and stars reality TV star Savannah Chrisley and her fiancé, hockey player Nic Kerdiles.
A man in his pickup truck (played by Nic), parked at a church, glances one last time at a photo of him and his ex-girlfriend, before swiftly tossing it out his window. The pastor of the church soon comes out and greets him, and a woman inside (played by Savannah) greets him as well. The pastor instructs the two what needs to be cleaned in the church and leaves. Soon after they begin cleaning, however, the two begin flirting by throwing rags at each other (as well as spraying one another). When the pastor walks in to check on them, the two have thrown rags all over the church, making a mess. The pastor walks away with a stern expression on his face.
The two soon finish cleaning, with the pastor thanking the man, and drive off in the man's pickup truck, holding hands. Later in the evening, the two head to a Matt Stell concert, still holding hands, where he is performing the song. When it ends, the two kiss.
Charts
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Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[16] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Gayle Thompson (August 26, 2019). "Matt Stell Reveals Story Behind Debut Single, 'Prayed for You' (Exclusive)". PopCulture.com. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ Julia Despres (July 12, 2019). "Matt Stell Reflects as 'Prayed for You' Climbs the Charts: 'All of This Has Been Quite a Trip'". People. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ "Review: Matt Stell charms on 'Prayed For You' country single". Digital Journal. March 9, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "DISClaimer: Luke Combs, Brandon Ratcliff Debut Top New Tunes". MusicRow. May 2, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ Asker, Jim (October 7, 2019). "Matt Stell's 'Prayed For You' Becomes First Debut Country Airplay Chart No. 1 This Year". Billboard.
- ^ "American single certifications – Matt Stell – Pray for You". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (December 8, 2019). "Top 30 Digital Country Tracks - Pure Sales: December 9, 2019". Rough Stock. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (9 July 2018). "Savannah Chrisley Stars in Her First Music Video (with Her Boyfriend!) After Dad Todd's Approval". People. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ "Matt Stell Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Matt Stell, Hot 100, Prayed for You". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update: October 7, 2019" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update: October 14, 2019" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. October 18, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ "Country Airplay – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Matt Stell – Prayed for You". Music Canada. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Matt Stell – Prayed for You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 22, 2022.