The Way It Feels is the second studio album by American country music duo Maddie & Tae. It was released on April 10, 2020.[1] It is a concept album and serves as the follow-up to their 2015 debut album Start Here.
| The Way It Feels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 10, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2019 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 48:52 | |||
| Label | Mercury Nashville | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Maddie & Tae chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Way It Feels | ||||
| ||||
Background
editAfter releasing their debut album in 2015 with Dot Records, the label announced that they would be shutting down in early 2017. At the time, the duo had already begun working on their second album.[2]
In June 2017, the duo announced that they had signed with Universal Music Group under their Mercury Nashville imprint.[3] Marlow revealed that they "started fresh" and got to work writing new songs for their sophomore record. By the summer of 2018, the duo revealed that the album had been completed and was awaiting a release date,[4] though "Bathroom Floor" was a track that ended up being added to the album in 2019.[5]
Prior to the release of their second album, the duo released two five-track EPs: One Heart to Another in April 2019 and Everywhere I'm Goin' in October 2019. All ten tracks appear on The Way It Feels.
Singles
edit"Friends Don't" was released on May 14, 2018, as the duo's first single off of their sophomore album.[6] The song served as their first single in two years and the first to be released under Mercury Nashville.
The album's second single, "Die from a Broken Heart," was released on October 20, 2018. Both singles had first appeared on the duo's EP One Heart to Another that was released in April 2019.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [7] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the duo "and their cast of supporting writers know how to sculpt tuneful, sincere country tunes and their harmonies aren't merely convincing, but prove a balm, sounding sweet and soulful even underneath the layers of gloss by producers Jimmy Robbins and Derek Wells."[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everywhere I'm Goin" |
| 3:28 |
| 2. | "Bathroom Floor" |
| 2:33 |
| 3. | "My Man" |
| 3:01 |
| 4. | "Tourist in This Town" |
| 3:25 |
| 5. | "Drunk or Lonely" |
| 3:43 |
| 6. | "One Heart to Another" |
| 3:38 |
| 7. | "Trying on Rings" |
| 3:05 |
| 8. | "Write a Book" |
| 3:26 |
| 9. | "Water in His Wine Glass" |
| 3:21 |
| 10. | "Die from a Broken Heart" |
| 3:29 |
| 11. | "Ain’t There Yet" |
| 2:58 |
| 12. | "Lay Here with Me" (featuring Dierks Bentley) |
| 3:08 |
| 13. | "Friends Don't" |
| 3:08 |
| 14. | "I Don't Need to Know" |
| 3:20 |
| 15. | "New Dog Old Tricks" |
| 3:09 |
| Total length: | 48:52 | ||
Personnel
editAdapted from the album's liner notes.[8]
- Musicians
- Derek Wells – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, B-3, mandolin
- Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo
- Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar
- Kris Donegan – electric guitar
- Russ Pahl – steel guitar
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar
- Tony Lucido – bass guitar
- Jerry Roe – drums
- Fred Eltringham – drums
- Evan Hutchings – drums
- David Dorn – piano, B-3, synth, Wurlitzer, keyboards
- Production
- Jimmy Robbins – producer, programming
- Derek Wells – producer
- Ben West – programming
- Ben Fowler – engineer
- Josh Ditty – assistant engineer
- Lowell Reynolds – assistant engineer
- Justin Neibank – mixing
- Dave Clauss – mixing ("My Man", "Drunk or Lonely")
- Ben Phillips – digital editing
- Buckley Miller – digital editing
- Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordination
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Imagery
- Karen Naff – art direction and design
- Carlos Rios – photography
- Amber Cannon – hair
- Neil Robison – makeup
- Tiffany Gifford – wardrobe stylist
- Kera Jackson – art production
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] | 86 |
| UK Country Albums (OCC)[10] | 8 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[11] | 37 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 74 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] | 7 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Freeman, John (February 4, 2020). "Maddie & Tae Detail New Album 'The Way It Feels'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Scott, Jason (November 10, 2019). "Heart-To-Heart: A Q&A With Maddie & Tae". American Songwriter. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Stefano, Angela (June 10, 2017). "Maddie & Tae Have Signed with UMG Nashville". The Boot. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Weatherby, Taylor (August 17, 2018). "How Maddie & Tae Overcame Label Drama to Write an Album About Love, Heartbreak & Redemption". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Ladd, Olivia (December 5, 2019). "Story Behind the Song: Maddie & Tae, 'Bathroom Floor'". The Boot. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ "Maddie & Tae Start An Evolution With Mercury Debut, 'Friends Don't'". Billboard. June 5, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "The Way It Feels - Maddie & Tae - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ The Way It Feels (booklet). Maddie & Tae. Mercury Nashville. 2020. B0031826-02.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- ^ "Maddie & Tae Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Maddie & Tae Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.