"Without You" is a song written by Joe West and Dave Pahanish[2] and recorded by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released in February 2011 as the second single from Urban's 2010 album Get Closer. The song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[3]
| "Without You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Keith Urban | ||||
| from the album Get Closer | ||||
| Released | 7 February 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joe West Dave Pahanish[2] | |||
| Producer(s) | Dann Huff Keith Urban | |||
| Keith Urban singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
This song should not be confused with another song of the same title that Urban had recorded on his Australian self-titled 1991 debut album.
Background
editUrban described the song as his "life story" and considered it "an amazing song that [he] would have never allowed [himself] to write."[4]
Content
edit"Without You" is a ballad in which the narrator says that his life would not have any meaning without his lover. This song is set in the key of A-flat major and is accompanied mainly by acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle. It has a main chord pattern of A♭-A♭/G♭-D♭sus2/F-D♭ and a vocal range from E♭3 to F4.[5]
Critical reception
editMatt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song five stars out of five, citing it a song that "suits Keith Urban and his life with wife Nicole Kidman."[6] Blake Boldt of Engine 145 gave the song a "thumbs down," stating that Urban is "at his best when exploring heart's aches and pains," and saying that it "lacks the excitement of past hits."[7]
Music video
editThe video for the song was directed by Chris Hicky. Filmed entirely in black-and-white, it shows Urban performing the song while seated on a stool in an empty bedroom, while home footage of his personal and professional life is shown projected onto the background. Keith would use this same setup (complete with black-and-white lighting) for his performance of the song at the 2011 ACM Awards.
Chart performance
edit"Without You" debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for the week of 19 February 2011.[8] It also debuted at number 95 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of 26 March 2011.
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 39 |
| Canada Country (Billboard)[10] | 2 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] | 69 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 52 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[14] | 29 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[15] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "Get Closer - Keith Urban". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ a b Morris, Edward (23 June 2011). "Keith Urban Celebrates No. 1 "Without You" With Writers Dave Pahanish, Joe West". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ Billboard Hot Country Songs
- ^ Keith Urban Says 'Without You' is His 'Life Story'/
- ^ "'Without You' sheet music". MusicNotes.com. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (31 January 2011). "Keith Urban — "Without You"". Roughstock. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ Boldt, Blake (15 February 2011). "Keith Urban — "Without You"". Engine 145. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ Billboard Hot Country Songs – 19 February 2011
- ^ "Keith Urban – Without You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Keith Urban – Without You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 August 2019.