I'll Stay Me
I'll Stay Me is the debut studio album by American country music artist Luke Bryan. The album was released on August 14, 2007, Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced three singles with "All My Friends Say", "We Rode in Trucks", and "Country Man". The album has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
| I'll Stay Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 14, 2007 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 41:00 | |||
| Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
| Producer | Jeff Stevens | |||
| Luke Bryan chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I'll Stay Me | ||||
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Content
Prior to signing with Capitol Records as a recording artist, Luke Bryan co-wrote Billy Currington's late 2006-early 2007 single "Good Directions".[1]
Bryan made his debut as a singer with the single "All My Friends Say". Released in 2007, it peaked at number five on the Billboard country music charts.[2] Bryan co-wrote the song with Lonnie Wilson and Jeff Stevens, the latter of whom also produced the album. Following as singles were "We Rode in Trucks" and "Country Man". "We Rode in Trucks" is Bryan's lowest-charting single, reaching number 33 on Hot Country Songs.[2] "Country Man" peaked at number ten.[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Country Standard Time | favorable[1] |
Thom Jurek of AllMusic rated the album three stars out of five, stating that "Despite the calculating, swing for the fences nature of Bryan's debut, he is genuinely gifted, and executes nearly flawlessly."[3] Michael Sudhalter of Country Standard Time gave the album a mostly positive review, stating that Bryan "proves his versatility on an album that combines twangy vocals and fiddles with catchy melodies."[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Luke Bryan, with additional co-writers as noted, except "Pray About Everything" (written by Jeff Stevens and Bob Regan)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All My Friends Say" |
| 4:02 |
| 2. | "Baby's on the Way" |
| 3:20 |
| 3. | "The Car in Front of Me" |
| 3:40 |
| 4. | "Pray About Everything" | 3:16 | |
| 5. | "We Rode in Trucks" | 4:30 | |
| 6. | "I'll Stay Me" |
| 3:02 |
| 7. | "First Love Song" |
| 4:36 |
| 8. | "Country Man" |
| 3:10 |
| 9. | "Over the River" |
| 3:53 |
| 10. | "You Make Me Want To" |
| 3:29 |
| 11. | "Tackle Box" |
| 4:02 |
Personnel
- Mike Brignardello – bass guitar, tic tac bass
- Luke Bryan – lead vocals
- J. T. Corenflos – electric guitar, baritone guitar
- John Barlow Jarvis – piano, organ
- Jeff King – electric guitar
- Paul Leim – drums, percussion
- B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar
- Gordon Mote – piano, organ
- Mike Rojas – piano, organ, Wurlitzer
- Joe Spivey – fiddle, mandolin
- Russell Terrell – background vocals
Chart performance
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [8] | ||
| 2007 | "All My Friends Say" | 5 | 59 |
| "We Rode in Trucks" | 33 | — | |
| 2008 | "Country Man" | 10 | 74 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 561,000[10] |
References
- Sudhalter, Michael. "Luke Bryan - I'll Stay Me". Country Standard Time. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- "Luke Bryan Chart History - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- Jurek, Thom. "I'll Stay Me review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- "Luke Bryan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- "Luke Bryan Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- "Luke Bryan Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- "Luke Bryan Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- "American album certifications – Luke Bryan – I%27ll Stay Me". Recording Industry Association of America.
- Caulfield, Keith (May 1, 2015). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Luke Bryan's 'Party' Now His Biggest-Selling Album Ever". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 1, 2015.