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Higher (Chris Stapleton album)

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Higher
Studio album by
Chris Stapleton
ReleasedNovember 10, 2023 (2023-11-10)
StudioRCA Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length54:29
LabelMercury Nashville
Producer
Chris Stapleton chronology
Starting Over
(2020) 		Higher
(2023)
Singles from Higher
  1. "White Horse"
    Released: July 21, 2023
  2. "Think I'm in Love with You"
    Released: February 12, 2024

Higher is the fifth studio album by American musician Chris Stapleton, released through Mercury Nashville on November 10, 2023. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, Stapleton and his wife Morgane.[1] It was preceded by the lead single "White Horse".[2]

Background and recording

[edit]

The album was recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee, and additionally features producer Dave Cobb on acoustic and electric guitar and Stapleton's wife Morgane on backing vocals, synthesizer and tambourine, along with contributions from members of his touring band J.T. Cure and Derek Mixon, as well as Paul Franklin, and Lee Pardini.[3] A press release stated that the album "span[s] genres and def[ies] easy categorization",[4] while Uproxx described the album and lead single "White Horse" as "emotionally raw and brutally honest".[5]

The track "Loving You on My Mind" was previously recorded by Josh Turner on his 2010 album Haywire.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
American Songwriter[8]
Exclaim!7/10[9]
Paste7.7/10[10]
Slant Magazine[11]

Higher received a score of 76 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[6] Exclaim!'s Dylan Barnabe wrote that while the album "may not muster the same anthemic thunder of singles like 'Might as Well Get Stoned' (though 'White Horse' comes close), [...] it illustrates Stapleton's range and willingness to colour outside the lines", finding that "he's a little bit older and a little bit wiser, but Stapleton is still the same storyteller and he's still got things to say".[9] Alyssa Goldberg of Paste stated, "musically, Higher maintains the same high-caliber energy as Stapleton's previous work [...] However, lyrically Higher is more reserved" than his past work, concluding that "despite [the album's] lyrical shortcomings, Chris Stapleton still reigns high in the country genre and has delivered another admirable album".[10]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that "the heart of Higher resides in stark, intimate ballads and, especially, simmering soul numbers that rely as much on a supple groove as it does on Stapleton's gruff testifying".[7] Lorie Liebig of American Songwriter wrote that "although his sound is more varied than ever, the collection of songs feels cohesive. He's never been an artist too confined by genre lines, but Higher lets Stapleton roam free creatively".[8] John Amen of No Depression wrote, "Stapleton is at once adventurous and a proponent of the tried and true. With Higher, he navigates an array of intriguing sonics. As with previous outings, though, it's his voice — equal parts straight bourbon, aloe balm, Marlboro smoke, and Tupelo honey — that stands out and carries the day. You might call it irresistible, signature, even as it conjures the ghosts of country music's great progenitors."[12]

Slant Magazine's Thomas Bedenbaugh found "White Horse" to be "the best of the album's uptempo cuts, and largely due to its relative lyrical subtlety" as "most of the other songs on Higher are lyrically vague and repetitive in their fixation on the trials of broken, lonely men and the women in their lives".[11]

Track listing

[edit]
Higher track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Am I Gonna Do"
3:01
2."South Dakota"
4:41
3."Trust"
3:23
4."It Takes a Woman"
4:06
5."The Fire"
3:45
6."Think I'm in Love with You"C. Stapleton3:42
7."Loving You on My Mind"
3:29
8."White Horse"
4:27
9."Higher"C. Stapleton4:02
10."The Bottom"
  • C. Stapleton
  • Lee Miller
4:06
11."The Day I Die"
4:05
12."Crosswind"
  • C. Stapleton
  • Cobb
  • Mixon
  • Cure
3:23
13."Weight of Your World"
  • C. Stapleton
  • Tim Larsson
  • Tobias Lundgren
  • Johan Fransson
3:54
14."Mountains of My Mind"C. Stapleton4:25
Total length:54:29

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Chris Stapleton – lead vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 1–4, 6–11, 13), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 10–14), slide guitar (1, 2), 12-string acoustic guitar (3, 13), backing vocals (6–9), string arrangement (6)
  • J. T. Cure – bass guitar (1–13)
  • Derek Mixon – drums (1–13), shaker (1, 5, 6, 10, 13); bongos, triangle (5)
  • Dave Cobb – acoustic guitar (1, 3–6, 8–13), shaker (6, 10, 13), string arrangement (6), nylon-string guitar (7), 12-string acoustic guitar (13)
  • Morgane Stapleton – backing vocals (1, 3–5, 7, 8, 10–13), synthesizer (1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13), tambourine (1, 5–7, 10, 12)
  • Lee Pardini – piano (1, 3, 10, 11, 13), synthesizer (5, 13), Hammond B3 (6, 8–10, 13), Wurlitzer electric piano (9, 12, 13)
  • Sari Reist – cello (6)
  • Austin Hoke – cello (6)
  • Kevin Bate – cello (6)
  • Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangement (6)
  • Stephen Lamb – string arrangement (6)
  • Alicia Enstrom – violin (6)
  • David Angell – violin (6)
  • David Davidson – violin (6)
  • Janet Darnall – violin (6)
  • Jenny Bifano – violin (6)
  • Jung-Min Shin – violin (6)
  • Mary Van Osdale – violin (6)
  • Paul Franklin – pedal steel (9, 11–13)

Technical

  • Chris Stapleton – production
  • Morgane Stapleton – production
  • Dave Cobb – production
  • Pete Lyman – mastering
  • Vance Powell – mixing, engineering, immersive mix engineering, recording
  • Gena Johnson – recording, additional engineering
  • Koehn Terry – additional engineering, mixing assistance
  • Michael Fahey – additional engineering, mixing assistance
  • Daniel Bacigalupi – mastering assistance
  • Philip Smith – recording assistance

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Higher
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 13
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[14] 2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 29
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 61
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 2
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 7
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] 25
Irish Albums (IRMA)[20] 55
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] 4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[22] 32
Scottish Albums (OCC)[23] 12
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 22
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[26] 2
UK Country Albums (OCC)[27] 1
US Billboard 200[28] 3
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[29] 1

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Higher
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[30] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Announces New Album Higher, Shares First Single 'White Horse'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Rettig, James (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Announces New Album Higher: Hear "White Horse"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Releases 'White Horse,' the First Glimpse at Upcoming Album Higher". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Vito, Jo (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Announces New Album Higher, Shares "White Horse": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  5. ^ Pointer, Flisadam (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton's 'White Horse' Single Is Readying Fans For His Emotionally Raw And Brutally Honest Higher Album". Uproxx. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Higher by Chris Stapleton Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 9, 2023). "Chris Stapleton – Higher Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Liebig, Lorie (November 9, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Elevates His Sound Again with New Album Higher". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Barnabe, Dylan (November 8, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Is for Everyone on Higher". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Goldberg, Alyssa (November 9, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Arranges a Mosaic of Country Soul on Higher". Paste. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Bedenbaugh, Thomas (November 6, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Higher Review: A Country Album That Struggles to Take Off". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: Chris Stapleton Balances Adventure With Tried-and-True on 'Higher'". No Depression. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  13. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Hitparade der KW 46-2023". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Chris Stapleton – Higher" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  17. ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chris Stapleton – Higher" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chris Stapleton – Higher" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 17 November 2023". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  21. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  22. ^ "Album 2023 uke 46". VG-lista. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Chris Stapleton – Higher". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  25. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  26. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  27. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  28. ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  29. ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  30. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Chris Stapleton – Higher". Music Canada. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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