‘Black’ Album: Listen As Dierks Bentley Talks To uDiscover Music
The country superstar reveals why he wanted to “take some risks and go for it” with his 2016 album ‘Black.’
Country superstar Dierks Bentley spoke to uDiscover Music about his sixth No. 1 album Black, the motivation behind it and how he had to “reboot my internal computer” in his music-making. You can listen to highlights of the interview in this Soundcloud clip.
Bentley’s biggest sales week
Released on 27 May 2016, Black debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s country album chart. It was his third in a row to do so, following 2012’s Home and Riser in 2014. Black entered the pop album listing at a career-best No. 2, its first-week performance representing the biggest sales week of Bentley’s career.
The star spoke to this writer in Nashville at Southern Ground, the studio owned by fellow country notable Zac Brown where he made some of the album. He noted that Black has some deliberately deep moments, including ‘Say You Do’ and the title track, which is inspired by the fact that his wife’s maiden name is Black.
But he also acknowledges that its lead single ‘Somewhere On A Beach,’ which topped both the country sales and airplay charts, was a lighter, more upbeat introduction. “I have this album full of songs I feel tell a really great story about being in a long-term relationship, the ups and downs,” he says.
“But the first single, man, should it be like this direct connector to that, or maybe [it] should be something that wipes the slate clean from the previous album, have some fun, get something going, hope that it goes well at radio and gets out there so you can back it up with some of those songs.” The second single ‘Different For Girls,’ featuring Elle King, went on to follow ‘Beach’ to the top of the country airplay chart.
“Off the merry-go-round”
Bentley also discussed how he recharged his creativity and “got off the merry-go-round” by making the bluegrass album Up On The Ridge in 2010. “It had zero potential of getting played on country radio,” he says, “but it really helped me kind of reset, reboot my own internal computer.”
Now, continued Bentley, “we’re really trying to make something special, and take some risks and go for it.”
Black can be bought here.
Follow the official Dierks Bentley Complete Collection playlist.
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