Reality (Kenny Chesney song)

"Reality" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney for his 2010 album Hemingway's Whiskey, from which it was released in October 2011 as the fifth single.^[1] The song became his twenty-first number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in early 2012.

Background and Writing

Co-written by Chesney with help from Brett James, he told Billboard magazine's Ray Waddell that got the idea to write the song in the dentist's chair, where he was sitting with a gas mask on. "There were a couple of years that I was so busy on the road I was kinda numb." Kenny replied. "I wasn't really tired, I wasn't really not tired, I wasn't really happy, I was just kind of numb. So, I'd go to the dentist to have something done and they'd put that gas mask on me and I'd be like, 'Wow, that's as relaxed as I've been in years!' I thought to myself, 'This is why people smoke pot right here! This is it!' I don't smoke pot, but this is why people do it, I guarantee you. Because it gets them away from reality. I even asked my dentist, 'I just want to come over here and sit some time, can you guys do that?' He said, 'We can't do that, we'd get in trouble.' I swear, I started writing that song on the way home. But then, I related it to everybody that comes to see us. That's what live music is. It's an escape from reality. That's why as a kid I loved it. I still love going to shows, I love live music. That's where I got the idea to write the song, it's my message to the fans that it's OK to break free and escape reality, with us."^[2]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five, saying that it "does and says all the right things" but "[fails] to capture the live energy that Chesney consistently inserted into uptempo hits in the past."^[3] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a B grade, saying that while it has a "strong concept", the delivery is "fairly flat." He goes on to say that the production "never takes off" and "keeps things a little too grounded in reality for it to actually sound like the escapism it celebrates.^[4]

Music video

The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered in October 2011.^[5]

Chart performance

"Reality" debuted at number 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 15, 2011.^[6] It also debuted at number 97 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of November 19, 2011 and number 96 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of December 17, 2011.

Chart (2011–12)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[7]	1
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	62
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[9]	77

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[10]	13

Preceded by "You Gonna Fly" by Keith Urban	Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single March 17, 2012	Succeeded by "Home" by Dierks Bentley

References

↑ Conaway, Alanna (October 14, 2011). "Kenny Chesney, 'Reality' – Lyrics Uncovered". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
↑ Waddell, Ray (August 20, 2011). "Kenny Chesney's 'Hemingway's Whiskey': Track-By-Track Preview". Billboard Magazine.
↑ Dukes, Billy (September 27, 2011). "Kenny Chesney, 'Reality' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
↑ Coyne, Kevin John (March 29, 2012). "Single Review: Kenny Chesney, "Reality"". Country Universe. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
↑ "CMT : Videos : Kenny Chesney : Reality". Country Music Television. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
↑ Morris, Edward (October 8, 2011). "Toby Keith Scores Top Song While Lady Antebellum Keep No. 1 Album Perch". Country Music Television. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
↑ "Kenny Chesney – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Kenny Chesney.
↑ "Kenny Chesney – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Kenny Chesney.
↑ "Kenny Chesney – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Kenny Chesney.
↑ "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Kenny Chesney singles

In My Wildest Dreams	"Whatever It Takes" "The Tin Man" "Somebody's Callin'"

All I Need to Know	"Fall in Love" "All I Need to Know" "Grandpa Told Me So"

Me and You	"Back in My Arms Again" "Me and You" "When I Close My Eyes"

I Will Stand	"She's Got It All" "A Chance" "That's Why I'm Here" "I Will Stand"

Everywhere We Go	"How Forever Feels" "You Had Me from Hello" "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" "What I Need to Do"

Greatest Hits	"I Lost It" "Don't Happen Twice" "The Tin Man" (re-release)

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems	"Young" "The Good Stuff" "A Lot of Things Different" "Big Star" "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"

When the Sun Goes Down	"There Goes My Life" "When the Sun Goes Down" (w/ Uncle Kracker) "I Go Back" "The Woman with You" "Anything but Mine" "Keg in the Closet"

The Road and the Radio	"Who You'd Be Today" "Living in Fast Forward" "Summertime" "You Save Me" "Beer in Mexico"

Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates	"Never Wanted Nothing More" "Don't Blink" "Shiftwork" (w/ George Strait) "Better as a Memory"

Lucky Old Sun	"Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" (w/ The Wailers) "Down the Road" (w/ Mac McAnally)

Greatest Hits II	"Out Last Night" "I'm Alive" (w/ Dave Matthews) "Ain't Back Yet"

Hemingway's Whiskey	"The Boys of Fall" "Somewhere with You" "Live a Little" "You and Tequila" (w/ Grace Potter) "Reality"

Welcome to the Fishbowl	"Feel Like a Rock Star" (w/ Tim McGraw) "Come Over" "El Cerrito Place"

Life on a Rock	"Pirate Flag" "When I See This Bar"

The Big Revival	"American Kids" "Til It's Gone" "Wild Child" (w/ Grace Potter) "Save It for a Rainy Day"

Cosmic Hallelujah	"Noise" "Setting the World on Fire" (w/ Pink) "Bar at the End of the World"

Guest singles	"Hey, Good Lookin'" (w/ Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait) "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" (w/ Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw) "Every Other Weekend" (w/ Reba McEntire)

See also	Discography "Back Where I Come From" "Baptism" "Some People Change" "Take Me There" "Turning Home"

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