If I'm Honest

If I'm Honest is the tenth studio album by American country music singer Blake Shelton. It was released on May 20, 2016 via Warner Bros. Nashville. The album was produced by Shelton's longtime producer Scott Hendricks and features collaborations with Gwen Stefani and The Oak Ridge Boys.[1]

If I'm Honest
Studio album by
Blake Shelton
ReleasedMay 20, 2016 (2016-05-20)
Recorded2016
GenreCountry
Length50:31
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
ProducerScott Hendricks
Blake Shelton chronology
Reloaded: 20 No. 1 Hits
(2015)		 If I'm Honest
(2016)		 Texoma Shore
(2017)
Singles from If I'm Honest
  1. "Came Here to Forget"
    Released: March 8, 2016
  2. "Savior's Shadow"
    Released: April 8, 2016
  3. "She's Got a Way with Words"
    Released: June 6, 2016
  4. "A Guy with a Girl"
    Released: September 26, 2016
  5. "Every Time I Hear That Song"
    Released: February 20, 2017

Background

According to Shelton the album is very personal and addresses his high and lows of 2015.[1]

One of the album's tracks, "Green", was previously included on Shelton's 2008 album Startin' Fires.

The album's tenth track "Friends", is the theme song to the 2016 film The Angry Birds Movie, which was released on the same day as the album. The song is also featured on its corresponding soundtrack.

Singles

"Came Here to Forget" is the album's first single, and it was released on March 8, 2016. The song debuted at number one on the Country Digital Chart and has sold 136,000 copies as of March 2016.[2][3]

The second album from the album, "Savior's Shadow", was released on April 8, 2016.[4] This song impacted Christian radio on April 11, 2016 in addition to the country format.[5]

"She's Got a Way with Words" was released on June 6, 2016 as the album's third overall and second promotional single.[6]

"A Guy with a Girl" became the album's fourth single on September 26, 2016.[7]

"Every Time I Hear That Song" was released as the fifth single on February 20, 2017.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic58/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Consequence of SoundC[10]
Entertainment WeeklyC[11]
Knoxville News Sentinel[12]
NewsdayB+[13]
Rolling Stone[14]

This album has a 58 Metascore from Metacritic utilizing five reviews, meaning it has been given mostly mixed reviews by critics.[8] AllMusic's own Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that the album "is at its core a balladeer's record, and Shelton pulls off these romance tunes with a sly, masculine grace that complements the album's sleek modern surfaces."[9] Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly states, "What's more: the album’s breezy Nashville-pop tunes never strike below the surface. Small wonder the toss-off songs seem more credible."[11] Rolling Stone's Keith Harris reported that "Shelton's warmly confident delivery makes those romantic twists and turns sound both lived in but universal".[14]

Glenn Gamboa of Newsday says, "But the bulk of 'If I’m Honest' is a mix of letting old relationships go and starting new ones."[13] In a review for the Los Angeles Times, Mikael Wood suggests in the home of country music, "the default setting is polished professionalism; rawness actually takes time. And here Shelton seldom pushes beyond that finesse to reach something less smooth."[15] Erik Ernst, writing for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, opines that "this disc's balance of modern verve, emotional introspection and country inflection is where Shelton is supposed to be."[16] In the review for Consequence of Sound, Janine Schaults responds with "Country pop star's post-breakup album flounders under too many glitzy, cheesy pop flourishes."[10] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel says that "Blake Shelton sounds more like a savvy marketer than any kind of artist".[12]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at No. 3 on U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 153,000 copies (170,000 album equivalent units) during its first week.[17] It also debuted at No. 1 the Top Country Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 23, 2016.[18] It became the eleventh best-selling album of 2016 in the United States with over 522,000 copies sold that year.[19] As of November 2017, the album has sold 627,300 copies in the U.S.[20]

Track listing
Standard edition[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Straight Outta Cold Beer"
2:45
2."She's Got a Way with Words"
3:11
3."Bet You Still Think About Me"
3:55
4."Every Time I Hear That Song"
3:35
5."Came Here to Forget"
3:40
6."Every Goodbye"
3:10
7."It Ain't Easy"
3:31
8."A Guy with a Girl"
3:10
9."Go Ahead and Break My Heart" (featuring Gwen Stefani)
4:25
10."Friends" (from The Angry Birds Movie)
3:03
11."One Night Girl"
3:41
12."Doing It to Country Songs" (featuring The Oak Ridge Boys)
3:02
13."Green"
  • George Teren
  • Wiseman
3:11
14."You Can't Make This Up"
3:30
15."Savior's Shadow"
2:42
Total length:50:31

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the standard edition of If I'm Honest.[21]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 627,300[20]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history
List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, editions, catalog number and reference
Region Date Format(s) Label Edition(s) Catalog number Ref
United States May 20, 2016 (2016-05-20)
Warner Bros. Nashville Standard [1]
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References
  1. Reuter, Annie (April 19, 2016). "Blake Shelton Reveals Album Cover, Gwen Stefani Song on 'If I'm Honest'". Taste of Country. Taste of Country Network.
  2. Asker, Jim (March 15, 2016). "Cole Swindell & Carrie Underwood Take Over Country Songs Charts". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  3. Bjorke, Matt (March 27, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart: March 29, 2016". Roughstock. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. "iTunes Store (US) - Music - Blake Shelton - Savior's Shadow - Single". iTunes Store (US). April 8, 2016. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  5. Roland, Tom (May 11, 2016). "Blake Shelton Steps Out of His Own Past With 'Savior's Shadow'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  6. "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 31, 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. http://headlineplanet.com/home/2016/09/19/blake-sheltons-next-single-guy-girl-impacts-country-radio-926/
  8. Metacritic (May 20, 2016). "Critic Reviews for I'f I'm Honest from Blake Shelton". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 20, 2016). "I'f I'm Honest – Blake Shelton | Review". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  10. Schaults, Janine (May 24, 2016). "Blake Shelton – If I'm Being Honest | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  11. Farber, Jim (May 20, 2016). "Blake Shelton's If I'm Honest: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  12. Campbell, Chuck (May 24, 2016). "Music review: Truth is elusive on Blake Shelton's 'Honest'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  13. Gamboa, Glenn (May 18, 2016). "'If I'm Honest' review: Blake Shelton opens up about his past, present love life". Newsday. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  14. Harris, Keith (May 20, 2016). "Blake Shelton's New Album: If I'm Honest". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  15. Wood, Mikael (May 20, 2016). "Review: Blake Shelton could use more truth on the too-polished 'If I'm Honest'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  16. Ernst, Erik (May 20, 2016). "Album Reviews: Bob Dylan, Ariana Grande, Eric Clapton, Blake Shelton". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  17. Caulfield, Keith (May 29, 2016). "Drake's 'Views' Still No. 1 on Billboard 200, Ariana Grande and Blake Shelton Debut at Nos. 2 & 3". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  18. "American album certifications – Blake Shelton – If I'm Honest". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  19. Grein, Paul (December 20, 2016). "The Top-Selling Albums of 2016". Yahoo Music!.
  20. Bjorke, Matt (November 13, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: November 13, 2017". Roughstock.
  21. If I'm Honest (international deluxe edition liner notes). Blake Shelton. Warner Bros. Nashville. 2016.CS1 maint: others (link)
  22. "Australiancharts.com – Blake Shelton – If I'm Honest". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  23. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Country Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 16, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  24. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  25. "Charts.nz – Blake Shelton – If I'm Honest". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  26. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  27. "Blake Shelton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  28. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  29. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  30. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  31. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
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