It Don't Hurt Like It Used To

"It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released to radio on February 8, 2016 as the third single from his 2015 album, Summer Forever. Currington wrote this song with Cary Barlowe and Shy Carter.

"It Don't Hurt Like It Used To"
Single by Billy Currington
from the album Summer Forever
Released	February 8, 2016 (2016-02-08)
Recorded	2015
Genre	Country
Length	3:05
Label	Mercury Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Billy Currington Cary Barlowe Shy Carter
Producer(s)	Dann Huff
Billy Currington singles chronology
"Drinkin' Town with a Football Problem" (2015) "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" (2016) "Do I Make You Wanna" (2016)

Background

"It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" is the only song that Currington co-wrote on his Summer Forever album.[1] According to Currington, he happened to visit his friends Barlowe and Carter: "Cary and I picked up guitars at the same time and played basically the same chord, and the next thing you know, we were writing the song."[2] He said, "I remember I just started saying all the words that you hear in the beginning of the song, they just started falling out. Shy was like, ‘What was that, man?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, it’s just coming out.’ So we wrote ’em down, and then I guess within an hour the song had basically written itself."[3]

The song is about the breakup of a relationship. According to Currington, the line "But you drug my heart through the Alabama dirt" was inspired by a past relationship.[2]

Commercial performance

The song first entered Country Airplay at No. 59 for the chart of February 20, 2016 on its radio release.[4] It entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 49 on chart dated April 16, 2016.[5] In October 2016, it reached No. 1 on Country Airplay, his tenth No. 1 on that chart, and it remained in that spot for two consecutive weeks.[6] It has sold 332,000 copies in the United States as of January 2017.[7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8]	77
Canada Country (Billboard)[9]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	44
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12]	3

Year end charts

Chart (2016)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[13]	16
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[14]	31

References

1. Dukes, Billy (January 25, 2016). "ToC Critic's Pick: Billy Currington, 'It Don't Hurt Like It Used To' [Listen]". Taste of Country.
2. Allers, Hannahlee (January 26, 2016). "Billy Currington Shares New Single, 'It Don't Hurt Like It Used To' [LISTEN]". The Boot.
3. Wolff, Kurt (June 1, 2015). "Billy Currington on New Album 'Summer Forever': 'It Fits the Way I Live My Life'". Radio.com.
4. "Country Airplay". Billboard. February 20, 2016.
5. "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. April 16, 2015.
6. Asker, Jim (November 4, 2016). "Luke Bryan and Billy Currington Reap New No. 1s on Country Charts".
7. Bjorke, Matt (January 3, 2017). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: January 3, 2017". Roughstock.
8. "Billy Currington Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
9. "Billy Currington Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
10. "Billy Currington Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
11. "Billy Currington Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
12. "Billy Currington Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
13. "Country Airplay: Year End 2016". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
14. "Hot Country Songs: Year End 2016". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 5, 2017.