Damn Strait
{{short description|2021 single by Scotty McCreery}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Damn Strait
| cover = Damn Strait.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Scotty McCreery
| album = Same Truck
| released = October 18, 2021
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Country
| length = 3:50
| label = Triple Tigers
| writer =
| producer =
- Frank Rogers
- Aaron Eshuis
- Derek Wells
| prev_title = You Time
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = It Matters to Her
| next_year = 2022
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|uuSftOLsCkk|"Damn Strait"}}}}
}}
"Damn Strait" is a song by American country music singer Scotty McCreery. It was released on October 18, 2021, as the second single from his fifth studio album Same Truck. The song was written by Jim Collins and Trent Tomlinson, and produced by Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis, and Derek Wells.{{cite web|url=https://themusicuniverse.com/scotty-mccreery-releases-damn-strait/|title=Scotty McCreery releases 'Damn Strait'|work=The Music Universe|last=Iahn|first=Buddy|date=September 14, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}
Background
"Damn Strait" is a tribute to country music singer George Strait.{{cite web|url=https://musicmayhemmagazine.com/scotty-mccreery-tributes-the-king-of-country-music-george-strait-on-upcoming-new-song-damn-strait/|title=Scotty McCreery Tributes The 'King Of Country Music' George Strait On Upcoming New Song "Damn Strait"|work=Music Mayhem Magazine|date=August 14, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}} McCreery told Everything Nash the story behind the song: "I was writing songs left and right, we had the songs put on there, but for me, when I heard a song 'Damn Strait', I immediately raised my hand and said, 'Me, me, me.' It's such a cool song. It's so cleverly written. And obviously I'm a massive George Strait fan. It just sounded so much like me."{{cite web|url=https://www.everythingnash.com/scotty-mccreery-shares-the-story-behind-damn-strait-exclusive/|title=Scotty McCreery Shares the Story Behind 'Damn Strait' [EXCLUSIVE]|work=Everything Nash|date=September 14, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}} When talking about Strait, McCreery said in a press release: "I grew up as a huge George Strait fan, and when I heard this song, I raised my hand to say, 'I want this one.' Every country fan has a George Strait story, and everyone has a memory attached to their favorite songs."{{cite web|url=https://countrynow.com/listen-scotty-mccreery-gives-nod-to-george-strait-in-damn-strait-single/|title=LISTEN: Scotty McCreery Gives Nod to George Strait in 'Damn Strait' Single|work=Country Now|last=O'Connell|first=Madeleine|date=September 16, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}
Content
Aaron Ryan of Whiskey Riff described the song as "a heartbreaker that tells the story of a relationship gone bad – a relationship that, like many in the '80s and '90s, was filled with George Strait tunes as its soundtrack."{{cite web|url=https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2021/09/16/scotty-mccreery-releases-damn-strait-a-tribute-to-the-king-and-the-painful-memories-of-a-love-gone-wrong/|title=Scotty McCreery Releases "Damn Strait," A Tribute To The King And The Painful Memories Of A Love Gone Wrong|work=Whiskey Riff|last=Ryan|first=Aaron|date=September 16, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}} Lauren Boisvert of Outsider wrote that it is "a picture of a relationship ended and the scars that music can leave on you when you associate it with a certain time or person in your life" that quotes the George Strait songs "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" (1986), "Marina del Rey" (1982), "Blue Clear Sky" (1996), "Give It Away" (2006), "I Hate Everything" (2004), and "Baby Blue" (1988).{{cite web|url=https://outsider.com/news/country-music/scotty-mccreery-releases-tribute-george-strait-damn-strait-listen-now/|title=Scotty McCreery Releases Tribute to George Strait 'Damn Strait,' Listen Now|work=Outsider|last=Boisvert|first=Lauren|date=September 16, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}
Critical reception
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country called the title "clever" and McCreery's delivery "warm and personal", writing that the "twist on the phrase 'Damn Strait' [...] takes this song to a new level."{{cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/scotty-mccreery-damn-strait/|title=Scotty McCreery Has Beef With King George in 'Damn Strait' [Listen]|work=Taste of Country|last=Dukes|first=Billy|date=October 19, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}
Music video
The music video premiered on February 8, 2022. It was directed by Jeff Ray and filmed at the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, a venue frequently played by Strait in his early career before he signed his record deal.{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1841088/scotty-mccreery-shares-george-strait-approved-video-for-damn-strait/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306094026/http://www.cmt.com/news/1841088/scotty-mccreery-shares-george-strait-approved-video-for-damn-strait/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 6, 2022|title=Scotty McCreery Shares George Strait-Approved Video for "Damn Strait"
|author=Cindy Watts|date=February 9, 2022|publisher=CMT|accessdate=June 17, 2022}}
Live performance
On October 19, 2021, McCreery performed the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show.{{cite web|url=https://musicmayhemmagazine.com/watch-scotty-mccreery-perform-damn-strait-on-the-kelly-clarkson-show/|title=Watch Scotty McCreery Perform "Damn Strait" On 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'|work=Music Mayhem Magazine|date=October 19, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}
Chart performance
"Damn Strait" peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated July 23, 2022, holding that position for three weeks and becoming McCreery's fifth consecutive number one single on that chart. In addition, it peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first Top 40 single on that chart since his debut single "I Love You This Big" peaked at number 11 in 2011.
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Damn Strait" ! scope="col"| Chart (2021–2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|Canada|56|artist=Scotty McCreery|rowheader=true|access-date=July 26, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadacountry|2|artist=Scotty McCreery|rowheader=true|access-date=July 6, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|32|artist=Scotty McCreery|rowheader=true|access-date=August 2, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcountryairplay|1|artist=Scotty McCreery|rowheader=true|access-date=July 19, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|6|artist=Scotty McCreery|rowheader=true|access-date=June 21, 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for "Damn Strait" ! Chart (2022) ! Position |
| scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/hot-100-songs/|title=Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2022|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 2, 2022}}
| 93 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Country Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Country Airplay – Year-End 2022|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/country-airplay-songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 1, 2022}}
| 4 |
| scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2022|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/hot-country-songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 1, 2022}}
| 21 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Damn Strait"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|award=Platinum|artist=Scotty McCreery|title=Damn Strait|relyear=2021|certyear=2023|accessdate=May 4, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true | noshipments=true | streaming=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history for "Damn Strait" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"| Various
| September 17, 2021 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | rowspan="2"| Triple Tigers | {{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Damn-Strait/dp/B099Y9FRXK|title=Damn Strait - Scotty McCreery|via=Amazon|access-date=December 5, 2021}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| United States
| October 18, 2021 |