First Taste of Gone
{{short description|2022 single by Josh Ross}}
{{infobox song
| name = First Taste of Gone
| artist = Josh Ross
| album =
| type = single
| cover = First Taste of Gone.webp
| border =
| recorded =
| studio =
| released = {{start date|2022|02|12}}
| format =
| label = {{hlist|The Core|Universal Canada}}
| length = {{duration|m=2|s=52}}
| genre = Country
| writer = {{hlist|Josh Ross|Mason Thornley}}
| producer = Matt Geroux
| chronology = Josh Ross singles
| prev_title = If You Were a Song
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = On a Different Night
| next_year = 2022
| misc =
}}
"First Taste of Gone" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country artist Josh Ross. He co-wrote the track with Mason Thornley,{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/first-taste-of-gone-mw0003734499|title=Josh Ross - First Taste of Gone|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 26, 2022}} while Matt Geroux produced it.{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/3K8GylZf6YCpFCUVG6UCJg|title=First Taste of Gone - Single by Josh Ross|date=February 12, 2022|work=Spotify|access-date=July 26, 2022}} The song was initially released independently before Ross signed with The Core Entertainment and Universal Music Canada, who took over promotion of the single.{{cite web|url=
https://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/universal-music-canada-signs-fast-rising-country-artist-josh-ross/|title=UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA SIGNS FAST RISING COUNTRY ARTIST JOSH ROSS|work=Universal Music Canada|date=April 13, 2022|access-date=July 22, 2022}}
Background
On a Monday night, Ross learned that his producer had become unavailable for the next two days due to contracting COVID-19. As a result, he pushed his recording session that was slated for a different song to the Thursday that week. That night, he and co-writer Mason Thornley elected to write a new song with their newfound time and decided to pursue the title "First Taste of Gone", which they had attempted to use earlier that year. They wrote the song in 45 minutes, which Ross stated was much quicker than usual for him.{{cite web|url=https://www.upstarmusiconline.com/post/josh-ross-showcases-pure-vocals-in-single-first-taste-of-gone|title=Josh Ross Showcases Pure Vocals In Single "First Taste of Gone" |date=June 5, 2022|first=Jamie|last=Shoemaker|work=Upstar Music|access-date=July 26, 2022}} The lyric "you're 700 miles away, moving on, and I'm sitting here missing you" is based on the approximate distance from Ross' hometown of Waterdown, Ontario to his current residence of Nashville, Tennessee, for which Ross has an arm tattoo that reads "700 mi."{{cite web|url=https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/music/opinion/2023/06/01/waterdown-native-josh-ross-on-the-country-music-fast-track.html|title=Waterdown native Josh Ross on the country music fast-track|first=Graham|last=Rockingham|date=June 1, 2023|work=Hamilton Spectator|access-date=June 12, 2023}}
Ross co-wrote the song at a time in his life where he was "going through a lot" with many changes in his personal life. It was inspired by a moment where Ross realized that a past relationship would not work out, to which Thornley slid a drink to Ross across a table at a bar and said "here's your first taste of gone".{{cite web|url=https://beyondjames.com/joshross/|title=First Taste of Gone One of Many In Year of Firsts for Waterdown Musician|work=Beyond James|date=June 10, 2023|access-date=June 12, 2023}} He cited thinking of "that moment where you have to go out again without that person," and having a "weird feeling" thinking "'well, I don’t have to call someone when I go home tonight' or 'she's not going to be there.'"{{cite web|url=https://countryswag.com/who-is-josh-ross-the-story-behind-his-journey-to-country-music/|title=Who Is Josh Ross? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music|first=Erica|last=Zisman|work=CountrySwag|date=March 22, 2022}} On social media platform TikTok, he revealed that the song was inspired by a girl he was previously with, and the moment he realized she was not coming back.{{cite web|url=https://frontporchmusic.ca/music/josh-ross-first-taste-of-gone/|title=Josh Ross Shares His "First Taste Of Gone" In New Single|first=Jenna|last=Weishar|work=Front Porch Music|date=April 11, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2022}} He stated that he felt the song showcased a different side of him, "emotionally and vocally", to his listeners.{{cite web|url=https://www.raisedrowdy.com/2022/02/10/exclusive-premiere-josh-ross-shares-emotional-story-in-first-taste-of-gone/|title=Exclusive Premiere: Josh Ross Shares Emotional Story in 'First Taste of Gone'|first=Nick|last=Tressler|date=February 10, 2022|work=Raised Rowdy|access-date=July 26, 2022}}
Critical reception
Erica Zisman of CountrySwag favourably reviewed "First Taste of Gone", calling it a "heartbreaker" that "depicts the feelings we all go through when we finally get to the point, where a relationship is truly over". She described it as Ross' first "true ballad," adding that it "has everything a song needs to stand the test of time," and "fans would fall in love with [it]".{{cite web|url=https://countryswag.com/josh-ross-new-song-first-taste-of-gone/|title=Josh Ross Releases Personal New Song "First Taste of Gone"|date=February 11, 2022|first=Erica|last=Zisman|work=CountrySwag}} Jenna Weishar of Front Porch Music stated that the track "captures the heartbreak element", positively noting that it could have taken a bigger instrumental angle, but instead, "the broken down simplicity of the piano and raw vocal just drives the story so thoughtfully". Nick Tressler of Raised Rowdy stated that the song could provide the listener "a little reprieve from some pain you felt in your life," adding that "lost love in any form can be extremely tough to deal with, but with a song like this you can find a way to start to find that closure and end to the pain".
Commercial performance
"First Taste of Gone" debuted at number 48 on the Billboard Canada Country chart for the week of March 12, 2022, marking Ross's first charting radio single.{{cite magazine |url= http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=36|title=Billboard Canada Country National Airplay - Week of March 12, 2022|date=March 9, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313000835/http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=36|archivedate=March 13, 2022|magazine=Billboard |accessdate=June 7, 2023}} It later peaked at number five for the week of July 30, 2022, after 21 weeks on the chart. The song also peaked at number 54 on the all-genre Canadian Hot 100 for the same week, after initially debuting two weeks prior at number 72.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/canadian-hot-100/2022-07-16|title= BILLBOARD CANADIAN HOT 100 - Week of July 16|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 7, 2023|url-access=subscription}} It has been certified Platinum by Music Canada.
Accolades
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Association !Category !Result !Ref |
| 2023
| Country Music Association of Ontario | Single of the Year | {{nom}} |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/first-taste-of-gone-mw0003734499/credits|title=First Taste of Gone - Josh Ross, Credits|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 26, 2022}}
{{div col}}
- Matt Geroux – mixing, production, programming, recording
- Kevin Post – guitar
- Josh Ross – composition, primary vocals
- Ben Schuller – keyboards
- Dan Shike – master engineering
- Mason Thornley – composition
{{div col end}}
Music video
Ross filmed a live performance video of "First Taste of Gone" for the SiriusXM "Top of the Country" contest which premiered on August 31, 2022.{{cite web|title=Josh Ross - First Taste of Gone (SiriusXM Top Of The Country Live Performance / 2022)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y17Ou4i7dOQ|website=YouTube|date=August 31, 2022|format=video|accessdate=September 22, 2022}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Chart performance for "First Taste of Gone" ! Chart (2022) ! Peak |
| scope="row"| Canada (Canadian Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/canadian-hot-100/2022-07-30|title= BILLBOARD CANADIAN HOT 100 - Week of July 30|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=July 26, 2022|url-access=subscription}}
| 54 |
|---|
| scope="row"| Canada Country (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/canada-country/2022-07-30|title=Canada Country chart for July 30, 2022|magazine=Billboard|url-access=subscription|accessdate=July 26, 2022}}
| 5 |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=Canada |award=Platinum|type=single |artist=Josh Ross|title=First Taste of Gone|certyear=2023|certmonth=11 |access-date=November 27, 2023| refname=MC certs}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true | noshipments=true | streaming=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Josh Ross}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Josh Ross
Category:Songs written by Mason Thornley