Games (Luke Bryan song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Games

| cover =

| alt =

| type = Promotional single

| artist = Luke Bryan

| album = Spring Break...Checkin' Out

| released = {{Start date|2015|2|24}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length = 2:56

| label = Capitol Nashville

| writer = {{hlist|Luke Bryan|Ashley Gorley}}

| producer = Jeff Stevens

}}

"Games" is a song performed by American country music artist Luke Bryan from his seventh extended play Spring Break...Checkin' Out (2015). It was written by Bryan and Ashley Gorley. First released to digital retailers on February 24, 2015 as the first promotional single off the EP, the song later received airplay on country radio.{{cite web|title=Amazon.com: Games: Luke Bryan: MP3 Downloads|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TK94KNK|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=3 April 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403194357/http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TK94KNK|archivedate=3 April 2015}}

Content

"Games" is a mid-tempo country song about the frustration of people that the narrator cares about "playing games" rather than being upfront about their feelings.{{cite news|last1=Paxman|first1=Bob|title=Spring Break . . . Checkin' Out by Luke Bryan|url=http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/spring-break-checkin-out-luke-bryan|accessdate=3 April 2015|work=Country Weekly|publisher=American Media, Inc.|date=16 March 2015}}{{cite news|author1=Taste of Country Staff|title=Album Spotlight: Luke Bryan, 'Spring Break … Checkin' Out' Read More: Album Spotlight: Luke Bryan, 'Spring Break … Checkin' Out'|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/luke-bryan-spring-break-checkin-out/|accessdate=3 April 2015|work=Taste of Country|publisher=Townsquare Media|date=10 March 2015}} The song has been praised by critics such as Bob Paxman at Country Weekly for departing from the "party" theme of Bryan's spring break releases and dealing maturely with the topic.

Commercial reception

Despite not being officially promoted as a radio single by his label, "Games" was the ninth-most-added song on country radio for the week of March 16, 2015.{{cite news|last1=Bjorke|first1=Matt|title=The Most-Added Country Songs at Country Radio: March 16, 2015|url=http://roughstock.com/news/2015/03/33611-added-country-songs-country-radio-march-16-2015/|accessdate=3 April 2015|work=Roughstock|publisher=Cheri Media|date=16 March 2015}} "Games" debuted on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 25 and on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart at number 46 for the week of March 14, 2015.{{cite magazine|title=Chart Search|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f%5b0%5d=ts_chart_artistname%3ALuke%20Bryan&f%5b1%5d=ss_chart_search_title%3A%2AGames%2A&f%5b2%5d=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=1&artist=Luke%20Bryan&title=Games|magazine=Billboard – "Games" for Luke Bryan|accessdate=3 April 2015}} It also debuted from unsolicited airplay for the week of March 21, 2015, at number 57 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart.{{cite magazine|last1=Trust|first1=Gary|title=Chart Highlights: 'Loud' & Proud, Ed Sheeran Tops All Three Pop, Adult Airplay Charts|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6495056/chart-highlights-loud-proud-ed-sheeran-tops-all-three-pop-adult|accessdate=9 March 2015|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=9 March 2015}} "Games" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 97 for the week of March 28, 2015. The song has sold 293,000 copies in the US as of August 2015.{{cite news|url =http://roughstock.com/news/2015/08/37085-top-30-digital-country-singles-chart-for-august-18-2015|title = The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: August 28, 2015|author = Matt Bjorke|date = August 28, 2015}}

Chart performance

class="wikitable sortable"

!align="left"|Chart (2015)

!align="center"|Peak
position

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col"\|Chart (2015) !scope="col"\|Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=http://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/country_update_1214.pdf\|title=Billboard Country Update for December 14, 2015\|page=7\|date=December 14, 2015\|magazine=Billboard\|publisher=Prometheus Global Media\|accessdate=December 15, 2015}} \| align="center" \| 95
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite magazine \| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/hot-country-songs \| title=Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs \| magazine=Billboard \| publisher=Prometheus Global Media \| date=2015 \| accessdate=December 9, 2015}} \| align="center" \| 68

class="wikitable sortable"

scope="col"|Chart (2015)

!scope="col"|Position

US Country Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/country_update_1214.pdf|title=Billboard Country Update for December 14, 2015|page=7|date=December 14, 2015|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=December 15, 2015}}

| align="center" | 95

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/hot-country-songs | title=Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | date=2015 | accessdate=December 9, 2015}}

| align="center" | 68

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States |award=Gold |title=Games |type=single |artist=Luke Bryan |relyear=2015 |certyear=2019 |accessdate=October 10, 2019|refname="RIAA cert"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true | nosales=true}}

References

Category:2015 songs

Category:Luke Bryan songs

Category:Capitol Records Nashville singles

Category:Songs written by Luke Bryan

Category:Songs written by Ashley Gorley