Kill a Word
{{Infobox song
| name = Kill a Word
| cover = Kill A word.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens
| album = Mr. Misunderstood
| released = {{Start date|2016|08|29}}
| recorded =2015
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=20}}
| label = EMI Nashville
| writer = {{hlist|Eric Church|Luke Dick|Jeff Hyde}}
| producer = Jay Joyce
| chronology = Eric Church
| prev_title = Record Year
| prev_year = 2016
| next_title = Round Here Buzz
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Rhiannon Giddens
| type = single
| prev_title = Lay Your Money Down
| prev_year = 2012
| title = Kill a Word
| year = 2016
| next_title = Come Sunday
| next_year = 2016
}}
}}
"Kill a Word" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church as a duet with American musician Rhiannon Giddens. It was released in August 2016 as the third single from Church's 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood. Church wrote this song with Luke Dick and Jeff Hyde.
Content
The song is about the power and importance of words, and wanting to "kill" words with negative meanings, such as "hate."{{cite web|url=http://theboot.com/eric-church-kill-a-word/|title=Hear Eric Church's 'Relevant', 'Timely' New Single, 'Kill a Word'|last=Horton|first=Carrie|date=September 1, 2016|work=The Boot|accessdate=30 October 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/eric-church-kill-a-word/|title=Eric Church (Feat. Rhiannon Giddens), 'Kill a Word' [Listen]|last=Dukes|first=Billy|date=September 1, 2016|work=Taste of Country|accessdate=30 October 2016}} The album version features Andrea Davidson and Rhiannon Giddens, the latter a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, on backing vocals. For the single edit, Giddens sings some lines of the song by herself.
Church told Rolling Stone that the 2016 presidential election was influential in picking "Kill a Word" as a single: "I would have regretted not putting out 'Kill a Word,' and let this season pass, not knowing if I would get a chance again where it was this relevant, this timely."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/videos/see-eric-churchs-live-thought-provoking-kill-a-word-w435707|title=See Eric Church's Thought-Provoking 'Kill a Word' From Amazing Solo Show|last=Hudak|first=Joseph|date=August 23, 2016|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=30 October 2016}}
Music video
The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered on CMT, GAC, and Vevo in 2016.
Critical reception
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country wrote that "Soulful production and the addition of Rhiannon Giddens gives{{sic}} a more casual listener something to enjoy if he or she chooses not to dive into Church’s statement." Giving it an "A", Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe wrote that "Songs that aim for utopia usually stumble along the way because they are either too preachy or too woefully naive. Church avoids this trap by zeroing in on the obstacles rather than the goal, and personalizes the proceedings by tackling what gets in the way of individual pursuit of happiness."{{cite web|url=http://www.countryuniverse.net/2016/09/28/single-review-eric-church-featuring-rhiannon-giddens-kill-a-word/|title=Single Review: Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens, "Kill a Word"|last=Coyne|first=Kevin John|date=September 28, 2016|work=Country Universe|accessdate=30 October 2016}}
Church and Giddens were nominated for Musical Event of the Year at the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2017.
Commercial performance
The song debuted on the Country Airplay chart at No. 58 for the chart dated September 10, 2016, and entered the Hot Country Songs chart three weeks later at No. 41.{{cite magazine |url= http://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/2016-10-01 |title=Hot Country Songs |date=October 1, 2016 |magazine=Billboard }}{{cite magazine |url= http://www.billboard.com/charts/country-airplay/2016-09-10 |title=Country Airplay |date=September 10, 2016 |magazine=Billboard }} The song has sold 194,000 copies in the United States as of March 2017.{{cite news |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2017/03/41602-top-30-digital-single-sales-chart-march-22-2017 |title=Top 30 Digital Single Sales Chart: March 22, 2017 |first=Matt |last=Bjorke |date=March 22, 2017 |work=Roughstock |archive-date=March 27, 2017 |access-date=April 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080823/http://roughstock.com/news/2017/03/41602-top-30-digital-single-sales-chart-march-22-2017 |url-status=dead }} The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 17, 2017 for 500,000 units in sales and streams.{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|title=Kill A Word |artist=Eric Church |type=single}}
Chart performance
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| Chart (2016–2017)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Canada|71|artist=Eric Church|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 10, 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcanadacountry|5|artist=Eric Church|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 30, 2016}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|71|artist=Eric Church|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 31, 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountryairplay|6|artist=Eric Church|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 21, 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|9|artist=Eric Church|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 28, 2017}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2016)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/hot-country-songs|title=Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2016|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=April 19, 2020}}
| 100 |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| Canada Country (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://musiccanada.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/billboard-canada-year-end-country-airplay-of-2017/|title=Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017|magazine=Billboard|date=22 December 2017 |accessdate=December 31, 2017}}
|17 |
| scope="row"| US Country Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/country-airplay-songs|title=Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 18, 2017}}
| 36 |
| scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/hot-country-songs|title=Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 18, 2017}}
| 48 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|award=Platinum|artist=Eric Church|title=Kill a Word|relyear=20|certyear=2021|access-date=October 12, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Eric Church}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Male–female vocal duets
Category:Songs written by Eric Church
Category:Songs written by Jeff Hyde