Lonely Tonight
{{About|the 2014 song|the 1980 song|Johnny Logan (singer)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lonely Tonight
| cover = LonelyTonight.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe
| album = Bringing Back the Sunshine
| released = {{Start date|2014|11|17}}
| recorded = 2014
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = {{duration|m=3|s=38}}
| label = Warner Bros. Nashville
| writer = {{flatlist|
}}
| producer = Scott Hendricks
| chronology = Blake Shelton
| prev_title = Neon Light
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Sangria
| next_year = 2015
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Ashley Monroe
| type = single
| prev_title = Weed Instead of Roses
| prev_year = 2013
| title = Lonely Tonight
| year = 2014
| next_title = On to Something Good
| next_year = 2015
}}
}}
"Lonely Tonight" is a song written by Brent Anderson and Ryan Hurd and recorded by American country music singer Blake Shelton, featuring country singer and Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe. It was recorded for Shelton's eighth studio album, Bringing Back the Sunshine (2014) and was released to country radio in fall 2014 as the album's second single. The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Content
"Lonely Tonight" is a country song about a bittersweet one night stand, with Shelton and Monroe playing ex-lovers who reconnect for one last night. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country described the ballad as "dark love song", while Carolyn Menyes of Music Times called it "relatable and heartbreaking".{{cite web|last1=Dukes|first1=Billy|title=Blake Shelton (Feat. Ashley Monroe), 'Lonely Tonight' [Listen]|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/blake-shelton-ashley-monroe-lonely-tonight/|website=Taste of Country|date=10 November 2014 |publisher=Townsquare Media|accessdate=18 November 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Menyes|first1=Carolyn|title=Blake Shelton, Ashley Monroe Get Contemplative in "Lonely Tonight" Music Video [WATCH]|url=http://www.musictimes.com/articles/14848/20141107/blake-shelton-ashley-monroe-lonely-tonight-music-video-watch.htm|publisher=Music Times|accessdate=18 November 2014}} Billboard writer Chuck Dauphin compared "Lonely Tonight" to Shelton's earlier work from Pure BS (2007) and Startin' Fires (2008).{{cite magazine|last1=Dauphin|first1=Chuck|title=Blake Shelton, 'Bringing Back The Sunshine': Track-by-Track Review|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/album-review/6266711/blake-shelton-bringing-back-the-sunshine-review|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=18 November 2014}}
Critical reception
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country praised the "swell[ing]" production and traditional styling, while also praising the choice of duet partner. Michael McCall of The Calgary Herald noted that the song "shows off [Blake's] vocal and emotional range."{{cite web |last1=McCall |first1=Michael |title=Music Review: Grown-up Blake Shelton shines on new album 'Bringing Back the Sunshine' |url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Music+Review+Grownup+Blake+Shelton+shines+album+Bringing/10246458/story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216065248/https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Music+Review+Grownup+Blake+Shelton+shines+album+Bringing/10246458/story.html |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |accessdate=18 November 2014 |website=Calgary Herald |publisher=The Associated Press}}
Chart performance
"Lonely Tonight" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week ending November 29, 2014.{{cite magazine|last1=Trust|first1=Gary|title=Chart Highlights: Maroon 5 Moves To No. 1 on Pop Songs With 'Animals'|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6319898/chart-highlights-maroon-5-moves-to-no-1-on-pop-songs-with|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=18 November 2014}} It peaked at number 1 on that chart, making for Shelton's 14th consecutive number 1 hit on that chart. It is also Monroe's first solo number 1 hit, although she previously had a number 1 as one-third of Pistol Annies when they contributed a guest vocal to Shelton's "Boys 'Round Here" in 2013.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/country_update_0302.pdf|title='Lonely' extends Shelton's No. 1 streak; Brice, Hunt crack top 10|last=Jessen|first=Wade|date=2 March 2015|magazine=Billboard|page=4|accessdate=25 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918173336/http://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/country_update_0302.pdf|archive-date=September 18, 2015}}
The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on March 19, 2015,{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=single|title=Lonely Tonight|artist=Blake Shelton}} and has sold 530,000 copies in the US as of April 2015.{{cite news |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2015/04/34263-country-musics-top-30-digital-singles-week-april-15-2015/ |title=Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: Week of April 15, 2015|author= Matt Bjorke |date= April 15, 2015 |work=Roughstock }} Sales figure given [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j-YzoC_YDkeO_uKeYYoXUFpT6PPTaXeVlagrAD7hLt0/edit#gid=0 here] "Lonely Tonight" was also certified Gold by Music Canada in March 2015 for sales exceeding 40,000 digital units.{{Certification Cite Ref|region=Canada|type=digital single|title=Lonely Tonight|artist=Blake Shelton}}
Music video
A teaser video featuring the audio of "Lonely Tonight" was uploaded to Blake Shelton's official YouTube channel on September 30, 2014, along with the other songs off Bringing Back the Sunshine.{{cite web|author1=Blake Shelton|title=Blake Shelton - Lonely Tonight|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZuA95lbLfQ|website=YouTube|date=30 September 2014 |accessdate=18 November 2014}} The official music video for "Lonely Tonight" was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered November 12, 2014.{{cite web|title=Blake Shelton {{!}} Lonely Tonight {{!}} Music Video|url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/blake-shelton/1097651/lonely-tonight.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118195658/http://www.mtv.com/videos/blake-shelton/1097651/lonely-tonight.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 18, 2014|website=MTV|publisher=Viacom Media Networks|accessdate=18 November 2014}}
Charts and certifications
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{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (2014–2015) ! Peak |
| {{singlechart|Canada|42|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=289793|accessdate=November 17, 2014}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcanadacountry|1|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=289793|accessdate=November 26, 2014}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|47|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=289793|accessdate=December 4, 2014}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountryairplay|1|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=289793|accessdate=November 17, 2014}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|2|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=289793|accessdate=November 17, 2014}} |
=Year-end charts=
{{col-2}}
=Certifications=
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Canada|artist=Blake Shelton|title=Lonely Tonight|award=Gold|access-date=March 21, 2015|relyear=2014|certyear=2015|digital=true}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Blake Shelton|title=Lonely Tonight|award=Platinum|certyear=2021|relyear=2014|type=single|salesamount=530,000|salesref=}}
{{Certification Table Bottom| noshipments=true}}
{{col-end}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{Blake Shelton singles}}
{{Ashley Monroe}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Male–female vocal duets
Category:Warner Records Nashville singles
Category:Songs written by Brent Anderson (singer)
Category:Songs written by Ryan Hurd
Category:Song recordings produced by Scott Hendricks