Sure Be Cool If You Did
{{Infobox song
| name = Sure Be Cool If You Did
| cover = SureBeCool.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Blake Shelton
| album = Based on a True Story…
| B-side = There's a New Kid in Town
| released = {{Start date|2013|01|08}}
| recorded = 2012
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=35}}
| label = Warner Bros. Nashville
| writer = {{hlist|Rodney Clawson|Chris Tompkins|Jimmy Robbins}}
| producer = Scott Hendricks
| prev_title = Just a Fool
| prev_year = 2012
| next_title = Boys 'Round Here
| next_year = 2013
}}
"Sure Be Cool If You Did" is a song written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Jimmy Robbins{{cite news|last=Wilbur|first=Sam|title=Blake Shelton, 'Sure Be Cool If You Did' -- New Song|url=http://www.aolradioblog.com/2013/01/09/blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did-new-song/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123084458/http://www.aolradioblog.com/2013/01/09/blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did-new-song|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 23, 2013|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Taste of Country|date=January 9, 2013}} and recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released on January 8, 2013, as the first single from Shelton's 2013 album Based on a True Story….{{Cite web|url=http://www.mjsbigblog.com/blake-shelton-video-premiere-new-album-release-date-tracklist-demo-sneak-peek-audio_.htm|title=Blake Shelton: Video Premiere, Album Cover, Release Date, Tracklist, Demo Sneak Peek (AUDIO)!|date=11 February 2013}}{{cite news|title=Blake Shelton 'Sure Be Cool If You Did' Tops Charts; Kellie Pickler Is an Aunt + More: Country Music News Roundup|url=http://www.theboot.com/2013/01/16/blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did-tops-charts/|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Taste of Country|date=January 16, 2013}} The song reached number one on both the US Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts.
Content
Shelton described "Sure Be Cool If You Did" as having "a lot of the elements that you try and include on an album, all in one song", calling it "kind of manic" and "a little bit mischievous".{{Cite magazine |last=Tillman |first=Chris |date=2013-03-08 |title=Blake Shelton Previews a Rowdier New Album and a More Competitive New 'Voice' Season |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/blake-shelton-previews-a-rowdier-new-album-and-a-more-competitive-new-voice-season-2-186355/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} He compared its production to that of songs by artists like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, which he considered indicative of where he wanted to be "going musically", and said, "It’s got a loop in it, and it’s got some snaps and some samples and different sounds like that that people I don’t think would have ever expected to hear from me."
Shelton compared the song to R&B, which he felt was "kind of a new sound for country music". Because of this, he said, that "a lot of time" was spent "working on that track".{{cite web |last=Bjorke |first=Matt |title=Blake Shelton "Based On A True Story..." Song-By-Song - RoughStock |url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/blake-shelton-based-on-a-true-story-song-by-song |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104030006/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/blake-shelton-based-on-a-true-story-song-by-song |archive-date=January 4, 2014 |access-date=February 22, 2015 |work=RoughStock}}
The song was written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Jimmy Robbins. Clawson performed the song's demo.
{{Quote|I had an e-mail from my manager Brandon Blackstock, and he said, 'Man, this is a cool song, you need to listen to it.' I did, and I was like, 'Holy Cow!' Rodney's a great singer and it was him singing on the demo and they just did a great job. My only fear was, 'I hope I can make my record as good as what they’ve done.'
Critical reception
"Sure Be Cool If You Did" was praised by Entertainment Weekly, which gave it an A− and called it "ludicrously catchy".{{Cite magazine |date=January 11, 2013 |author= |title=Singles: Jan. 28 2013 |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/01/11/singles-jan-28-2013/ |access-date=August 3, 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}} Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five, calling it "comparatively ordinary next to catalog hits like 'She Wouldn't Be Gone' and the infectious 'Honey Bee{{' "}} and writing that "a break in the name of artistry would satisfy fans of his rowdier songs, while giving those who discovered him on TV something more nourishing to listen to."{{cite news|last=Dukes|first=Billy|title=Blake Shelton, 'Sure Be Cool if You Did' – Song Review|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did/|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Taste of Country|date=January 2, 2013}} Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song three and a half stars out of five, saying that "the production of Scott Hendricks may not be as groundbreaking or as 'identifying' as say Jay Joyce or Joey Moi's productions are but the sound here is still likable - albeit a tad MOR."{{cite news|last=Bjorke|first=Matt|title=Single Review: Blake Shelton - "Sure Be Cool If You Did"|url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/single-review-blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Roughstock|date=January 4, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113071422/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/single-review-blake-shelton-sure-be-cool-if-you-did|archive-date=January 13, 2013}} Bob Paxman of Country Weekly gave the song a C and compared the song's melody to that of an earlier Shelton single, "Over". He felt that "Sure Be Cool If You Did" featured cliche lyrics but praised Shelton's vocal performance as "truly rich and expressive" while singling out "the searing guitar breaks" as "the most interesting components" of the song.{{Cite web |last=Paxman |first=Bob |date=January 26, 2013 |title="Sure Be Cool If You Did" by Blake Shelton |url=http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/sure-be-cool-if-you-did-blake-shelton |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908132951/http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/sure-be-cool-if-you-did-blake-shelton |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |website=Country Weekly}}
Gary Graff of The Oakland Press called the song "as polished and melodic as any pop hit".{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=March 22, 2013 |title=Listening Room: Blake Shelton celebrates redneck loyalties in "Based on a True Story" |url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/03/22/entertainment/doc514b41893036b628100984.txt |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329035750/https://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/03/22/entertainment/doc514b41893036b628100984.txt |archivedate=March 29, 2013 |access-date=March 26, 2013 |work=The Oakland Press}} Chuck Dauphin of Billboard wrote, "it’s not exactly the most well-written song of his career, but his vocal is very pleasing on the cut – as well as the arrangement." Steve Legget of AllMusic gave "Sure Be Cool If You Did" three-and-a-half stars out of five and wrote that it has "an unassuming but memorable and melodic chorus hook" that highlights Shelton's "considerable strengths as an interpreter of country love ballads."{{Citation |title=Blake Shelton - Sure Be Cool If You Did Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sure-be-cool-if-you-did-mw0002479303 |access-date=2023-09-22 |language=en}}
Commercial performance
"Sure Be Cool If You Did" debuted at number 32 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of January 19, 2013.{{cite news|last=Morris|first=Edward|title=Red and "Goodbye in Her Eyes" Still in Charge of Charts|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1700032/red-goodbye-her-eyes-still-charge-charts.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120060123/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1700032/red-goodbye-her-eyes-still-charge-charts.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 20, 2013|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Country Music Television|date=January 12, 2013}} It was Shelton's second highest debut.{{cite news|last=Jessen|first=Wade|title=Florida Georgia Line Interrupts Taylor Swift on Country Charts, Again|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/1484281/florida-georgia-line-interrupts-taylor-swift-on-country-charts|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Billboard|date=January 10, 2013}} In addition, the song entered in at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of January 26, 2013, and it sold over 98,000 downloads during its first week of release.{{cite news|last=Trust|first=Gary|title=Chart Moves: David Bowie's 'Where Are We Now?' Debuts On Hot Rock Songs, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift Soar Onto Hot 100|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts-articles/chart-alert/chart-moves-david-bowie-s-where-are-we-now-1008102172.story|access-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=Billboard|date=January 18, 2013|archive-date=January 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121234358/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts-articles/chart-alert/chart-moves-david-bowie-s-where-are-we-now-1008102172.story|url-status=dead}} The song also debuted at number 45 on Hot Country Songs for the week of January 19, 2013, and at number 43 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of January 26, 2013. On the country chart dated March 9, 2013, "Sure Be Cool If You Did" became Shelton's eighth consecutive number one hit, and his thirteenth overall. It reached number one faster than any of his previous singles.{{Cite magazine |last=Dauphin |first=Chuck |date=2013-03-26 |title=Blake Shelton, 'Based On A True Story…' Track-by-Track Review |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/blake-shelton-based-on-a-true-story-track-by-track-review-1554485/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} As of November 2013, the song has over sold 1,519,000 copies in the United States.{{cite news |url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/country-chart-news-the-top-30-digital-singles-november-13-2013-cma-awards-drive-sales-eric-church-the-outsiders-1-taylor-swift-red-3 |title=Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - November 13, 2013: CMA Awards Drive Sales; Eric Church "The Outsiders" #1; Taylor Swift "Red" #3 |author=Matt Bjorke |date=November 13, 2013 |work=Roughstock |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421103627/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/country-chart-news-the-top-30-digital-singles-november-13-2013-cma-awards-drive-sales-eric-church-the-outsiders-1-taylor-swift-red-3 |archive-date=April 21, 2014 }} It was certified double Platinum on May 8, 2015, by the RIAA for combined two million units of sales and streams.
Music video
The accompanying music video for this song was directed by Trey Fanjoy and premiered in February 2013. It depicts Blake singing the song in a city bar at night, and a wild party going on at the same bar. It was filmed mainly on vintage film, resulting in a grainy texture.{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/videos/blake-shelton/879180/sure-be-cool-if-you-did.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212161501/http://www.cmt.com/videos/blake-shelton/879180/sure-be-cool-if-you-did.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2013|title=CMT : Videos : Blake Shelton : Sure Be Cool If You Did|publisher=Country Music Television|access-date=February 12, 2013}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart (2013) !align="center"|Peak |
| {{singlechart|Canada|32|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=444576}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcanadacountry|1|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=444576}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|24|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=444576}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountryairplay|1|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=444576}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Blake Shelton|artistid=444576}} |
=Year-end charts=
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Canada|artist=Blake Shelton|title=Sure Would Be Cool If You Did|award=Platinum|certyear=2016|certmonth=7|relyear=2013|digital=true|access-date=April 28, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United States|artist=Blake Shelton|title=Sure Be Cool If You Did|number=3|award=Platinum|certyear=2021|certmonth=4|relyear=2013|salesamount=1,519,000 |salesref= |refname=RIAA }}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Blake Shelton singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Music videos directed by Trey Fanjoy
Category:Songs written by Rodney Clawson
Category:Songs written by Chris Tompkins
Category:Song recordings produced by Scott Hendricks
Category:Warner Records Nashville singles