Summary
"White Horse" is a song by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton, released on July 21, 2023 as the lead single from his fifth studio album Higher. It was written by Stapleton and Dan Wilson and produced by Dave Cobb, Chris and Morgane Stapleton. The song stayed at the number two position for two weeks on the Country Airplay chart, behind Nate Smith's smash hit, "World on Fire". It was nominated and won the Grammy Awards for Best Country Solo Performance and Country Song at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[1]
| "White Horse" | ||||
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| Single by Chris Stapleton | ||||
| from the album Higher | ||||
| Released | July 21, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:27 | |||
| Label | Mercury Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Chris Stapleton singles chronology | ||||
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Background edit
Chris Stapleton stated via iHeart Country:
"White Horse" was a song that I wrote with my friend, Dan Wilson. We were out in Los Angeles, it was about I think probably late 2012, early 2013, and there was a movie called The Lone Ranger that was coming out, and I walked in the room to write with Dan at his house, and he said, "Hey they're looking for songs for this Lone Ranger movie." I said, "Cool. Let's write something. What do you know about it?" He goes, "Well, we don't really know anything." I was like, "Well, let's just make a song that might sound like that." And so, that's kind of where that came from, and we got to talking about how it would be cool to have a kind of rock-driven-western-themed song, and that's kind of where the song came from and we kind of built it around a guitar riff, really.[2]
Composition edit
"White Horse" is a blues rock-inspired country song,[3][4][5] featuring an intro of electric guitar riffs and drumbeats.[5] Lyrically, Stapleton tells his imaginary partner that he needs time to open his heart to her[3] and confesses he is not ready to be the man she desires, so she must wait: "If you want a cowboy on a white horse / Ridin' off into the sunset / If that's the kinda love you wanna wait for / Hold on tight, girl, I ain't there yet".[3][4][5][6][7] However, he also wishes this is not the situation.[3]
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[17] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/artists/chris-stapleton/15418
- ^ Fisher, Kelly (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Kicks Off New Era With 'White Horse,' Reveals Album Details". iHeart Country. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Dukes, Billy (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton, 'White Horse' Lyrics Describe a Smoldering Love [Listen]". Taste of Country. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Nicholson, Jessica (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton Releases 'White Horse,' the First Glimpse at Upcoming Album 'Higher'". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c O'Connell, Madeleine (July 25, 2023). "Chris Stapleton's 'White Horse' Makes Historic Debut At Country Radio". Country Now. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ Pointer, Flisadam (July 21, 2023). "Chris Stapleton's 'White Horse' Single Is Readying Fans For His Emotionally Raw And Brutally Honest 'Higher' Album". Uproxx. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ Wade, Noah (July 27, 2023). "Chris Stapleton – Wild Horse". Euphoria. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 31, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ "Chris Stapleton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Chris Stapleton – White Horse". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 8, 2024.