Format Digital download Genre Country Label Mercury Nashville | Recorded 2013 Length 3:20 | |
Released March 18, 2013 (2013-03-18) | ||
"Hey Girl" is a song written by Rhett Akins, Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in March 2013 as the first single from his fifth studio album We Are Tonight. The song became a number one hit on the Country Airplay chart, his seventh one on that chart, and peaked at number 5 and 39 on the Hot Country Songs and Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively.
Contents
Content
The song has the male narrator making advances on a female, saying that "the only line [he] can think to say is 'Hey, girl.'" It is in a moderate tempo, in cut time. It uses the E-flat dorian scale (i.e., an E-flat minor scale with the sixth tone raised by a semitone), with a main chord pattern of E♭m-G♭-D♭-A♭.
Critical reception
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three and a half stars out of five, writing that "layers of electric guitar and a lengthy (by country radio standards) solo before the bridge add unnecessary distractions, but ultimately Currington’s satisfying delivery brings back a delectable groove." Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song three and a half stars out of five, saying that "while completely reminding me of those great hook-filled mid/late 1980s adult pop songs melodically, 'Hey Girl' still features a strong vocal and fiddle and steel guitars that are audible more than one might expect." Ben Foster of Country Universe gave the song a C grade, writing that it "has some infectious guitar work going for it, but it’s not enough to elevate the song beyond what it is – regular dime-a-dozen radio filler with a total lack of a lyrical hook."
Commercial
"Hey Girl" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of March 23, 2013. It also debuted at number 47 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 11, 2013. It also debuted at number 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of May 18, 2013. On the Country Airplay chart dated October 19, 2013, "Hey Girl" became Currington's seventh number one country hit. It also debuted at number 87 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of October 5, 2013.
The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 11, 2013, Currington's 6th single to be certified so. As of February 2014, the single has sold 836,000 copies in the United States.
Music video
The music video was directed by Kristin Barlowe and premiered in July 2013. The video follows Billy being attracted to a woman and follows her to a carnival to get her to be with him. It ends with the woman waiting on his motorcycle for him to get out the place there in. Intercut are scenes of Billy and his band playing in an empty parking lot.