Format Digital download Genre Country pop Label Black River | Recorded 2015–16 Length 3:14 | |
Released October 10, 2016 (2016-10-10) | ||
"Yeah Boy" is a song co-written and recorded by American country pop artist Kelsea Ballerini for her debut studio album, The First Time (2015). Ballerini co-wrote the song with Forest Glen Whitehead and Keesy Timmer. It was released to American country radio on October 10, 2016 as the album's fourth and final single. The song garnered a positive reception from critics praising its upbeat nature and Ballerini's bubbly charm for being a return to her first two singles.
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"Yeah Boy" peaked at numbers 6 and 14 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. It also reached number 88 on the Hot 100 chart. It has sold 144,000 copies in the United States as of March 2017. The song also charted in Canada, reaching number 2 on the Canada Country chart. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Kristin Barlowe, taking inspiration from the 1990s with Ballerini sporting a colorful bodysuit and accompanied by female backup dancers, while in front of a neon backdrop and a graffiti brick wall.
Critical
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song a positive review in which he wrote that, while the song "revisits" the themes and production elements of her first two singles, it is still "a fun, flirty, contagious young love song that you’ll sing along with, but likely set aside when a new single... comes along." Carrie Horton of sister site, The Boot, similarly noted that the song "[brings] the record’s run of singles full circle," while praising its youthful appeal. Kelly Brickey of Sounds Like Nashville praised the choice for putting Ballerini back in "her pop-country groove" after the more mature "Peter Pan", and wrote that "this song solidifies her innocent sass and makes for an irresistible tune." Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal gave the song an A rating, writing that "Yeah Boy" is "extremely radio-friendly, and it showcases her bubbly personality."
Commercial
"Yeah Boy" debuted at number 56 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated October 22, 2016. It also debuted at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of November 5, 2016. It also debuted at number 32 on Canada Country chart for the week of January 24, 2017. "Yeah Boy" has since become Ballerini's highest-charting country single in Canada, reaching number 2 on the chart in April 2017. It also debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart for the week of January 24, 2017. The song has sold 144,000 copies in the US as of March 2017. It also debuted at number 91 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of March 27, 2017.
Music video
A lyric video for "Yeah Boy" was uploaded to Ballerini's Vevo channel on December 12, 2014 in support of her self-titled EP. The official music video premiered on December 16, 2016 and was directed by Kristin Barlowe (who had directed the videos for "Love Me Like You Mean It" and "Peter Pan"). Described as an ode to the 1990s, Ballerini is shown performing the song in a colorful bodysuit in front of a neon backdrop and a brick wall spray-painted with graffiti, with female backup dancers.