Helluva Life

2013 single by Frankie Ballard
"Helluva Life"
Single by Frankie Ballard
from the album Sunshine & Whiskey
ReleasedJuly 29, 2013 (2013-07-29)
GenreCountry
Length3:51
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
Songwriter(s)
  • Rodney Clawson
  • Chris Tompkins
  • Josh Kear
Producer(s)
  • Marshall Altman
  • Scott Hendricks
Frankie Ballard singles chronology
"A Buncha Girls"
(2011) 		"Helluva Life"
(2013) 		"Sunshine & Whiskey"
(2014)

"Helluva Life" is a song recorded by American country music artist Frankie Ballard. It was released in July 2013 as the first single from Ballard's second studio album, Sunshine & Whiskey, which was released on February 11, 2014.[1] The song was written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear.[2]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three and half stars out of five, writing that "[Ballard is] a sincere vocalist who doesn’t try to stretch his capabilities and the blend of steel guitar that pins him down is just perfect." Dukes stated that the song "lacks specificity" but added that "the arrangement and the singer’s delivery tie the many elements together."[3] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, saying that "Frankie Ballard sings the melody with laid-back ease while the production never drowns out the singer as he sings about the things that make him grateful for his life." Bjorke praised the chorus, Ballard's performance and the "laid-back, less frenetic mood" of the song, predicting that it would become "the biggest hit of Frankie Ballard's career to date."[4]

Music video

The music video was directed by Mason Dixon and premiered in December 2013.[5]

Commercial performance

"Helluva Life" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of August 3, 2013.[6] It also debuted at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 5, 2013. It also debuted at number 89 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of December 21, 2013. It also debuted at number 98 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of March 15, 2014. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 6, 2014. As of May 2014, the song has sold 516,000 copies in the US.[7]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2013–2014) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 67
Canada Country (Billboard)[9] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 51
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[13] 98
Chart (2014) Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[14] 40
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[15] 49


Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 516,000[7]

References

  1. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (December 9, 2013). "Ballard's 'Sunshine & Whiskey' To Release in February". MusicRow. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. ^ Watts, Cindy (August 5, 2013). "Frankie Ballard returns to radio with 'Helluva Life'". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  3. ^ Dukes, Billy (July 22, 2013). "Frankie Ballard, 'Helluva Life' – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  4. ^ Bjorke, Matt (July 25, 2013). "Single Review: Frankie Ballard - Helluva Life". Roughstock. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  5. ^ "CMT : Videos : Frankie Ballard : Helluva Life". Country Music Television. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  6. ^ Morris, Edward (July 27, 2013). "The Band Perry Hit Country Airplay Summit With "Done"". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Matt Bjorke (May 8, 2014). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - May 8, 2014: Brantley Gilbert's Guns N Roses Debut". Roughstock. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014.
  8. ^ "Frankie Ballard Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Frankie Ballard Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Frankie Ballard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Frankie Ballard Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Frankie Ballard Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Billboard Country Update for December 16, 2013" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 16, 2013. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  14. ^ "Best of 2014: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  15. ^ "Best of 2014: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Frankie Ballard – Helluva Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
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