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"Drunk Girl" is a song recorded by American country music singer Chris Janson. Written by him along with Tom Douglas and Scooter Carusoe, it is the second single from his album Everybody. The song is about men showing respect to women, with a particular focus on a young woman who has become intoxicated.

Content

Tom Douglas presented Janson and Carusoe with the idea of the song, which is a piano ballad with a central theme of treating females with respect. Specifically, the song tells of taking a woman home to her house after she has had too much to drink, in order to keep her safe.

Janson said that the inspiration behind the song came from him seeing news stories of victimized women. He told Rolling Stone Country, "It's teaching the younger generation of men that this is probably the better way to treat a girl...instead of ‘let’s get drunk and hook up.' It's written from a man's perspective, and from a father’s perspective. If my daughters were in that situation, I hope someone would treat them with that respect." He also said that since he and the other two writers are fathers, they chose to apply a "father's perspective"; he also noted that the song received emotional responses from fans in concert before it had even been released as a single, saying that such a reaction "almost means more to me than getting played on the air". Originally, Janson wanted Tim McGraw to record the song, but chose to keep it to himself after his wife, Kelly, persuaded him.

The song is in the key of C major with an approximate tempo of 100 beats per minute. It follows the chord pattern C-G/B-Am7-F.

Commercial performance

The song has sold 180,000 copies in the United States as of November 2018.

Music video

Jeff Venable directed the song's music video, which was filmed along Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. To film the video, Venable got permission from the city to shut down the street and all businesses on it, leaving an empty streetscape on which Janson performs the song from behind a baby grand piano. In between the shots, the video tells a story of a young intoxicated woman leaving a bar, along with flashbacks of her witnessing abuse as a child, and being victimized as a student. The video is preceded by a content warning stating that its "content addresses sensitive topics that might be upsetting to some audiences". Janson said that he cried when he saw the video for the first time.

The music video won the Video of the Year award at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards.

Charts

Certifications

References

1. Haas, Mariah (December 8, 2017). "Chris Janson's Song 'Drunk Girl' Isn't About What You Think: 'We Wrote This from a Dad's Perspective'". People Country. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
2. Moss, Marissa R. (October 19, 2017). "Chris Janson on Being Country Music's 'Most Open Redneck'". Rolling Stone Country. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
3. Dauphin, Chuck (December 26, 2017). "Chris Janson Talks Writing 'Drunk Girl' From 'A Father's Perspective'". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
4. Dukes, Billy (January 12, 2018). "Lyrics Uncovered: Chris Janson, 'Drunk Girl'". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
5. "'Drunk Girl' sheet music". MusicNotes.com. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
6. Bjorke, Matt (November 13, 2018). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart: November 13, 2018". RoughStock. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
7. Kruh, Nancy (May 22, 2018). "Why Chris Janson Wept When He Saw His New 'Drunk Girl' Music Video: 'This One Broke Me Down Quick'". People Country. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
8. Hudak, Joseph (May 22, 2018). "See Chris Janson Address Importance of Consent in 'Drunk Girl' Video". Rolling Stone Country. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
9. "Chris Janson Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
10. "Chris Janson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
11. "Chris Janson Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
12. "Chris Janson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
13. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
14. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
15. "American single certifications – Chris Janson – Drunk Girl". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 28, 2023.

• 2017 songs
• 2017 singles
• Chris Janson songs
• Warner Records Nashville singles
• Songs written by Chris Janson
• Songs written by Tom Douglas (songwriter)
• Songs written by Scooter Carusoe
• Song recordings produced by Scott Hendricks
• Songs with feminist themes
• Songs about alcohol