Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Encyclopedia
Upon its release, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend received general acclaim from most music critics. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 85, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic gave the album five out of five stars, making it their "album pick". Erlewine praised the fact that Lambert was Nashville Star
s first "bona fide star the televised music competition has produced." Erlewine revealed with the album's ninth track, "Guilty in Here", that Lambert has a "sly sense of humor", but later says that she's "not joking around". In his final statements, Erlewine further comments on his reasoning for giving the album such a high review, saying, "Every one of the 11 songs shares the same spirit and Lambert's is strong enough of a writer to hold her own with such heavy-hitters, possessed with a wry wit and clear eye for little details, mining the unexpected from such familiar subjects as love and loss and jealously and rage. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would have been impressive if it was just a showcase of her strengths as a singer or as a songwriter, but since it is both, it's simply stunning, a breakthrough for Lambert and one of the best albums of 2007, regardless of genre."
Rolling Stone
s Robert Christgau gave Crazy Ex-Girlfriend four out of five stars. Christgau regarded that the album is likely to win "album of the year" because of its artistry. Christgau compared Lambert's material to that of songs such as the Dixie Chicks
's "Goodbye Earl
" and Gretchen Wilson
's "Redneck Woman
" for their "rebel girl" mood. At the end of the review, Christgau states, "Lambert does have a thoughtful side, but the violent moments define a little lady who also cites the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and rocks a Patty Griffin
cover. Smoking." Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
gave the album five out of five stars. Keefe gave high praise to the album, commenting, "Hell, there's probably a good 5,000 words to be written just on the way these songs fly in the face of the genre's historically and presently conservative gender politics. Brash, insightful, wry, and, above all else, smart, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend confirms that Miranda Lambert is far more than just the latest in a long line of bad girls: She's a country music legend in the making, and the most vital artist Music Row has produced in a generation."
Josh Love of Stylus Magazine
reviewed Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and gave the release an "A" rating. Love commented that the album is a coming of age release for Lambert because she has crafted "...a persona whose power relies not on values, beliefs, or experiences, but on feints, distance, and masterful command." He also felt that Lambert seemed to be in control when performing throughout the album, even when she lets her guard down." In conclusion, Love explained his reasoning for his praise on Lambert and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, stating, "It may sound like hyperbole, but I think Miranda Lambert is at a very rarified place right now, turning her songs into vehicles for a persona that transcends background narrative and personal history (apparently she’s a Republican for fuck’s sake!). This is Jagger
, Bowie
, Debbie Harry
, and early MJ
territory. The only contemporary performers I can think of who can boast a similar level of self-possession are Jay-Z
and Beyonce
."
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was ranked at number 26 on Rolling Stone
s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. The title track was also ranked at #28 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The album also won the Academy of Country Music
's "Album of the Year" award in 2008, becoming Lambert's second award from the award association.
Rhapsody
ranked the album number 10 on its "Country’s Best Albums of the Decade" list. Newsweek
ranked it number 4 on its "Best Albums of the Decade" list.
chart a week prior to its official release at radio. The song did not become a major hit, only peaking at number 50. In April, the album's third track, "Famous in a Small Town
" was released as the second single, debuting at number 54 on the Billboard country chart. The song became the first major hit from the album reaching a peak of number 14 in late 2007. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was then officially released May 3, 2007, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and number 6 on the Billboard 200
albums chart, selling 53,000 copies within its first week. It became Lambert's second album to debut at number 1 on Billboard Top Country Albums chart, as Kerosene
had also debuted at number 1 in 2005. "Gunpowder & Lead
" was released as the third single in January 2008. The song became Lambert's first Top 10 hit single on the Billboard country chart, reaching a peak of number 7, while also reaching number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100
. During the same time, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States. As of November 6, 2010, the album has sold 924,818 copies in the United States. On January 21, 2011, nearly four years after the album's release, Crazy Ex Girlfriend was certified Platinum. "More Like Her" became the album's fourth and final single, peaking at number 17 on the country chart in early 2009.
Technical personnel
Singles
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 85, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic gave the album five out of five stars, making it their "album pick". Erlewine praised the fact that Lambert was Nashville Star
Nashville Star
Nashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT...
s first "bona fide star the televised music competition has produced." Erlewine revealed with the album's ninth track, "Guilty in Here", that Lambert has a "sly sense of humor", but later says that she's "not joking around". In his final statements, Erlewine further comments on his reasoning for giving the album such a high review, saying, "Every one of the 11 songs shares the same spirit and Lambert's is strong enough of a writer to hold her own with such heavy-hitters, possessed with a wry wit and clear eye for little details, mining the unexpected from such familiar subjects as love and loss and jealously and rage. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would have been impressive if it was just a showcase of her strengths as a singer or as a songwriter, but since it is both, it's simply stunning, a breakthrough for Lambert and one of the best albums of 2007, regardless of genre."
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s Robert Christgau gave Crazy Ex-Girlfriend four out of five stars. Christgau regarded that the album is likely to win "album of the year" because of its artistry. Christgau compared Lambert's material to that of songs such as the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
's "Goodbye Earl
Goodbye Earl
"Goodbye Earl", written by Dennis Linde, is a country music song. Initially recorded by the band Sons of the Desert for an unreleased album in the late 1990s, the song gained fame when it was recorded by the Dixie Chicks on their second studio album featuring Natalie Maines as lead vocalist on...
" and Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party...
's "Redneck Woman
Redneck Woman
"Redneck Woman" is the debut single of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson. Released in 2004, the single served as the lead-off to her multi-platinum debut album Here for the Party. The song was also Wilson's only number one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
" for their "rebel girl" mood. At the end of the review, Christgau states, "Lambert does have a thoughtful side, but the violent moments define a little lady who also cites the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and rocks a Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
cover. Smoking." Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
gave the album five out of five stars. Keefe gave high praise to the album, commenting, "Hell, there's probably a good 5,000 words to be written just on the way these songs fly in the face of the genre's historically and presently conservative gender politics. Brash, insightful, wry, and, above all else, smart, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend confirms that Miranda Lambert is far more than just the latest in a long line of bad girls: She's a country music legend in the making, and the most vital artist Music Row has produced in a generation."
Josh Love of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
reviewed Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and gave the release an "A" rating. Love commented that the album is a coming of age release for Lambert because she has crafted "...a persona whose power relies not on values, beliefs, or experiences, but on feints, distance, and masterful command." He also felt that Lambert seemed to be in control when performing throughout the album, even when she lets her guard down." In conclusion, Love explained his reasoning for his praise on Lambert and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, stating, "It may sound like hyperbole, but I think Miranda Lambert is at a very rarified place right now, turning her songs into vehicles for a persona that transcends background narrative and personal history (apparently she’s a Republican for fuck’s sake!). This is Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, and early MJ
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
territory. The only contemporary performers I can think of who can boast a similar level of self-possession are Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Beyonce
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
."
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was ranked at number 26 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. The title track was also ranked at #28 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The album also won the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
's "Album of the Year" award in 2008, becoming Lambert's second award from the award association.
Rhapsody
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
ranked the album number 10 on its "Country’s Best Albums of the Decade" list. Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked it number 4 on its "Best Albums of the Decade" list.
Chart performance
Crazy Ex-Girlfriends title track was released as the album's lead single on December 26, 2006. The song debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart a week prior to its official release at radio. The song did not become a major hit, only peaking at number 50. In April, the album's third track, "Famous in a Small Town
Famous in a Small Town
"Famous in a Small Town" is the title of a song written by Travis Howard and co-written and recorded by American country artist Miranda Lambert. It was released as the second single from her second studio album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It was Lambert's second Top 20 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
" was released as the second single, debuting at number 54 on the Billboard country chart. The song became the first major hit from the album reaching a peak of number 14 in late 2007. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was then officially released May 3, 2007, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and number 6 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart, selling 53,000 copies within its first week. It became Lambert's second album to debut at number 1 on Billboard Top Country Albums chart, as Kerosene
Kerosene (album)
- Personnel :Musicians* Richard Bennett – guitar* Chad Cromwell – drums* Eric Darken – percussion* Natalie Hemby – background vocals* Joey Huffman – keyboards* Jay Joyce – guitar* Miranda Lambert – background vocals, lead vocals...
had also debuted at number 1 in 2005. "Gunpowder & Lead
Gunpowder & Lead
"Gunpowder & Lead" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert on her 2007 album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The album's third single, it became Lambert's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in July 2008...
" was released as the third single in January 2008. The song became Lambert's first Top 10 hit single on the Billboard country chart, reaching a peak of number 7, while also reaching number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. During the same time, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States. As of November 6, 2010, the album has sold 924,818 copies in the United States. On January 21, 2011, nearly four years after the album's release, Crazy Ex Girlfriend was certified Platinum. "More Like Her" became the album's fourth and final single, peaking at number 17 on the country chart in early 2009.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians- Richard BennettRichard Bennett (guitarist)Richard Bennett is a touring sideman, session veteran, and record producer. As a touring sideman, he performed with Neil Diamond for 17 years, and Mark Knopfler since 1994. As a session player, he has worked with artists ranging from Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand to Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Chad CromwellChad CromwellChad Cromwell is an American drummer, best known for his work with Neil Young and with Mark Knopfler.- Personal life :Cromwell was born in Paducah, Kentucky, and three years later moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Eric Darken – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Natalie Hemby – background vocals
- Jay Joyce – guitar
- Miranda Lambert – guitar, lead vocals
- Chuck LeavellChuck LeavellChuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Buddy MillerBuddy MillerBuddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee...
– background vocals - Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
- Randy ScruggsRandy ScruggsRandy Scruggs is a music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13...
– guitar, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Hank Singer – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
– guitar - Glenn WorfGlenn WorfGlenn Worf is one of the premier Nashville session bassists. He was born in Dayton, Ohio but grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has concentrated on the bass guitar since he was thirteen. He majored in music at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Inevitably his talents forced him to abandon the...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mike Wrucke – banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, guitar, background vocals, production, engineering, mixing
Technical personnel
- Tracy Baskette-Fleaner – art direction, design
- Judy Forde Blair – liner notes, creative producer
- Holly Chapman – make-up, hairstylist
- Courtney Gregg – production coordination
- Jack Guy – photography
- Amy Hall – stylist
- Frank Lidell – production
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Sang Park – assistant engineer
- Kevin Presley – quality control
- Eric Tonkin – assistant engineer
- Stewart Whitmore – digital editing
Chart positions
Album| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||||
| 2006 | "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" | 50 | — | ||
| 2007 | "Famous in a Small Town" | 14 | 87 | ||
| 2008 | "Gunpowder & Lead" | 7 | 52 | ||
| "More Like Her" | 17 | 90 | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||