Sooner or Later (Michelle Branch song)
Encyclopedia
"Sooner or Later" is the title of a song written by John Shanks, Hillary Lindsey, and co-written and recorded by American
artist Michelle Branch
. It was released as the lead-off single to her six-song solo country
EP, Everything Comes and Goes. "Sooner or Later" was released as a digital download on June 29, 2009 and later sent to country radio on August 11, 2009. This is Branch's first country single, and her first release since The Wreckers
, a country duo consisting of Branch and Jessica Harp
, was placed on hold in favor of solo careers for both members.
Branch, who wrote the song with John Shanks and Hillary Lindsey, stated the song was based on her experience of being only a friend when she wanted more.
's "You Belong with Me
". "I didn’t sit in when this was made or anything, but it sounds like it passed through so many levels of self-consciousness that most of the personality just got rubbed out of the mix at some point, leaving behind a flimsy song and a recycled production."
, premiered during CMT
's Big New Music Weekend on October 2, 2009. The video begins with Branch driving a Volkswagen
van and picking up a guy. She drives through the desert before coming to a stop at a junkyard, then at some ruins. Throughout the video, Branch is also shown performing with her acoustic guitar while sitting on a leather chair beside the road and at an old gas station. In the end, the man puts his arm around her and they walk away together.
chart for the chart week of September 5, 2009 and peaked at #46 in November 2009. It also debuted and peaked at #93 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at #35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Michelle Branch
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
. It was released as the lead-off single to her six-song solo country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
EP, Everything Comes and Goes. "Sooner or Later" was released as a digital download on June 29, 2009 and later sent to country radio on August 11, 2009. This is Branch's first country single, and her first release since The Wreckers
The Wreckers
-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Singles:-Featured singles:^ Song was credited as Santana with Michelle Branch and The Wreckers.-Music videos:-Awards and nominations:-External links:***...
, a country duo consisting of Branch and Jessica Harp
Jessica Harp
Jessica Leigh Harp is an American songwriter and former country artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Between 2005 and 2007, Harp and Michelle Branch recorded and performed as The Wreckers, a duo that topped the country charts in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated "Leave the Pieces." After The Wreckers...
, was placed on hold in favor of solo careers for both members.
Content
"Sooner or Later" is a moderate up-tempo country song driven by acoustic guitar, with prominent banjo and steel guitar fills. The narrator describes a friend, who she really wants to be with, but he doesn't know yet. She finishes by saying that he will realize she is the perfect match "sooner or later".Branch, who wrote the song with John Shanks and Hillary Lindsey, stated the song was based on her experience of being only a friend when she wanted more.
Reception
Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs down, but complimented Branch's vocals. "[The song] is far from insipid, and she sings it with a sassy, subtle modern twang. She stands out as a female vocalist in this format, a unique, powerful voice that really knows how to sell a song." However, he noted that the song is not musically different than anything she's previously released, and suggested that "if she’s unable to offer anything new to listeners in the future she will lose this audience’s attention just as she lost the last". Dan Milliken of Country Universe also gave a negative review, and compared it to Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's "You Belong with Me
You Belong with Me
"You Belong with Me" is a country pop song performed by American recording artist Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. It was released on April 21, 2009, by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's second studio...
". "I didn’t sit in when this was made or anything, but it sounds like it passed through so many levels of self-consciousness that most of the personality just got rubbed out of the mix at some point, leaving behind a flimsy song and a recycled production."
Music video
The music video, which was directed by Liz FriedlanderLiz Friedlander
Liz Friedlander is an American film, music video and television director.Originally from New York, Friedlander moved to Pennsylvania to attend the Drama Conservatory school at Carnegie Mellon University...
, premiered during CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
's Big New Music Weekend on October 2, 2009. The video begins with Branch driving a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
van and picking up a guy. She drives through the desert before coming to a stop at a junkyard, then at some ruins. Throughout the video, Branch is also shown performing with her acoustic guitar while sitting on a leather chair beside the road and at an old gas station. In the end, the man puts his arm around her and they walk away together.
Chart performance
"Sooner or Later" debuted at #59 on the U.S. 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 for the chart week of September 5, 2009 and peaked at #46 in November 2009. It also debuted and peaked at #93 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at #35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 93 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 35 |
| US Billboard Hot Country Songs | 46 |