Famous Friends (album)

Famous Friends is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on August 6, 2021, by RCA Records Nashville. It was preceded by the three singles "Raised on Country", "Drowning" and the title track. "At the End of a Bar" would be released on September 13, 2021, as the album's fourth single. Young co-wrote all but two of the songs on the album overall.

Content

"Raised on Country" was released as the leadoff single on January 28, 2019. It was originally intended to be the title track, but following the releases of "Drowning" on September 23, 2019 and "Famous Friends" on November 20, 2020, Young announced after the COVID-19 pandemic that the album would be retitled to Famous Friends.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that Young "started drifting toward the middle of the road around the mid-2010s", but that Famous Friends "finds him making a course correction, adding some livelier, stylish elements to his smooth foundation".

Commercial performance

Famous Friends debuted at number three on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 24,000 copies (including 14,000 album units) in its first week.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from liner notes.

Tracks 1–4 and 10–13

• Lauren Alaina – duet vocals on "Town Ain't Big Enough"
• Cary Barlowe – bass guitar, electric guitar, background vocals
• Kane Brown – duet vocals on "Famous Friends"
• Sarah Buxton – background vocals
• Dave Cohen – B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer
• Corey Crowder – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, programming, background vocals
• Chris DeStefano – background vocals
• Hillary Lindsey – background vocals
• Tony Lucido – bass guitar
• Mac McAnally – acoustic guitar
• Rob McNelley – electric guitar
• Miles McPherson – drums
• Shay Mooney – background vocals
• Russell Terrell – background vocals
• Derek Wells – electric guitar
• Alex Wright – B-3 organ, organ, piano, synthesizer, Wurlitzer
• Chris Young – lead vocals

Track 5

• Josh Hoge – background vocals
• Mark Holman – electric guitar, piano, programming
• Miles McPherson – drums, percussion
• Chris Young – lead vocals

Tracks 6–9

• Chris DeStefano – acoustic guitar, banjo, bass guitar, dobro, drums, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, programming, violin, background vocals
• Ashley Gorley – background vocals
• Mitchell Tenpenny – duet vocals on "At the End of a Bar"
• Chris Young – lead vocals

Track 14

• Dave Cohen – B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer
• Wes Hightower – background vocals
• Julian King – programming
• Tony Lucido – bass guitar
• Miles McPherson – drums, percussion
• Danny Rader – acoustic guitar
• Scotty Sanders – steel guitar
• Derek Wells – electric guitar
• Chris Young – lead vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References