Love Me Like You Mean It

"Love Me Like You Mean It"
Single by Kelsea Ballerini
from the album The First Time
Released September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22)
Format Digital download
Recorded 2014
Genre Country pop
Length 3:19
Label Black River
Writer(s)
  • Kelsea Ballerini
  • Josh Kerr
  • Forest Glen Whitehead
  • Lance Carpenter
Producer(s) Forest Glen Whitehead
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Kelsea Ballerini singles chronology
"Love Me Like You Mean It"
(2014)		 "Dibs"
(2015)

"Love Me Like You Mean It" is a song co-written and recorded by American country pop artist Kelsea Ballerini. Ballerini co-wrote the song with Josh Kerr, Forest Glen Whitehead and Lance Carpenter.[1] It was released on September 22, 2014 as Ballerini's debut single and the lead single from her debut studio album, The First Time, released by Black River Entertainment on May 19, 2015.[2]

"Love Me Like You Mean It" peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making Ballerini the first solo female to top that chart with her debut single since Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" in 2006 and the first country female artist to accomplish that on an independent label. It also charted at numbers 5 and 45 on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 units in that country. It achieved similar chart success in Canada, peaking at number 3 on the Country chart and number 61 on the Canadian Hot 100.

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Robert Chavers, was shot in Nashville and features Bellerini playing party games outside with her friends and performing throughout various locations.

Content

The song is a mid-tempo country pop song in the key of E major, in cut time with a primary chord pattern of E-B-F♯m7add4-Asus2. Ballerini's vocal ranges one octave, from B3 to B4.[3]

Reception

Critical

Taste of Country reviewed the single favorably, saying that "Ballerini mixes modern production techniques with a straight-up country message to create an identifiable country-pop blend."[4]

Commercial

"Love Me Like You Mean It" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of October 18, 2014,[5] and debuted at number 48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of December 13, 2014. It reached number 1 on Country Airplay dated for the week ending July 4, 2015, making Ballerini the first solo female to send her debut single to the top of that chart since Carrie Underwood did with "Jesus, Take the Wheel" in 2006; it also made her the first female country artist to do so on an independent label.[6] The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on July 14, 2015.[7] The song has sold 500,400 copies in the US as of October 2015.[8]

Music video

An acoustic music video was directed by Robert Chavers and premiered in November 2014.[9] The official music video, directed by Kristin Barlowe,[10] was filmed in Nashville[11] and premiered in March 2015.[12] In it, Ballerini is seen playing games like musical chairs and Twister with her friends outside, while performing the song from various locations inside a trailer and in the doorway of a house.

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart (2014–15) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 61
Canada Country (Billboard)[14] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 45
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[16] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[17] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[18] 36
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[19] 27

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,400[8]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
"Wild Child"
by Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter		 Billboard Country Airplay
number-one single
July 4, 2015 		Succeeded by
"Sangria"
by Blake Shelton

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States September 22, 2014 Country radio Black River [20]
North America November 24, 2014 Digital download (as part of Kelsea Ballerini EP) [21]
Worldwide August 28, 2015 Digital download (Country Dance Mix) [22][23][24][25]

References

  1. ↑ Ward, Jaimie (July 13, 2014). "“Love Me Like You Mean It” The Debut Single By Kelsea Ballerini Is Digitally Available Now". Music News Nashville. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  2. ↑ Thompson, Gayle (February 18, 2015). "Kelsea Ballerini Announces Debut Album, ‘The First Time’". The Boot. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ "'Love Me Like You Mean It' sheet music". musicnotes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini - Love Me Like You Mean It". Taste of Country. December 1, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  5. ↑ Morris, Edward (October 10, 2014). "Blake Shelton Tops Album List With Bringing Back the Sunshine". Country Music Television. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ Trust, Gary (June 22, 2015). "Kelsea Ballerini first female to lead with debut single since 2006" (PDF). Billboard. p. 5. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "American single certifications – Kelsea Ballerini – Love Me Like You Mean It". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  8. 1 2 Matt Bjorke (October 12, 2015). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles: October 12, 2015". Roughstock.
  9. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Kelsea Ballerini : Love Me Like You Mean It (Acoustic)". Country Music Television. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Kelsea Ballerini Takes You Behind the Scenes of Her “Love Me Like You Mean It” Video". Country Weekly. American Media. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Ragusa, Tammy (March 5, 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: Kelsea Ballerini Takes You Behind the Scenes of Her “Love Me Like You Mean It” Video". Country Weekly. American Media. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  12. ↑ "CMT : Videos : Kelsea Ballerini : Love Me Like You Mean It". Country Music Television. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Kelsea Ballerini.
  14. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini – Chart history" Billboard Canada Country for Kelsea Ballerini.
  15. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Kelsea Ballerini.
  16. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini – Chart history" Billboard Country Airplay for Kelsea Ballerini.
  17. ↑ "Kelsea Ballerini – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Kelsea Ballerini.
  18. ↑ "Best of 2015: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  20. ↑ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Country" (Week Of: September 22, 2014). Radio & Records. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  21. ↑ Parker, Eric T. (November 24, 2014). "Black River Releases Breakout EP By Kelsea Ballerini". MusicRow. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Love Me Like You Mean It - Single Kelsea Ballerini". iTunes Store (AU). Apple Inc. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Love Me Like You Mean It - Single Kelsea Ballerini". iTunes Store (CA). Apple Inc. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Love Me Like You Mean It - Single Kelsea Ballerini". iTunes Store (UK). Apple Inc. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Love Me Like You Mean It - Single Kelsea Ballerini". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
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