Drunk on a Plane

"Drunk on a Plane" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released in April 2014 as the third single from his seventh studio album Riser. The song has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.[1] The song was written by Bentley, Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins.

"Drunk on a Plane"
Single by Dierks Bentley
from the album Riser
ReleasedApril 21, 2014 (2014-04-21)
Recorded2013–14
GenreCountry
Length4:14
LabelCapitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ross Copperman
Dierks Bentley singles chronology
"I Hold On"
(2013)		 "Drunk on a Plane"
(2014)		 "Say You Do"
(2014)

Content

"Drunk on a Plane" is an up-tempo song about a man who is left behind at the altar and takes a trip to Cancún by himself after he is unable to obtain a refund for the airplane tickets he had purchased for a honeymoon. While on the airplane, the narrator drinks heavily, becoming intoxicated and parties with the other passengers.[2] Bentley told Country Standard Time, "It's a fun song, but when you really listen, there's also an underlying lonesomeness, which is what makes it different than a lot of the other uptempo songs I've put out."[3]

Critical reception

Bob Paxman of Country Weekly rated the song "A", saying, "The song has a particular smartness about it, which sets this apart from the sundry drinking songs that inundate our space…'Drunk on a Plane' captures a sky-high party atmosphere while giving off a melancholy feel at the same time, a difficult maneuver that's pulled off nicely."[2] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin put "Drunk on a Plane" at number seven on his top 10 list of Bentley's best songs.[4]

Commercial performance

"Drunk on a Plane" was a commercial success. The song is Bentley's 18th career single to peak in the top 10 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay chart. In August 2014, it hit number one on Country Airplay. The song peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is Bentley's second highest peaking song on the chart, behind only his debut single, "What Was I Thinkin'", which peaked at number 22. The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA on September 26, 2014.[1] It reached its million sales mark in the United States in October 2014.[5] The song has sold 1,487,000 copies in the US as of July 2016.[6]

Music video

The video premiered during his performance at the Havelock Country Jamboree. In the music video, Bentley plays both himself and an airline pilot. According to Country Weekly, "musician Dierks (who is a real-life pilot) has to save the day when the craft is plummeting toward the ground."[7] Wes Edwards directed the video.[8] The protagonist is played by comedian Jeff Dye. Other noted actors in the video include Emma Fitzpatrick (as the protagonist's girlfriend), Taylor Saxelby (air stewardess), Josh Schuber (as tone of the aisle guys) and Dierks's own drummer as the co-pilot. It was filmed inside a real aircraft stationed at a garage in Los Angeles. Josh's story is continued in the video for "Somewhere on a Beach", which Edwards would also direct.[9]

The video won Music Video of the Year at the 2014 CMA Awards.[10]

Charts and certifications

References
  1. "American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Drunk on a Plane". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  2. Paxman, Bob (2 June 2014). "Dierks Bentley — 'Drunk on a Plane'". Country Weekly. 21 (22): 66. ISSN 1074-3235.
  3. "Bentley gets "Drunk on a Plane"". Country Standard Time. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. Dauphin, Chuck (July 14, 2017). "Dierks Bentley's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  5. Paul Grein (October 1, 2014). "Chart Watch: Women Tie All-Time Record". Yahoo! Music.
  6. Bjorke, Matt (July 5, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Country Songs Chart: July 5, 2016". Roughstock.
  7. "Dierks Bentley Saves the Day in "Drunk on a Plane" Video". Country Weekly. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. "'Drunk on a Plane' video". Country Music Television. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. "'Dierks Bentley's 'Drunk on a Plane' Video Violates Numerous FAA Rules". Taste of Country. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  10. "Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban + Miranda Lambert Are Early 2014 CMA Awards Winners". Taste of Country. November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  11. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  12. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
  13. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  15. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  16. "Best of 2014: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  17. "Best of 2014: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  18. "Best of 2014: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  19. "Best of 2014: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  20. "Canadian single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Drunk on a Plane". Music Canada. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
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