Keith Anderson, “I Still Miss You”

I like the lyric. Like it quite a bit, actually. It doesn’t sound like a country record to me, though. I’m not a purist by any means, but I literally don’t hear anything that sounds remotely like country music here. Sounds more like Adult Top 40.

So, good grade for the single, because it’s solid. I’m just not sure that it’s country.

Written by Keith Anderson, Tim Nichols & Jason Sellers

Grade: B

Listen: I Still Miss You

18 Comments

  1. There’s a little steel guitar at the beginning …

    I agree, it doesn’t sound country much. More like AC rather than Top 40, and I can see it getting spins there, sort of like Lost in This Moment, Lost, and Nothin’ Better to Do last year.

    But overall it’s a decent song, although a little too similar to “Every Time I Hear My Name” (a GREAT song) to be a standout. With him changing labels and the lack of success of “Sunday Morning in America”, I predict a #25 peak on the country charts, and a possible crack in the top 30 of the adult contemporary charts.

  2. Maybe you’re right Stephen – AC has become a bit of a mixed bag of late and Country acts have been making inroads there.

    I’m just a little surprised this is the lead single from the record – expected something with a bit more personality from Keith, especially given all the major acts he’s going to be competing against for Country airplay.

  3. Hey Peter,

    Sony BMG has done pretty well with a ‘personality-less’ “Stealing Cinderella” from Chuck Wicks so perhaps Keith and SBMG see an opportunity there.

  4. Yes, but I also think that “Stealing Cinderella” at least had the advantage of being a wedding-specific song, like “Lost in This Moment” and “I Loved Her first” before it. This is just a vanilla, forlorn lover song. I think Country fans prefer their forlorn lovers pissed off or hitting the sauce in misery.

  5. Sorry man, but have you listened to country radio in the last 5 years? Country music is ever-evolving constantly. In this record, YES there are some melodies that are somewhat AC oriented, but this is still a country record. If you think this song isn’t country, I’d hate to hear what you’d say about the BIGGEST selling country music artist out there . . . Rascal Flatts. Or how about Keith Urban with his heavily programmed drums? Or maybe we should talk about Taylor Swift’s pop remixes . . .

  6. I’m gonna bypass the whole AC conflict. This song sounds typical to Keith and thats why I enjoy it. It sounds like Keith’s style and his music, no-one elses. I think its risky using a song on this topic that has been repeatatively done over in many different fashions to make a comeback, but who knows, maybe it’ll work.

  7. Concerned,

    You know what? I actually haven’t listened to country radio in the last five years. Actually, it’s closer to ten years. But I have heard everything that’s played on it, along with quite a lot of music that isn’t.

  8. Everyone gets all revved up about whether a song is country or not when most things on country radio are far from what’s considered “country music.” Personally I think the reference point should be do you like the song and did it mean something to you. Half the artists that are currently on country radio wouldn’t be there if they had to follow some sort of strict country music guidelines. I love Keith Urban’s last project and there’s little to nothing “country” about it by what most measure. However, it moved me and meant something to me. Isn’t that the bottom line in music?

  9. I love this song. I heard it for the first time on my way home from the hospital the night my 9 minutes old nephew died and I just wept. This song will always remind me of his little face. I know that’s not the meaning behind this song, but I don’t care. This song is about him for me.

  10. This song means so much to me ,I am going through a divorce right now that he wants and I DON’T and I have tried everything to go on with my life and I just can’t because I still LOVE and MISS him so much.The first time I heard this song I was on the highway and I had to pull over because I was crying so hard I couldn’t see the lines on the road anymore.This song mean so much to so many people for different reasons ,but it is so special to me I can’t wait for it to come out on CD.Thank you for writing this song.It’s GREAT

  11. I love this song it says it all when your heart is hurting with and can’t top thinking about that person. Its that silent hell that no-one really knows goes on but you. I LOVE THIS SONG

  12. My wife died in November of this year and like April, I know it’s not the original intent of the song but it sums up my existance better than anything I’ve heard. I know that I’ve cried, prayed like hell and done everything that he mentions in the song to “get on with” my life. It’s a great song and Thank you, Keith, for putting it out there.

  13. I agree with April and Bobby. This song has a special meaning to me as I also lost my wife. Songs have different meanings for different people but this one has a special meaning for me.

  14. This song is reminisent of of the Meredith Hope Emerson and Steve Segars testimonial: Those 33 minutes Wednesday morning with the Bert Show and Steve Segars, the boyfriend of the murdered hiker Meredith Emerson, was incredible radio. Check it out here if you haven’t already.. I called Bert Weiss later that afternoon for his reaction.

    After the interview with Segars ended at about 8:30 a.m., Bert said, “I didn’t want to do the rest of the show. It felt like anything we talked about was so small and insignificant. We all wanted to just leave.”

    http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/radiotalk/entries/2008/01/09/110_berts_take.html

    Wolfscratch

  15. I agree, it sounds too much like his last song, Every Time I Hear Your Name! I’m sick of country radio. All my station plays is Kenny Chesney! I’ve never cared for him, but after hearing him constantly….I CANNOT STAND HIM! IMO, he is so overrated! I mentioned Kenny because his songs are all the same too and that doesn’t seem to matter to his fans or country radio. Sorry, I’m just in a bad mood today!

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