It Happens

"It Happens"
Single by Sugarland
from the album Love on the Inside
Released February 9, 2009 (2009-02-09)
Format CD single
Music download
Genre Country
Length 3:02
Label Mercury Nashville
Writer(s) Kristian Bush
Jennifer Nettles
Bobby Pinson
Producer Byron Gallimore
Sugarland
Sugarland singles chronology
"Already Gone"
(2008)
"It Happens"
(2009)
"Joey"
(2009)

"It Happens" is the title of a song recorded by the American country music duo Sugarland. It is the third single from their third album, 2008's Love on the Inside. The duo's members, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, wrote the song along with Bobby Pinson, with whom the duo also co-wrote the album's first two singles, "All I Want to Do" and "Already Gone".

Contents

Content

"It Happens" is an up-tempo accompanied by steel-string acoustic guitar and electric guitar. In it, the female narrator (Jennifer Nettles, the duo's lead singer) tells of oversleeping and coming to work late. She borrows her neighbor's car to drive to "Wal-Mart" in the second verse, and is involved in an accident with her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. A "Pssh" sound precedes the phrase "It happens" on all but the second chorus, so as to make the phrase sound like "shit happens".[1]

Reception

In his review of the album, Entertainment Weekly critic Chris Willman said that the song recalled "cheekily potty-mouthed hits like Blake Shelton's 'Some Beach'."[1] Thom Jurek of Allmusic cited the song as an example of the album's personal influence, as Nettles had gone through a divorce while writing it.[2] Matt Bjorke described the song favorably as well in his review for the Roughstock website. He called it "a playful, irreverent song" and considered it a better single choice than "Love" (which was originally slated as the album's third single), because he thought that "It Happens" showed a more traditionally country sound than "Love" did.[3]

Matt C., in his review of the album for The 9513, said that Nettles seemed to show more interest in "frivolous tracks" such as "It Happens" as compared to the more serious tracks.[4] Country Universe critic Blake Boldt gave it a C rating, saying that it was a "needless novelty" but a "necessary evil in a corporate radio world".[5]

Awards

"It Happens" was nominated at the 52nd Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, though lost to Lady Antebellum's "I Run To You."

Personnel

The following musicians play on this track.[6]

Chart performance

"It Happens" debuted at #40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts dated for February 28, 2009.[7] The song became the duo's fifth U.S. Number One song on the chart week of May 23, 2009, holding that position for two weeks.

Chart (2009) Peak
Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 47
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 33
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 1
Preceded by
"She's Country"
by Jason Aldean
Billboard Hot Country Songs
number-one single

May 23-May 30, 2009
Succeeded by
"Then"
by Brad Paisley

References

  1. ^ a b Willman, Chris. "Love on the Inside review". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20214813,00.html. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  2. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Love on the Inside review". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1395422/review. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  3. ^ Bjorke, Matt. "Sugarland - "It Happens"". Roughstock. http://www.roughstock.com/blog/sugarland-it-happens-single-review. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  4. ^ Matt C. (2008-07-22). "Love on the Inside review". The 9513. http://www.the9513.com/album-review-sugarland-love-on-the-inside/. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  5. ^ Boldt, Blake (2009-02-13). "Sugarland — "It Happens"". Country Universe. http://www.countryuniverse.net/2009/02/13/sugarland-it-happens/. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  6. ^ (2008) Album notes for Love on the Inside (Deluxe Fan Edition) by Sugarland [CD booklet]. Mercury Nashville (11476).
  7. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart listing for "It Happens"". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=357&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Country+Songs&ci=3106399&cdi=10140226&cid=02%2F28%2F2009. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  8. ^ "Sugarland Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Sugarland. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  9. ^ "Sugarland Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Sugarland. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  10. ^ "Sugarland Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for Sugarland. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 23, 2011.