First Kiss (Kid Rock album)

First Kiss
Studio album by Kid Rock
Released February 24, 2015
Recorded 2014
Genre Rock, southern rock
Length 44:44
Label Warner Bros., Top Dog
Producer Kid Rock, Dan Huff
Kid Rock chronology

Rebel Soul
(2012)		 First Kiss
(2015)
Singles from First Kiss
  1. "First Kiss"
    Released: January 6, 2015

First Kiss is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kid Rock. The album was released on February 24, 2015 through Warner Bros. Records and Top Dog Records, and is his first with Warner Bros. after leaving sister label Atlantic Records in 2014.[1][2][3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 65/100[4]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [5]
Billboard [6]
Entertainment Weekly B[7]
The Guardian [8]
New York Daily News [9]
Rolling Stone [10]

First Kiss received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 65, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 8 reviews.[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said, "Earlier on the album, Kid Rock admits "we can't fight this getting older" and that weary yet warm acceptance of his middle age is why First Kiss works: it's a bit bumpy and sometimes sleepy but it finds old Bob Ritchie settling into his comfort zone, knowing that he's in it for the long haul."[5] Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone said, "First Kiss presents few surprises, mostly because Kid Rock's journey from abrasive rap metal to unreconstructed heartland rock has landed him in a sweet spot: big guitars, big drums, big choruses and gravelly vocals. "I know what's right," he declares on the thumping "Ain't Enough Whiskey," and there's no arguing with music offered with this degree of energy, joy and conviction."[10] Richard Bienstock of Billboard said, "On his 10th studio effort Kid Rock is, to borrow the title of his annual sea cruise, chillin' the most. His first album since departing longtime label Atlantic for Warner Bros., First Kiss is hardly his most adventurous project, but it is perhaps his most easygoing, tuneful one. The production is crisp and clean, the guitars are sparkling, the vibe is rollicking but relaxed. And surprisingly, kicking back suits Rock: He sounds better here than he has in a long time."[6]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with sales of 137,000 copies in the United States;[11] the album also debuted at number two in Canada on the Canadian Albums Chart, with sales of 8,000.[12]

Track listing

All songs were produced by Kid Rock, except "First Kiss" and "Drinking Beer With Dad" were produced by Kid Rock and Dan Huff.

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "First Kiss"  Kid Rock, Marlon Young 4:40
2. "Good Times, Cheap Wine"  Rock, Young 4:37
3. "Johnny Cash"  Rock 4:41
4. "Ain't Enough Whiskey"  Rock, Young 3:37
5. "Drinking Beer with Dad"  Rock 4:38
6. "Good Time Lookin' for Me"  Rock, Young 4:33
7. "Best of Me"  Rock, Young 4:48
8. "One More Song"  Rock 4:26
9. "Jesus and Bocephus"  Rock, Jeff Orr 3:51
10. "FOAD" (rewritten as "Say Goodbye" on clean version co-written by Bob Seger[13])Rock, Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist 4:55[14]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] 45
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] 9
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 2
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] 16
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 5
UK Albums (OCC)[20] 52
US Billboard 200[21] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] 1

References

  1. ↑ "Kid Rock". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "iTunes - Music - First Kiss by Kid Rock". iTunes. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "7 Things We Know About Kid Rock's 'First Kiss'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Reviews for First Kiss by Kid Rock - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "First Kiss - Kid Rock - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Album Review: Kid Rock Grows Up and Gives Thanks on 'First Kiss'". Billboard. 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
  7. ↑ "'First Kiss,' by Kid Rock". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Tim Jonze. "Kid Rock: First Kiss review – torturous cliches and constipated insincerity". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Kid Rock, Big Sean album reviews". NY Daily News. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Kid Rock's New Album: First Kiss". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  12. ↑ Cross, Alan (March 4, 2015). "Weekly Music Sales Report and Analysis: 04 March 2015". Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bob Seger helped Kid Rock "Say Goodbye" on new album". theoaklandpress.com. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Amazon.com: First Kiss [Clean] [+digital booklet]: Kid Rock: MP3 Downloads". amazon.com. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  15. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". ARIA. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Kid Rock – First Kiss" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Kid Rock Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Kid Rock.
  18. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Kid Rock – First Kiss". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Kid Rock | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart
  21. ↑ "Kid Rock Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Kid Rock.
  22. ↑ "Kid Rock Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Kid Rock.