Hurricane (Luke Combs song)

"Hurricane"
Single by Luke Combs
from the album This One's for You
Released	October 3, 2016 (2016-10-03)
Genre	Country
Length	3:43
Label	Columbia Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Luke Combs Thomas Archer Taylor Phillips
Producer(s)	Scott Moffatt
Luke Combs singles chronology
"Hurricane" (2016) "When It Rains It Pours" (2017)

"Hurricane" is the debut single of American country music singer Luke Combs. The song was released through Columbia Nashville in 2016 after initially charting in 2015. It is included on his debut album This One's for You.^[1] The song was written by Combs, along with Thomas Archer and Taylor Phillips.^[2]

"Hurricane" reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Its second week atop that position gave Combs two distinctions: the first artist to have a multi-week number one debut single chart since Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" in 2012 and the first male solo artist to accomplish that since Darius Rucker's "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" in 2008. It also peaked at numbers 3 and 31 on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. The song received a 3× Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the song has sold 670,000 copies in the United States as of January 2018.^[3] It garnered similar chart success in Canada, reaching number 2 on the Canada Country chart and number 62 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.

Content

The song is about the narrator's unexpected encounter with a former lover, which he compares to damage done by a hurricane.^[4] Rolling Stone describes the song's arrangement as "an accidental combination of new school and Nineties-era country that freely mixes electronic beats".^[5]

Scott Moffatt of The Moffatts produced the song.^[5]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country reviewed the song with favor, saying "The singer proves he’s a strong storyteller, but also a stylist, with a complex chorus that allows a mainstream production to pop from the speakers."^[4]

Commercial performance

"Hurricane" first charted in July 2015 due to strong sales on iTunes, and was officially sent to radio through Columbia Nashville in October 2016.^[6] It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart dated May 27, 2017,^[7] and remained there the following week, making Combs the first artist to chart a multi-week number one debut single since Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" spent three weeks at number one in December 2012, and the first solo male artist to do so since Darius Rucker's "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" spent two weeks at number one in October 2008.^[8] The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 28, 2017, and 3× Platinum on August 22, 2018.^[9] The song has sold 670,000 copies in the United States as of January 2018.^[3]

Personnel

From This One's for You liner notes.^[10]

Musicians

• Luke Combs – lead vocals
• Jon Conley – electric guitar
• Howard Duck – piano, organ, synthesizer
• Dave Francis – bass guitar
• Scott Moffatt – background vocals, programming
• Brian Pruitt – drums, percussion, programming
• Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar

Technical

• Jim Cooley – mixing
• Scott Moffatt – production

Charts

Weekly charts 2016–2017 weekly chart performance for "Hurricane" Chart (2016–2017) Peak position Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 62 Canada Country (Billboard)[12] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[13] 31 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[14] 3 US Country Airplay (Billboard)[15] 1 2022–2023 weekly chart performance for "Hurricane" Chart (2022) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 77

Year-end charts 2017 year-end chart performance for "Hurricane" Chart (2017) Position Canada Country (Billboard)[17] 27 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 76 US Country Airplay (Billboard)[19] 5 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[20] 3 Decade-end charts Decade-end chart performance for "Hurricane" Chart (2010–2019) Position US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] 14

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "Hurricane"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[22]	5× Platinum	350,000^‡
Canada (Music Canada)[23]	2× Platinum	160,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[24]	Gold	400,000^‡
United States (RIAA)[9]	9× Platinum	9,000,000‡ / 670,000[3]
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "'Hurricane' Singer Luke Combs Readies Debut Album 'This One's for You'". Rolling Stone. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
2. "ACE Repertory – Hurricane". ASCAP. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
3. Bjorke, Matt (January 9, 2018). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: January 9, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
4. Dukes, Billy. "Luke Combs – 'Hurricane'". Taste of Country. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
5. Parton, Chris (January 30, 2017). "Inside 'Hurricane' Singer Luke Combs' Unlikely Success". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
6. Roland, Tom (October 25, 2016). "Newcomer Luke Combs Blows Into Mainstream With 'Hurricane'". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
7. Asker, Jim (May 16, 2017). "Chris Stapleton's 'Room' Cleans Up on Country Albums Chart; 'Traveller' Lifts to No. 2". Billboard.
8. "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
9. "American single certifications – Luke Combs – Hurricane". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
10. This One's for You (CD booklet). Luke Combs. River House Artists/Columbia Records. 2017. 88985-38883-2.
11. "Luke Combs Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
12. "Luke Combs Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
13. "Luke Combs Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
14. "Luke Combs Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
15. "Luke Combs Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
16. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 21 August 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1746. Australian Recording Industry Association. August 21, 2023. p. 4.
17. "Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
18. "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
19. "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
20. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
21. "Decade-End Charts: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
22. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
23. "Canadian single certifications – Luke Combs – Hurricane". Music Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
24. "British single certifications – Luke Combs – Hurricane". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 2, 2024.