"I Hate You for It" is a song recorded by Canadian country artist Chad Brownlee for his first extended play, Hearts on Fire (2016). Brownlee co-wrote the song with the track's producers, Ben Glover and Mitch Merrett. It was released to Canadian country radio April 26, 2016 as the second single three days before the EP's release.[1] "I Hate You for It" was certified Gold by Music Canada in January 2017 for digital sales of over 40,000 copies, becoming his first certified single.[2]

"I Hate You for It"
Single by Chad Brownlee
from the album Hearts on Fire
ReleasedApril 26, 2016 (2016-04-26)
GenreCountry rock
Length3:32
LabelMDM Recordings
Songwriter(s)
  • Chad Brownlee
  • Ben Glover
  • Mitch Merrett
Producer(s)
  • Ben Glover
  • Mitch Merrett
Chad Brownlee singles chronology
"Hearts on Fire"
(2015)
"I Hate You for It"
(2016)
"Somethin' We Shouldn't Do"
(2016)

Content

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"I Hate You for It" combines country vocals with influences of rock music.[3] The song is about "[being] so in love with somebody that you facetiously hate the fact that they have control over your life."[4] In an interview with Regina Leader-Post, Brownlee said that he and the song's co-writers "knew that it pushed the envelope, especially with the word 'hate' in the title," but that they were confident in the stylistic direction of the song and that he was attracted to recording it because of that edginess.[4]

Commercial performance

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"I Hate You for It" debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Canada Country chart dated May 21, 2016 and reached a peak position of 8 on the chart dated August 6, 2016.[5] This tied it with previous single "Hearts on Fire" as Brownlee's highest-charting singles to date, until "Somethin' We Shouldn't Do" peaked one position higher in 2017.[6] "I Hate You for It" was the top-selling country single in Canada for 10 weeks.[7] In January 2017, the single was certified Gold by Music Canada for verified sales of over 40,000 digital copies.[2]

Music video

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The music video for "I Hate You for It" was directed by Stephano Barberis.[8] A censored version premiered exclusively through CMT Canada before the full, uncensored version was released on July 11, 2016.[9][10] Taking place in a strip club,[11] the video features provocative shots of female dancers and "dark, moody visuals."[12] The staff of Sounds Like Nashville deemed the video "steamy" and a good match for the song's lyrics,[12] while other outlets voiced concern over the video's suitability for younger audiences.[9][10]

Charts

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Chart (2016) Peak
position
Canada Country (Billboard)[6] 8

Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[2] Gold 40,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Dagg, Nanci (May 4, 2016). "Interview – Chad Brownlee". Canadian Beats. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Canadian single certifications – Chad Brownlee – I Hate You for It". Music Canada. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  3. ^ Hather, Amanda (April 29, 2016). "Review - Chad Brownlee". Canadian Beats. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Dedekker, Jeff (January 13, 2017). "Chad Brownlee succeeds with new formula for Hearts On Fire". Regina Leader-Post. Postmedia Network. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  5. ^ "Chart history for "I Hate You for It" on Canada Country". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Chad Brownlee Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "Tenille Arts ranked as 'Country Artist to Watch'". Weyburn This Week. Glacier Community Media. December 16, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  8. ^ "Chad Brownlee - I Hate You For It". Soundcheck Entertainment. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Hather, Amanda (July 12, 2016). "New video released by Chad Brownlee". Canadian Beats. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Chad Brownlee – I Hate You For It". Top Country. July 18, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  11. ^ "Chad Brownlee Talks 'I Hate You For It' Music Video". Global News. Corus Entertainment. July 6, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  12. ^ a b SLN Staff Writer - Canada (July 13, 2017). "Chad Brownlee Releases New Video For "I Hate You For It"". Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. Retrieved September 17, 2017.