After extending his list of chart toppers with back-to-back #1’s “Kick the Dust Up” and “Strip It Down,” Luke Bryan releases his very first male-female duet with “Home Alone Tonight,” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild.
“Home Alone Tonight,” the third single from Bryan’s fifth studio album Kill The Lights, is about the revenge of two scorned exes. Bryan and Fairchild’s characters have both been through a recent breakup and are out looking for payback on the ones who hurt them. They drink – a lot – throwing caution to wind which helps this one-night hookup advance. But keeping the revenge between each other is not enough, as they capture the moment in a cellphone photo with the intentions of rubbing it in the faces of their exes:
Shot for shot for shot ‘til we forgot what we came here to forget
Ain’t a clock, a tick, a tock that’s gonna stop a night we won’t regret
So put your drink down, throw your camera up, flip it around and snap a payback picture
Sent it to my ex, I’ll send it to my ex and send ‘em both a text
Saying we ain’t going home alone tonight
Girl you ain’t gotta, I ain’t gotta go home alone tonight
The heavy beat and electronic production of the song adds to the vibe of the lyrics, giving it a sultry feel, and much like “Kick the Dust Up” it leans towards the R&B influence that Bryan has been including as of late that can sometimes come off as over-produced, depending on one’s taste.
Bryan & Fairchild’s voices complement each other well, especially during the chorus. However given the talent that Fairchild has (especially with the recent success of “Girl Crush” that showcases her vocal power) it is disappointing that she doesn’t have a “moment” within the song to show it. Granted, the song is a track on Bryan’s album and she’s accompanying him, but her solo lines seem to be spoken, not sung. She almost comes off as more of a back-up singer than a duet partner.
Nonetheless, the topic of the mid-tempo single is one that many can relate to, which adds to its appeal. The lyrics sizzle, the chorus is catchy and it’s bound to have support from fans of both artists.
“Home Alone Tonight” will hit country radio today, November 23, one day after Bryan and Fairchild performed an amazing duet live on the American Music Awards, and is available for purchase on all outlets.