Better Days (Dermot Kennedy song)

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"Better Days"
Better Days Dermot Kennedy.jpg
Single by Dermot Kennedy
Released28 July 2021 (2021-07-28)
Length3:18
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Daniel Nigro
  • Ryan Linvill
Dermot Kennedy singles chronology
"Don't Cry"
(2020) 		"Better Days"
(2021)
Music video
"Better Days" on YouTube

"Better Days" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy. It was released on 28 July 2021 via Island Records. Kennedy wrote the song with Daniel Nigro, Carey Willetts, Sam Roman and Scott Harris, and produced by Nigro and Ryan Linvill.[1]

Background[]

In an interview with Songwriter Universe, Kennedy stated he wrote the song in February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] In September, during his tour of America, he told American Songwriter: "The way I saw it, that was almost the voice of my mother and father telling me to hold out and to know that my music would work out someday. Anytime I felt disheartened, felt down, like it wasn't going to work out—that's where this song sits for me".[3]

Content[]

In a press release, Kennedy explained: "This is a song about patience. It's about believing in something brighter, and never losing sight of better days, no matter how hard things might get. In a time where so many people feel worried and exhausted, I would love for this song to remind even one person that things will improve. As an artist, I feel somewhat responsible to try to make people feel a little better, whether that’s making them think of someone they love, or just taking their mind off their problems for the length of a song. So this is my contribution to hopefully providing some people with a moment's solace. Better days will come".[4] The song "come[s] with the kind of optimism and hopes Dermot has been so vocal about throughout his career, providing support and solace to so many".[5]

Critical reception[]

Nora Onanian of WERS wrote that the song "feels like being lifted out of fog. [And] also gives a taste of a new direction Kennedy seems to be going in musically".[6] Ed Power of The Irish Times commented that it "skilfully binds together elements of every popular Irish artist of the past 25 years", like The Script, and " in the choral backing sung in Irish, of The Cranberries at their most ethereal".[7]

Music video[]

The music video was directed by Paul Gore. It showcases Kennedy "fighting a powerful jet stream underwater, push[ing] forward in scenes filled with tension, energy and movement", with him eventually "prevailing in his physical struggle".[8]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[9]

  • Clarence Coffee, Jr. – vocal producer
  • Curtis Elvidge – vocal producer
  • Neil Goody – vocal producer
  • Matty Green – engineer, mixing
  • Laurence Guy – primary artist
  • Scott Harris – composer
  • Dermot Kennedy – composer, primary artist, vocals
  • Ryan Linvill – drum programming, producer, recording, saxophone, synthesizer programming
  • Mitch McCarthy – mixing
  • Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
  • Daniel Nigro – bass, composer, drum programming, keyboards, piano, producer, vocals (background)
  • Chappell Roan – vocals (background)
  • Sam Romans – composer
  • Carey Willetts – composer, vocal engineer

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Silver 200,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Premieres New Song "Better Days" on BBC Radio 1". PM Studio. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  2. ^ Kawashima, Dale (17 August 2021). "Acclaimed Irish Artist Dermot Kennedy Talks About His New Single "Better Days," His Excellent Album Without Fear, And His Hit "Outnumbered"". Songwriter Universe. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  3. ^ Uitti, Jacob (9 September 2021). "Ireland's Dermot Kennedy Treats People Well, Highlights "Better Days"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  4. ^ "'Better Days' the new single from Dermot Kennedy". Total Ntertainment. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Better Days". Universal Music Ireland. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  6. ^ Onanian, Nora (12 September 2021). "Pick of the Week: Dermot Kennedy "Better Days"". WERS. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  7. ^ Poewr, Ed (28 July 2021). "Dermot Kennedy: Better Days – A great big Michael Flatley of a torch song". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Shares New Single And Music Video "Better Days"". Imprintent. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Laurence Guy / Dermot Kennedy – Better Days / Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Dermot Kennedy – Better Days" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  11. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202150 into search. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Dermot Kennedy – Better Days" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  15. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  16. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202147 into search. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  18. ^ Griffiths, George (9 January 2022). "Ireland's official biggest songs of 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  19. ^ "British single certifications – Dermot Kennedy – Better Days". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
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