Black is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released on May 27, 2016, by Capitol Nashville. Bentley explained that this is a record about relationships, and follows the same person throughout the track listing going through them. The lead single, "Somewhere on a Beach", was released to radio on January 18, 2016. The album's second single, "Different for Girls", was released to country radio on June 6, 2016. The album's title track was released to country radio as the third single on November 14, 2016. "What the Hell Did I Say" was revealed to be the fourth single from the album in an exclusive interview with Cody Alan of CMT. Black garnered positive reviews from critics, praising the blend of classic and modern country aesthetics and its exploration of mature themes. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 101,000 equivalent album units and 88,000 copies in the first week. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of half-a-million units.
Summary
Bentley announced the album along with its first single "Somewhere on a Beach" on January 18, 2016, via his social media sites. The second single, "Different for Girls" featuring Elle King, was released on June 6, 2016. The third single, also the title track, was released on November 14, 2016. The fourth single, "What the Hell Did I Say", was released on June 26, 2017. Bentley also released a series of promo videos for "I'll Be the Moon", "What the Hell Did I Say", "Pick Up" and "Black". Bentley commented on the album, saying it was named after his wife Cassidy's maiden name but it's intended to tell a universal story of breakups, hookups, mess-ups and everything in between, shining a light on the things that happen after the sun goes down. He also noted that "It's a relationship album that covers the ups and downs of the journey and ends with some self-realization and evolvement. The song 'Black' helps set all of that in motion at the top of the album by guiding you into the darkness and the shadowsof the night. The same guy who sings 'Somewhere On a Beach' winds up growing and having enough perspective to sing something introspective like 'Different for Girls'. By the last song, he's taking a look back on love and life."
Critical reception
Indicating in a review by Rolling Stone, Stephen L. Betts says, "But what lifts Black past merely being a good concept album is an old-school musicality that never takes a backseat to modern-country conventionality." Stephen Thomas Erlewine, doing the review for AllMusic, describes, "It's mood music, sometimes playing as smooth as a seduction but better suited for moments of introspection when you're surrounded by a crowd and need to isolate." Reviewing the album from Newsday, Glenn Gamboa writes, "expertly weaving styles and storytelling tricks to build memorable tales to sing along with." Chuck Yarborough, giving a review of the album at The Plain Dealer, states, "It is a grownup album, with grownup themes, grownup lyrics and grownup performances, especially from Bentley with his pen and on the microphone." In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed two tracks from the album on his top 10 list of Bentley's best songs: the title track at number three and "Different for Girls" at number six.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 with 101,000 equivalent album units; it sold 88,000 copies in its first week. It was the best-selling album of the week. Black became Bentley's highest charting album on the Billboard 200 and largest sales week. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 22, 2017. The album has sold 276,400 copies in the US as of November 2017.
