"Fast" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist

Luke Bryan Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...

. It was released in November 2016 as the sixth and final single from his 2015 album '' Kill the Lights''.

Content

The song is about "contemplating the speed of life" and noting how events in life move "fast", especially as one ages. Bryan told ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' that the song came about during a writing session with Luke Laird and Rodney Clawson. They were having little success with one song idea until Laird provided the word "fast", and the writers came up with the song's first two lines. The verses take place while the male narrator is a teenager and aspiring for things that are "fast", while the chorus shifts to the narrator's adulthood, where he observes that he is frustrated by his inability to "slow down the passage of time" as stated in the lyric "''60 seconds now feels more like 30''", a lyric provided by Bryan. The song's recording session includes drums from Greg Morrow overlaid by programmed drum sounds provided by Jody Stevens, along with electric piano from Mike Rojas and "glassy whole notes" from session guitarist J.T. Corenflos.

Critical reception

'' Taste of Country''s review of the song was positive, saying that "Rodney Clawson and Luke Laird lend a hand with lyrics that are sure to compel men to hold their women tight as he’s singing it live in 2017." In April 2017, the song became Bryan's fifteenth consecutive number one hit.

Music video

The official music video for "Fast" was directed by Michael Monaco and premiered March 2, 2017. The "nostalgic" video features Bryan playing guitar on an empty stage, interspersed with personal photos that chronicle his career and family life.

Chart performance

The song reached the No. 1 position on

Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990. This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...

, making Bryan the first artist to have six No. 1 Country Airplay singles from an album. The song has sold 172,000 copies in the United States as of May 2017.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2015 songs 2016 singles Country ballads 2010s ballads Luke Bryan songs Capitol Records Nashville singles Songs about old age Songs written by Luke Bryan Songs written by Rodney Clawson Songs written by Luke Laird