"It Didn't" is a song recorded and co-written by Canadian

country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...

artist

Madeline Merlo Madeline Merlo (born February 9, 1994) is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. She signed to Open Road Recordings in 2013 and released her debut album, '' Free Soul'', three years later. In 2015, Merlo received the "Rising Star" award from t ...

. She wrote the track with

Jason Blaine Jason Blaine (born April 19, 1980) is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter from Pembroke, Ontario. Blaine is a multiple Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), SOCAN & Country Music Association of Ontario Award winner with over 20 Canadi ...

and producer

Jeff Pardo Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Pardo (born December 18, 1981) is an American Christian musician, who is mainly a music producer, songwriter, and composer. He has received a Grammy Award nomination at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Early life Pardo was ...

Background and release

Merlo stated that "It Didn't" was one of her favourite songs that she had ever written. She described it as "about feeling the light at the end of the tunnel after a difficult time," adding it "touches on my battle with depression and overcoming a tumultuous breakup". "It Didn't" was initially released as a promotional single in April 2020 on the same day Merlo released the songs "

Kiss Kiss Kiss Kiss may refer to: Books * ''Kiss Kiss'' (book), a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl Music * Kiss Kiss (band), an American indie rock band * "Kiss Kiss" (Chris Brown song) * "Kiss Kiss" (Kim Hyun-joong song) * "Kiss Kiss" (Ladies' ...

" and "If You Never Broke My Heart". She viewed the three tracks as a "reflection" of the two years she had spent living in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. Together, Merlo said they are meant to represent the "multitude of emotions you experience going through heartbreak and ending up on the other side". "It Didn't" was later sent to country radio as the follow-up to "Kiss Kiss" in October 2020.

Critical reception

Hendrik Pape of ''Sound Check Entertainment'' referred to the track as an "up-tempo post-break-up anthem". ''Front Porch Music'' described the song as a "power track with an electric guitar, an undeniably contagious tempo, and delicately curated lyrics," calling Merlo's voice "powerful". Ally Paige of ''Swift Current Online'' said the song "joyfully celebrates the closure after the heartbreak and finding the light at the end".

Commercial performance

"It Didn't" reached a peak of #17 on the ''Billboard''

Canada Country The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart dated March 20, 2021 marking Merlo's eighth Top 20 hit. It has been certified Gold by

Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...

Music video

The official music video for "It Didn't " premiered on February 17, 2021. The video was directed by brothers John Edde and Matt Edde. It features Merlo starting the video on a couch, before transitioning into scenes of enjoyment. Merlo stated that "the boxer at the end is a metaphor for the fight it takes to come out on the other side".

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2020 songs 2020 singles Madeline Merlo songs Open Road Recordings singles Songs written by Jeff Pardo Songs written by Madeline Merlo