"Sooner or Later" is a song written by John Shanks, Hillary Lindsey, and co-written and recorded by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist

Michelle Branch Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: ''The Spirit Room'' and '' Hotel Paper.'' She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Co ...

. It was released as the lead-off single to her six-song solo

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

EP, '' Everything Comes and Goes''. "Sooner or Later" was released as a digital download on June 29, 2009 and later sent to country radio on August 11, 2009. This is Branch's first country single, and her first release since

The Wreckers The Wreckers were an American country music duo formed in 2005 by Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp, both of whom had solo recordings before the duo's foundation. In 2006, the duo released its debut album '' Stand Still, Look Pretty'', which produ ...

, a country duo consisting of Branch and Jessica Harp, was placed on hold in favor of solo careers for both members.

Content

"Sooner or Later" is a moderate up-tempo country song driven by acoustic guitar, with prominent banjo and steel guitar fills. The narrator describes a friend, who she really wants to be with, but he doesn't know yet. She finishes by saying that he will realize she is the perfect match "sooner or later". Branch, who wrote the song with John Shanks and Hillary Lindsey, stated the song was based on her experience of being only a friend when she wanted more.

Reception

Dan Milliken of Country Universe gave a negative review, and compared it to

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

's " You Belong with Me". "I didn’t sit in when this was made or anything, but it sounds like it passed through so many levels of self-consciousness that most of the personality just got rubbed out of the mix at some point, leaving behind a flimsy song and a recycled production."

Music video

The music video, which was directed by Liz Friedlander, premiered during CMT's Big New Music Weekend on October 2, 2009.CMT Videos: Music Binge - 10.2.09 : Sooner Or Later
/ref> The video begins with Branch driving a

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...

van and picking up a guy. She drives through the desert before coming to a stop at a junkyard, then at some ruins. Throughout the video, Branch is also shown performing with her acoustic guitar while sitting on a leather chair beside the road and at an old gas station. In the end, the man puts his arm around her and they walk away together.

Chart performance

"Sooner or Later" debuted at number 59 on the U.S. ''Billboard''

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart for the chart week of September 5, 2009 and peaked at number 46 in late October 2009. It also debuted and peaked at number 93 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at number 35 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.

References

{{Michelle Branch 2009 singles Michelle Branch songs Music videos directed by Liz Friedlander Song recordings produced by John Shanks Songs written by Hillary Lindsey Songs written by John Shanks Songs written by Michelle Branch 2009 songs Warner Records Nashville singles