Just a Kiss (song)
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"Just a Kiss" is a song recorded by American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
group
Lady A Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar), ...
ntebellum. It was released on May 2, 2011, as the lead single from the band's album ''
Own the Night ''Own the Night'' is the third studio album by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on September 13, 2011 through Capitol Nashville. This is the follow up album to their previous Grammy Award winning album Need You Now. Th ...
'' (2011).
Dallas Davidson Dallas Davidson is an American country music singer and songwriter from Albany, Georgia, who has written for artists such as Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, Jake Owen, Luke Bryan, Randy Houser, Lady Antebellum, and Billy Curringto ...
collaborated with band members
Hillary Scott Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell (born April 1, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter. She is the co-lead singer of Lady A, previously known as Lady Antebellum, a country music group that was formed in 2006, and is signed to Big Machine Records. ...
,
Charles Kelley Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and lead singer and founding member of the country music trio Lady A, which was formed in 2006 and are signed to Big Machine Records. Early life and career Kelle ...
and
Dave Haywood David Wesley Haywood (born July 5, 1982) is an American country musician and songwriter. He is one-third of the American country music band Lady A, in which he plays guitar, piano and mandolin, and sings backing vocals. Early life Haywood's fat ...
to write the song, taking inspiration from the members' personal experiences. Produced by
Paul Worley Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Rec ...
, "Just a Kiss" was among the last songs recorded for the album, and is a mid-
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
country
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
with lyrics that speak of a romantic relationship between two new couples. Professional reviews for "Just a Kiss" have been mostly positive, commending on the song's theme and musical arrangement and also praising Lady Antebellum's performance, and it features lead vocals from both Scott and Kelley. In the United States, the song debuted at number 28 on the ''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 and appeared at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It later topped the Country chart and was certified 2×
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The song peaked at number 13 in Canada, 22 in Japan and reached the top 80 in Australia and Slovakia.
Shaun Silva Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include Jason Aldean, ...
directed a well-received
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for the song. It portrays the story of two young lovers, Joy, played by actress/model Danielle Donn, and Brady, set against a backdrop of scenery of Europe. The band first performed the song on their
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show on March 11, 2011, and later at the ''Divas Nashvegas'' benefit show. Following the single's release, they performed it on US reality television show ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' and at the ''Billboard'' Music Awards. The group's live performances have been praised by critics. The song was featured in the season 2 finale of ''
Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...
'' and in the season 1, episode 17 of ''
Hart of Dixie ''Hart of Dixie'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The CW from September 26, 2011, to March 27, 2015. The series, created by Leila Gerstein, stars Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, a New Yorker who, after her dreams of b ...
''.


Background and writing

After the
53rd Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...
, held in February 2011, band members
Charles Kelley Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and lead singer and founding member of the country music trio Lady A, which was formed in 2006 and are signed to Big Machine Records. Early life and career Kelle ...
and
Dave Haywood David Wesley Haywood (born July 5, 1982) is an American country musician and songwriter. He is one-third of the American country music band Lady A, in which he plays guitar, piano and mandolin, and sings backing vocals. Early life Haywood's fat ...
said in a backstage interview that work on the group's third album was almost complete. On May 2, 2011, the band digitally released "Just a Kiss", the lead single from the new project. In a blog entry on their website, the group said that "Just a Kiss" was among the last songs that were written for the album. Haywood commented, "We were about six songs into recording and someone had this idea, so we sat down to write it." Hillary Scott, Kelley and Haywood wrote the song with
Dallas Davidson Dallas Davidson is an American country music singer and songwriter from Albany, Georgia, who has written for artists such as Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, Jake Owen, Luke Bryan, Randy Houser, Lady Antebellum, and Billy Curringto ...
. Davidson discussed the conception of the song with
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
blog ''Taste of Country'': "I went out on the road with them, and we wrote a couple of things. We recorded one song called 'We Own the Night'. Charles called me as they were about done with the record. He said, 'Man, we want to write again.' So the band came over o my officeone morning. We started writing this other song. We were trying to find Hillary a little uptempo girl song. We wrote this cool thing." The next day, Davidson found Haywood in his office, playing the
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
part which was later revived for the song's
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
. "When we got done with the other song, I kept going back, saying, 'Man, there's something about what you were playing earlier ... let's mess with that before we leave.' So he started playing it again," Davidson recalled. After the keyboard elements were completed, Scott and Kelley finished the song's music and lyrics at the studio. They discussed ideas for the song; Kelley put forward the basic melody and Scott followed up with her own contribution. After they wrote the lyrics, Davidson proposed that the song's title be "Just a Kiss Goodnight". It was later changed to "Just a Kiss" after Scott felt that "it's cool to have 'just a kiss' goodnight rather than going all the way." Kelley told ''
Country Weekly ''Nash Country Weekly'' was an American lifestyle weekly magazine about country artists and their music. It was in circulation between April 1994 and May 2016. The publisher, Cumulus Media, now maintains the site ''Nash Country Daily''. Overvie ...
'' that the song was inspired by the band members' experiences: "I remembered being out the first night with Cassie and thinking, 'This is different, and I don't want to give any wrong impression. I don't want to make the wrong move because this feels like something special.' We started talking about that and going back and forth with different experiences when we wrote the song." The song was recorded and mixed by Clarke Schleicher, with assistance from Joe Martino and Andrew Bazinet. The
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
track, "Bottle Up Lightning", was written by Kelley, Haywood, Tony Martin and Wendell Lee Mobley.


Music and lyrics

"Just a Kiss" was produced by
Paul Worley Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Rec ...
and lasts for three minutes and 41 seconds. The mid-
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
country
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
opens with
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
chords, played by Haywood. The melody builds up as the track progresses, exhibiting elements of
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
and incorporating
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
s. As the "soaring chorus"—sung in three-part
harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
by Scott and Kelley and backed by Haywood—starts, beats of "overly dramatic drums" are also heard, as described by music critic Matthew Wilkening. According to
Tris McCall Tris McCall is a music journalism, music journalist, novelist, and rock musician from Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, New Jersey, described by ''The New York Times'' as "the plugged-in, Internet-era muse of Jersey City." In 2010, he b ...
from ''
The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'', "Just a Kiss" contains the "specific structure" found in Lady Antebellum's previous songs. This was echoed by John Hill of
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and Nadine Cheung of
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, both of whom compared the song's arrangement to that of "Need You Now" (2009). According to the sheet music published by
Alfred Publishing Company Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York City ...
, "Just a Kiss" is set in
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
with a moderately slow
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 72
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
. Written in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes neede ...
, it follows a
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of Bm7–A/C–D–Gmajor9, and Scott's vocals range from the note of A3 to F5. The lyrics of the song describe a "tortured romantic scenario" of a newly formed couple's relationship, which, according to McCall, is enhanced by the piano and guitar arrangements. Kelley and Scott alternate on lead vocals. It speaks of the couple who prefer not to take their romantic relationship further anytime soon, want to take things slow, and are satisfied with "just a goodnight kiss". McCall also noted that the lyrics portray how the female character's lines, sung by Scott, attempt to fight back her lustful feelings, and precariously sighs the line "I don't want to mess this thing up." Scott 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 "there is so much excitement at the beginning of a new relationship ... all the butterflies and that optimistic feeling that this person could be 'the one'. This song is about one of those times when your brain kicks in and tells your heart 'good things are worth waiting for.'" Sarah Rodman of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' wrote that the song's production is "emblematic of the album's midtempo complacency." Melinda Newman of
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
noted that the
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"give a nice lift at the end."


Critical reception

Bobby Peacock of ''Roughstock'' gave "Just a Kiss" a rating of four stars out of five and called it "another excellent song that plays up all of the band's strengths." Erik Ernst of the ''
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...
'' observed that the track's "lush melody" shows "new confidence for these musicians who have become bona fide stars." A ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' editor also gave a positive review, declaring "Just a Kiss" as "one of the group's finest". Daryl Addison, writing for
Great American Country Great American Family is an American cable television network. Owned by Great American Media, it broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. It was originally established in ...
, commended the group's vocal chemistry in the song, adding that " e group's dynamic allows them to explore a wide range of emotions as they each add their own voice." Melinda Newman of HitFix suggested that "Just a Kiss" is "a good summer song for young lovers." Robbie Daw of music website
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
commented that the song "deftly captures" the state of nervousness that lovers experience during the early stages of the romance. Leah Greenblatt of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' also praised "Just a Kiss" and noted that Lady Antebellum sing the song "like they mean it". He suggested that the song is "classy and very sincere". Stephen Hyden of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' wrote that the song was "painfully chaste". Matthew Wilkening, writing for ''Taste of Country'', gave the song a score of 7.5 out of 10, writing that the song is "surprisingly serious and dour" in contrast to its subject matter, but he praised the "catchy melody". It also received 3.5 stars out of five from John Hill of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...
, who found it "lyrically lacking" but a "solid contribution to the power ballad genre". Jonathan Keefe of
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
found the song to be repetitive in its lyrical theme, and said that the group was "sticking to the blandly pleasant, cliché-driven songwriting of ''Need You Now'', not taking a single risk."
Tris McCall Tris McCall is a music journalism, music journalist, novelist, and rock musician from Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, New Jersey, described by ''The New York Times'' as "the plugged-in, Internet-era muse of Jersey City." In 2010, he b ...
of ''The Star-Ledger'' criticized the song for bearing a close resemblance to " Need You Now" and concluded that "if you swooned for 'Need You Now', chances are you won't be able to resist the tidal pull of this one, either." Shahryar Rizvi of ''
Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...
'' was also less enthusiastic about the song, writing that it "seems kinda old-fashioned amongst all the outspoken and steamy acts in the Top 40." Rizvi concluded by noting that "maybe the music industry's just covering their bases by serving the demographic that appreciates sugar-coated love ballads over brash statements ... If not, well, then "Just A Kiss" will probably appear in sappy, modest teenage romantic comedies. If those types of movies still exist."


Chart performance

"Just a Kiss" debuted on the US ''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 at number 28 on May 21, 2011. According to
Nielsen BDS Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
, the song opened with a first week audience of 6 million across 85 radio stations, becoming the group's highest debut to date. It marked the third highest debut on the chart among groups at the time, after
Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousi ...
's " Take Me There" and
Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, at which point Kristen Hall (vo ...
's "
All I Want to Do "All I Want to Do" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music duo Sugarland. It was released in May 2008 as the first single from their album ''Love on the Inside'', which was released on July 22, 2008. The duo's two members, le ...
". The following week, the song ascended to number 20 on the chart, with the Greatest Gainer mark and soon became the band's fifth number-one hit. On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "Just a Kiss" debuted and peaked at number seven, setting a record for the highest debut on the chart for a country group. The song debuted at number three on the
Hot Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally start ...
chart due to sales of 211,000 downloads. "Just a Kiss" stayed on the Hot 100 for 42 weeks and was certified 2×
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for sales of two million digital units. The song also experienced pop
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
success, peaking at number 21 on the
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
chart, number one on the
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart and number six on the
Adult Pop Songs The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen B ...
chart. In Canada, the song debuted and peaked on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
at number thirteen, selling 15,000 units in its first week. It has stayed on the chart for 24 weeks and was certified Platinum 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 ...
for downloads of 80,000 units. The song reached number one on the
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 ...
airplay chart, number six on the
Canada AC 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, pr ...
chart, and number 23 on the
Canada Hot AC 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, pr ...
chart as tracked by ''Billboard'' via ''
Nielsen BDS Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
''. In Slovakia, "Just a Kiss" charted for three weeks on the Singles chart and peaked at number 73. In Japan, it peaked at number 21 on the
Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
. The song also charted and peaked in the United Kingdom and Australia, at number 78 and number 72, respectively, for one week, and at number 91 in the Netherlands.


Music video

The music video, directed by
Shaun Silva Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include Jason Aldean, ...
, was filmed in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, London, and
Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...
. The
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
hotel is featured as a train station in the video. Kelley explained that the director decided to shoot parts of the music video in Europe because he wanted the video to be "as authentic as possible". The video begins with a young woman, Joy, played by actress Danielle Donn, entering a train, taking a seat two rows in front of Scott and discovering an
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
in her backpack. The iPad has a video of her lover with a sign written in
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
words that mean "Don't forget about me," and also some videos of the couple's travels throughout London, Paris, and Berlin, after which the couple bid each other farewell. A subsequent scene shows Joy's boyfriend finding her sitting on a train seat and they share a kiss. Joy is then seen awoken from sleep as a man named Brady, who looks exactly like the boyfriend in Joy's dream, sits next to her. Brady apologizes for waking her and asks if she minds if he sits next to her. The two make introductions, and Joy mentions her dream. Brady then takes out his iPad case (exactly the same case as the one Joy had in her dream), and smiles at her. Joy smiles back, having experienced this deja vu moment. The group members are seen singing at a Tennessee train station, and on the train itself. The band released
teaser trailer A teaser (or more specifically teaser trailer) is a mini- trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release move or television show advertisement. Short in length, te ...
s first, and the full video premiered on June 27, 2011, 1 pm (
Eastern Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small port ...
), on the band's website. Jon Blistein of ''Billboard'' commented that the video "is sweet and will probably make you smile." AOL's ''The Boot'' also liked the video, writing, "If the storyline itself doesn't make you fall head over heels, the gorgeous scenery surely will, as the clip was shot in various picturesque places around the world." Amy Sciarretto of ''Taste of Country'' noted that the video was "heart-pinching". ''
The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...
'' wrote that the "sweet sentimentality should score with fans of ... ' Need You Now'." However, Melinda Newman of HitFix deemed the video "sugary". Robbie Daw of Idolator wrote, "Lady A's .."Just A Kiss" video got us choked up after one viewing. Clearly we need to get out more."


Live performances

Lady Antebellum sang a portion of "Just a Kiss" on their
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show, on March 11, 2011, performing it after "Love's Lookin' Good on You". The whole band stepped down, and Kelley and Scott sat on bar stools, singing the track to each other. They were accompanied by Haywood on a piano. Matthew Keever of ''Houston Express'' called "Just a Kiss" "the most intimate song of the evening", and Joey Guerra of the ''
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'' wrote that the song could become "another pop smash." They later performed at the ''Divas Nashvegas'' benefit show for the Oasis Center in April 2011. The same month, Lady Antebellum posted a
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message, saying that they would debut the whole song on the tenth season of the US reality television show ''
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''. The performance aired on May 5, 2011. Natasha Mullan of ''
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'' wrote that the group sang the song on ''American Idol'' "in perfect harmony." Lady Antebellum was tapped to perform "Just a Kiss" at the 2011 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, held in
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. The show aired on May 22, 2011, on
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. Scott, Kelley and Haywood, dressed all in black, performed the song as Haywood played piano with their full band behind them. Scott Shetler of Taste of Country commended the performance, writing that the members were "harmonized beautifully, particularly on the song's hook." In June 2011, the group performed the song on the 2011
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, where they were presented with the Award for Group Video of the Year (for "
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"). The band, dressed in black, sang "Just a Kiss" and a few lines of the song "
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
" by
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. The trio also performed the song on
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's ''
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''. Robbie Daw of ''Idolator'' wrote that the performance was "pitch-perfect". Lady Antebellum appeared as the musical guest on ''
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'' on October 1, 2011. They performed "
We Owned the Night "We Owned the Night" is a song recorded by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released in August 2011 as the second single from their album ''Own the Night''. The song was co-written by Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood along wit ...
", followed by "Just a Kiss".


Track listings

* CD single # "Just a Kiss" – 3:41 # "Bottle Up Lightning" – 4:06 * Digital download # "Just a Kiss" – 3:41


Credits and personnel

Credits for "Just a Kiss" are adapted from the ''Own the Night'' liner notes. *
Chad Cromwell Chad Cromwell (born June 14, 1957) is an American rock drummer whose music career has spanned more than 30 years. He is the founding member of a band called Fortunate Sons, which released a self-titled album in 2004. Cromwell has worked with m ...
 – drums * David Huff – drum loops * Michael Rojas –
Hammond B-3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
* Craig Young – bass guitar *
Dave Haywood David Wesley Haywood (born July 5, 1982) is an American country musician and songwriter. He is one-third of the American country music band Lady A, in which he plays guitar, piano and mandolin, and sings backing vocals. Early life Haywood's fat ...
 – piano, acoustic guitar, background vocals * Rob McNelly – electric guitar * Jason "Slim" Gambill – electric guitar *
Paul Worley Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Rec ...
 – electric guitar *
Hillary Scott Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell (born April 1, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter. She is the co-lead singer of Lady A, previously known as Lady Antebellum, a country music group that was formed in 2006, and is signed to Big Machine Records. ...
 – lead vocals *
Charles Kelley Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and lead singer and founding member of the country music trio Lady A, which was formed in 2006 and are signed to Big Machine Records. Early life and career Kelle ...
 – lead vocals * Karen Winkelmann – violin, string contractor * David Davidson – violin * Pamela Sixfin – violin * David Angell – violin * Mary Kathryn VanOsdale – violin * Carolyn Bailey – violin * Carolyn Huebl – violin * Stephen Lamb – copyist * Kristin Wilkinson – strings composer, string arrangements * Monisa Angell – viola * Elizabeth Lamb – viola * Jonathan Yudkin – cello * Anthony LaMarchina – cello * Sari Reist – cello * Kirsten Greer – cello * Clarke Schleicher – recording, mixing * Joe Martino – assistant * Andrew Bazinet – assistant * Erik Hellerman – additional engineering * Brett "Scoop" Blanden – additional engineering * Curt Jenkins – additional engineering * Peter Bowman – additional engineering * Andrew Mendelson – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of number-one country singles of 2011 (U.S.) * List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2012


References


External links


"Just a Kiss"
at Lady Antebellum's Official Website {{Authority control Songs about kissing 2010s ballads 2011 singles 2011 songs Lady A songs Songs written by Hillary Scott Songs written by Charles Kelley Songs written by Dave Haywood Songs written by Dallas Davidson Song recordings produced by Paul Worley Country ballads Music videos directed by Shaun Silva Capitol Records Nashville singles Pop ballads Male–female vocal duets