Dierks Bentley went cinematic for his new song release.
The country music star is gearing up to release his 11th studio album, Broken Branches, on June 13. Bentley has already given a couple of sneak peaks into the project, with songs like “She Hates Me,” “Well Well Whiskey,” and Cold Beer Can,” which featured Stephen Wilson Jr.
While we’re on the topic of collaborations, Dierks also has John Anderson, Riley Green and Miranda Lambert supporting him on the track list. The title track of the album is set to have both Anderson and Green included… and considering the success of Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” Riley has proven to be an effective feature.
But with “Standing in the Sun,” a love song that paints a picture of true, lasting love, Dierks Bentley went solo. The track exudes gratitude, and Bentley’s signature gravely sound pairs up perfect with the writing of Kyle Sturrock, as Dierks explains:
“This is one of those songs that I never in a million years could have written on my own, but I’m so glad someone in this town did and gave me temporary custody of it for awhile. Love is such a classic theme in country music, but Kyle was able to write it in a way that is so personal to me… it’s the way I feel it. And, I love how sonically it builds to feel like a sunrise, tying back to the lyric of the song.”
Speaking of building up to a sunrise, the release of “Standing in the Sun” came with a music video that’s as artful as it is impressive. It’s all shot in one take, which is also referred to as a “oner” (think about the war film 1917 or the new Apple TV show The Studio), which means the country singer couldn’t afford to mess up.
Especially because they were trying to time up the nearly four-minute track with the sunrise, with the setting of the music video being the beautiful Tennessee farm that Dierks and his family lives on. It undoubtedly took a lot of planning, and though Dierks wasn’t asked to do a lot during the music video, he still had to make sure he nailed it.
Think about it… if Bentley messes up at any moment, it’s back to square one the following day. That’s the beauty – and the agonizing element – of shooting everything in one take. But when it all comes together? Chef’s kiss. A cinematic, musical masterpiece. And it culminates with Bentley finally turning around (after walking away from the sun rise for the length of the video) and taking it all in as he’s “Standing in the Sun.”
I’m sure once Dierks got to that final repeated chorus (transcribed below), he knew he was in the home stretch:
“Cause loving you is standing in the sun
Holding you’s a heat wave burning me up
Ain’t no way I’ll ever get enough
It’s just one kiss, one look, one touch
That noise dies down and life slows up
That world can be dark and wild and damn cold but
Loving you is standing in the sun
I’m standing in the sun.”
You can check out the official music video for Bentley’s “Standing in the Sun” below:
