Somewhere On A Beach is Splashy Debut

As devoted Dierks Bentley fans we have waited for new music for almost two years and after days of anticipation starting with the album announcement, we finally got our fix.

The first single from Dierks’ upcoming album, Black, is a perfect get ready for summertime song. “Somewhere On A Beach” continues the story of “Drunk On A Plane,” finding out what happened after he landed on the island. 

The mid-tempo song has a bluesy feel and tells of finding a new love (Bentley has said that the song reminds him of his wife) after being left at the altar. It’s a brimming with sunshine tune that tells the initial part of the story that is said to be told in Black, exploring all facets of a long term relationship including the “shadows and edges of the heart.” 

“Somewhere On A Beach," only the third single not co-written by Bentley (Say You Do and Riser), has all the makings of a radio hit, and leaves us wanting more from Black, including those songs with depth and thoughtfulness that Dierks does so well.

Here's an excerpt from The Bobby Bones Show where Dierks explained SOAB:

"[Black the album] follows all the ebbs and curves of a long-term relationship and the stuff that goes with it…being drunk on a beach and finding that someone…I remember when I met my wife [Cassidy Black] it was like such a good feeling knowing that all the other folks before her, they kinda did me wrong in different ways, and people I lost weight over, and lost hair over, and just thought I’d never get past that person, and when you find the right one it’s such a great feeling, so all the way from Somewhere On A Beach to a song called Suspicions."

There are mixed feelings about the song being released as the lead single.  Some absolutely love it :

From iTunes reviewer ZakW15:  "This song is going to sky rocket off the charts. AMAZING song. Can't wait for it to top charts and the Black album to come out."

Some not so much:

From iTunes reviewer Dayanks: "This is terrible.  I never thought I'd say that about one of his songs. But this is just awful. It sounds like a Sam Hunt leftover. Dierks is better than that. I hold out hope for the rest of the album."

Love it or hate it, devoted hard core Dierks fans vow to learn the lyrics, sing along at shows and may even promote it to radio--but it may not need much help.  SOAB only went for official adds today and has already landed at #29 on the Billboard chart, his highest debut ever. It bows at #39 on Mediabase (they tally based on points vs. audience as Billboard does), and earned Dierks his most first-week adds in his career, with 99 stations today! The iHeart hourly airplay on Tuesday, January 19 gave it a big boost, not to mention The Ellen Show debut performance:




Creative marketing made fans question if Dierks gave out his phone number by mistake again:

But it was no mistake! Call the number and you hear Dierks saying leave a message--tell him what you think of Somewhere On A Beach!

Possibly the best indication the song is going to be successful and likely his 14th number one is the fact that it found it's way to the top of the iTunes chart--his first one ever!

We wish all his singles were this easy for radio to play!

Download "Somewhere On A Beach" now on iTunes, or order your Black Card on dierks.com to preorder The Black CD and get access to unreleased songs, one of a kind merch items, special discounts, bonus videos, and other surprises.You also get Entry (1) into the official All Access Black Ticket Sweepstakes* to fly to opening night of the tour, hotel accommodations, a meet and greet with Dierks, and the ultimate prize of two tickets to every show on the tour.


Somewhere On A Beach
Co-written by Jaron Boyer, David Kuncio, Josh Mirenda, Alex Palmer and Michael Tyler Spragg

Bet you think I'm sitting at home, no.
Bet you think that I'm all alone, no.
Bet you think I'm missing you and wishing you would call my phone,
Hell, no!

I went wheels up on a runway
And that ticket was a long way

I'm somewhere on a beach
Sipping something strong,
Got a new girl, she got it going on
We drink all day, and party all night
I'm way too gone to have you on my mind
She got a body and she's naughty,
and she got me like you ain't never got me.
I'm getting sun, getting some, and I ain't slept in a week
Yeah, I'm somewhere on a beach.

Heard you called my boys,
Heard you called my folks
They said you drove by my house real slow
You can check any spot, roll down every road
But girl, I ain't even close

I wish it could've worked out
But I'm gettin' over you now,
On a beach towel
With my shades on
My drink's up
And the sun's out
Huh! somewhere on a beach!

Dierks Goes "Black" With New Album

Always pushing the envelope artistically, with Dierks Bentley's eighth studio album Black he promises to bring more of that bold edginess, saying "I had to dig deep...and record songs that explore the shadows and edges of the heart."

He's never been one to put out a record for the sole purpose to sell records or garner radio airplay (Remember Grammy-nominated "Up On The Ridge?").

“I ask myself all the time, ‘Why keep doing this?’ If I wasn’t exploring or finding something to write about that was personal or meant something, there’d be no reason. If I was ever making a record just to make a record, or ever just like, ‘Just put something out there that someone will buy,’ I would quit. I really would.”

That's the reason we love and support our DB Congress President and will be Dierks fans for life!

It's not surprising that Black will be about his personal relationships, giving us an in-depth account of his ten-year marriage to wife, Cassidy, whose maiden name (coincidentally?) is Black.

"Some people associate red with love, but to me red is for an earlier stage of a relationship,” Bentley says. “Black is much deeper, to me. It’s certainly the sexiest color. [And] this record has a sexiness, in a well-worn leather-jacket kind of way. It’s not glossy sexy—there’s a realness to it.  A lot of it happens after dark, in the black of night.  The kicker is that my wife’s last name is Black."

Watch the Black album trailer here.  Listen to the background music.  We're thinking it's possibly from the title cut.  What do you think?  If so, we're loving the edgy sound!

"The songs on Black range from the lonesomeness of an impossible relationship to ones that describe the feeling of finding that person that makes you forget the one that broke your heart."

The Lead Single

Although not officially announced yet via DB's camp, according to All Access Music, the lead single from Black will be "Somewhere On A Beach" going for radio adds January 25, 2016.  Co-written by Jaron Boyer, David Kuncio, Josh Mirenda, Alex Palmer and Michael Tyler Spragg, we've been told the title is deceiving.  Decide for yourself--set your DVR's for The Ellen Show for Tuesday, January 19, where Dierks is expected to perform the new single. Songwriter, Josh Mirenda posted on our Facebook page that he hears it's pretty good!

We also believe all the iHeart radio stations will be giving airplay to SOAB every hour, on the half hour on Tuesday as well, based on a tweet from AJ and Ashley (K92 in Orlando):

You can also tune in via the iHeart app on Tuesday if you don't have a local iHeart Radio station, and we'd be surprised if SiriusXM's the Highway didn't debut it hourly, too! (This will easily be Dierks' most-added and highest debuting single to date!)

Black was produced by Ross Copperman (Riser producer and co-writer on Tip It On Back), who also is listed as a co-writer on the title cut, along with Bentley and Ashley Gorley.  According to Windmills Music, other registered tracks that could possibly be album cuts include eleven more from Copperman.  Check out the rest of the list here.

The Black Card

Leave it to Dierks' Red Light Management team and Kevin Grace, Manager of Digital & Content, to find a creative way to promote the new album and build excitement.  You can order your very own "Black" Card that will pay for your pre-order of the album and get you access to unreleased songs, one of a kind merch items, special discounts, bonus videos and other surprises.  You also get entry into the official All Access Black Ticket Sweepstakes to win a fly-away to opening night of the tour, hotel accommodations, a meet and greet with Dierks and the ultimate prize of two tickets to every show on the tour!

Once you receive your Black Card in the mail, it will give you a unique code that you can use to access the exclusive Black Card content. Each time Dierks releases new content to the Black Card Content Page, an email will be sent to your account updating you about the new content.  Get yours at dierks.com for $16.99.

The Black album will ship within the next couple months.  We're guessing for a mid to late March release date, to align with the ACM Awards timing, where he will co-host with Luke Bryan April 3.

On Monday, Dierks took time out of his busy schedule to chat with fans on Twitter about the upcoming album.  He replied to questions from several DB Congress reps!  Here are a few of our favorites:

Rita is a DBC Rep in Ireland

Harriett reps Dierks in North Carolina

Lilian is a DBC rep in Brazil!

Dierks is currently up for a Grammy for his collaboration with Eric Paslay on Charles Kelley's single, "The Driver."