Lady Antebellum, ‘We Owned the Night’ – Song Review

Lady Antebellum's second single from their upcoming 'Own the Night' album takes a sharp left turn away from the polished, dramatic sound that has made the band popular thus far. The mandolin-driven beat stands no chance on pop radio, but any country fans who've previously dismissed the trio  will soak it up like butter on a biscuit.

'We Owned the Night' is rootsy, something that couldn't be said about any of the group's previous singles. This being their third album, it was wise to take a chance sonically to avoid fan fatigue. The trio still manages to hang on to the lyrical suspense that makes their music so captivating.

"Tell me have you ever wanted / Someone so much it hurts / Your lips keep trying to speak / But you can't just find the words," Charles Kelley sings to begin the song. Kelley gets lead on this one, with Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott serving as backup singers.

"You had me dim the lights / You danced just like a child / The wine spilled on your dress / And all you did was smile / Yeah it was perfect / I hold it in my mind / Yeah we / Owned the night." There really is no chorus, but the song is memorable enough without one. One really has to listen to pull out the proper lyrics. The final verse goes, "We awoke under a blanket / All tangled up in skin / Not knowing in that moment / We'd never speak again / But it was perfect / I never will forget / When we / Owned the night."

A valid criticism of Lady Antebellum to this point is that they are a little too generous with the Broadway-esque theatrics. Certainly not everyone believes that, but country fans who've avoided the trio thus far could make that argument. This song is like Lady A with no makeup on, in beat up blue jeans and their collective hair pulled back in a ponytail. It's a new style that's still familiar, but sexy in its own way.