All-American Boy
| "All-American Boy" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover | |||||||
| Single by Steve Grand | |||||||
| from the album All American Boy | |||||||
| B-side | "All-American Boy" (radio edit) | ||||||
| Released | August 4, 2013 | ||||||
| Format | Digital download | ||||||
| Recorded | 2013 | ||||||
| Genre | Country | ||||||
| Length |
5:24 (album version) 4:34 (radio edit) | ||||||
| Label | Grand Nation | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Steve Grand | ||||||
| Producer(s) | Digital Skylight | ||||||
| Steve Grand singles chronology | |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
"All-American Boy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Steve Grand. It was released on August 2, 2013 as Grand's debut single.[1] The song's music video was uploaded to YouTube on July 2, 2013 and immediately went viral; just eight days later, the video had more than 1,000,000 views.[2][3][4][5]
Music video
On July 2, 2013, Grand uploaded a music video for his song "All-American Boy" to YouTube—producing it himself at a cost of US$7,000. The video almost immediately went viral. Just eight days later, "All-American Boy" had more than 1 million views.[2][3][4][5][6][7] The song, set against a backdrop of country roads, an American flag and friends around a campfire, tells the story of a young man in love with a heterosexual male friend. Grand recorded the vocals in his parents’ basement and maxed out his credit card to self-fund the groundbreaking video. The video was directed and edited by Chicago filmmaker Jason Knade.[8]
Criticism
Although Grand has received mostly positive reaction to the song, some gay activists have criticized its content, with one stating that its message is that "Gay men drink too much, feel sorry for themselves, and come on to straight dudes when their girlfriends aren't around."[9] Writing for Slate, J. Bryan Lowder had an even harsher take on the video, describing it as "woefully out-of-tune with the times. It's like something out of a homo smut story from before Stonewall", and adding "this particular narrative of the tantalizing straight guy and lovesick queen is so hackneyed in gay culture as to be laughable."[10] Grand has said that he appreciates different perspectives regarding his work. In an interview with The New Civil Rights Movement, he also said: “When I made that video, I did not set out to make any statements about gay people other than what we share in common with our straight brothers and sisters — that sometimes you love someone you can’t have. I know that especially rings true for gay people who grow up in a heterosexual world.”[11]
Live performances
Grand's first public performance of "All-American Boy" was held live at The Joynt in Chicago on July 6, 2013. He performed the song at his final two gigs at The Joynt on July 12 and 13. On July 18, Grand performed "All-American Boy" on the Chicago morning talk show Windy City Live.[12]
Credits and personnel
- Steve Grand – vocals, piano, guitar
- Max Steger – mixing, bass guitar
- Sammy Del Real – drums
References
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/All-American-Boy/dp/B00EDZIS5M/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1425019100&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=All+AMerican+Boy+Steve+Grand
- 1 2 Inawat, Ron Matthew (July 11, 2013). "Chicago's gay country 'All-American Boy' Steve Grand hits 1m views". Chicago Pride. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (July 9, 2013). "Meet Gay Country Star Steve Grand". Fuse. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- 1 2 Connelly, Chris (July 9, 2013). "Gay Country Singer Adjusts to Newfound Web Fame". ABC News Good Morning America. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- 1 2 Shamberger, Ebony (July 8, 2013). "Steve Grand called first openly gay country singer after video release". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ↑ Lennox, Michael Cidoni (July 8, 2013). "Steve Grand's 'All-American Boy' Becomes A Gay-Themed Country Music Hit On YouTube". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Our First Country Gay Music Video: Steve Grand – All American Boy". The Center Orlando. July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ Inawat, Matt. "Jason Knade Interview". ChicagoPride.com. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ↑ King, Mark S. (July 8, 2013). "Gay country singer's video portrays gay men as sad, predatory drunks". LGBTQNation.com. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- ↑ Lowder, J. Bryan (July 10, 2013). "This Is Not the First Openly Gay Male Country Star. At Least I Hope Not.". Slate. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ↑ Sala, Sean (October 28, 2013). "'All American Boy' Singer, Songwriter Steve Grand Is Turning Heads And Minds". The New Civil Rights Movement. com.
- ↑ Geoffroy, Kyler (July 18, 2013). "Steve Grand's Slow Rendition of "All-American Boy" Will Melt Your Heart". Towleroad.com. Retrieved July 22, 2013.