Close Your Eyes (Parmalee song)

"Close Your Eyes" is a song recorded by American country music group Parmalee. It was released in February 2014 as the third single from their album Feels Like Carolina. The song was written by Adam Craig, Trent Tomlinson, and Shane Minor.^[1]

"Close Your Eyes"
Single by Parmalee
from the album Feels Like Carolina
Released	February 3, 2014 (2014-02-03)
Recorded	2013
Genre	Country
Length	3:34
Label	Stoney Creek
Songwriter(s)	Adam Craig Trent Tomlinson Shane Minor
Producer(s)	New Voice Entertainment
Parmalee singles chronology
"Carolina" (2013) "Close Your Eyes" (2014) "Already Callin' You Mine" (2015)

Critical reception

The song received a favorable review from Taste of Country, which said that "this love song is easy to embrace, and even easier to sing along with."^[2] Bobby Peacock of Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, calling it "more detailed than most other songs that tread the same ground" while adding that "lead singer Matt Thomas has a subtle vocal delivery with a hint of Dierks Bentley grain, and the production is tight, with enough electric guitar and drums to give it a pulse, but enough banjo to keep it country."^[3]

Music video

The music video was directed by Wes Edwards and premiered in July 2014.^[4]

The video shows the band performing on top of a hill, while people prepare for a party and set up a portable water slide. Some women arrive, including one that appears to be the girlfriend of one of the men. The couple undress, before using the slide. The couple is later shown sitting in the back of a pickup truck. People then run towards the area carrying a large thermos box. At night, the couple dance in front of the band, with everyone else. At around two minutes, 56 seconds through, the woman undresses and uses the water slide, while everyone else sits by a fire. When she arrives at the bottom, her boyfriend is there waiting with a towel, ready to dry her. He wraps the towel around her, and the two kiss, concluding the video.

Chart performance

"Close Your Eyes" debuted at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of February 22, 2014.^[5] It also debuted at number 49 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 3, 2014. The song has sold 279,000 copies in the U.S. as of January 2015.^[6]

The song reached Top 10 on Country Airplay in its 40th week, beating the band's own record set by their previous single "Carolina" for the slowest ascent into that chart's top 10 since the charts were first tracked via Nielsen SoundScan in January 1990.^[7]

Chart (2014–2015)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[8]	93
Canada Country (Billboard)^[9]	16
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	69
US Country Airplay (Billboard)^[11]	4
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[12]	11

Year-end charts

Chart (2014)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)^[13]	46
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[14]	53

Chart (2015)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)^[15]	70
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[16]	86

References

1. Whitaker, Sterling (June 25, 2014). "Parmalee 'Keep on Plugging': Singer Matt Thomas Talks Hot New Single, 'Close Your Eyes'". The Boot. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
2. "Parmalee, 'Close Your Eyes' [Listen]". Taste of Country. February 6, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
3. Peacock, Bobby (March 17, 2014). "Single Review: Parmalee – Close Your Eyes". Roughstock. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
4. Thompson, Gayle (July 7, 2014). "Parmalee Release 'Close Your Eyes' Video". The Boot. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
5. Morris, Edward (February 15, 2014). "Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan Still Reign on Country Charts". Country Music Television. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
6. Matt Bjorke (January 16, 2015). "Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: Week of January 16, 2015". Roughstock.
7. "'Neon' extends Shelton's No. 1 streak; Parmalee scores 2nd top 10" (PDF). Billboard. p. 6. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
8. "Parmalee Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
9. "Parmalee Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
10. "Parmalee Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
11. "Parmalee Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
12. "Parmalee Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
13. "Best of 2014: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
14. "Best of 2014: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
15. "Billboard Country Update for December 14, 2015" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 14, 2015. p. 7. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
16. "Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.