I'm In
Encyclopedia
"I'm In" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music
singer Radney Foster
. He recorded it on his 1999 studio album See What You Want to See
, which was released on the Arista Austin label. In 2000, The Kinleys
released it as a single from the album II
, and ten years later, Keith Urban
released his version as the fifth single from his album Defying Gravity
. Urban's version of the song was a number two hit on the country music charts.
wrote the song with Georgia Middleman
, and recorded it as a duet with Abra Moore
on his 1999 album See What You Want to See
. This version was released as the first single from the album, and did not enter the charts. Two weeks before the slated release of the album, See What You Want to See was put on hold due to label restructuring.
of Allmusic called "I'm In" one of "the best moments" on the album, saying that it "showcase[s] him at his best as a songwriter while successfully delivering a fresh, updated sound."
recorded a version of "I'm In" for the album II
, released in 2000 via Epic Records
. Foster co-produced The Kinleys' version of the song, and five other tracks on the album.
critic Jeffrey B. Remz, in his review of II, said that The Kinleys' rendition was "radio friendly" and that the duo "strip[s]" the song "from its rootsy feel by going for a bigger, churning sound." Gene Harbrecht of the Orlando Sentinel
called it a "hopeful counterpoint punctuated by soaring vocals."
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts dated for the week ending October 28, 2000. It spent twenty-two weeks on that chart and peaked at 35. It was the third and final single from that album, and the last charting single for the duo.
recorded "I'm In" for his 2009 album Defying Gravity
. In a radio interview, Urban told KILT-FM
that his rendition would be the fifth single from the album, and that he would perform it at the Academy of Country Music
awards show on April 18, 2010. This is the second track from Foster's See What You Want to See album that Urban has covered; he had previously recorded "Raining on Sunday
" (which follows "I'm In" on Foster's album) and released his version of that song in 2003 from his album Golden Road
. It is also Urban's first American single that does not have a music video for it.
s Jonathan Keefe also considered it inferior to The Kinleys' version, calling Urban's version "tepid." Allmusic critic Thom Jurek compared the sound of Urban's version to that of The Rolling Stones
, saying that it would be an "excellent choice" for a single.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Radney Foster
Radney Foster
Radney Foster is an American Texas Country artist. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his debut in 1986 alongside Bill Lloyd in the duo Foster & Lloyd...
. He recorded it on his 1999 studio album See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See is American country music artist Radney Foster's third studio album. It was released in 1999 on Arista Records. The record features a number of notable guests, such as Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as Abra Moore and Emmylou Harris...
, which was released on the Arista Austin label. In 2000, The Kinleys
The Kinleys
The Kinleys was an American country music duo composed of identical twin sisters Heather and Jennifer Kinley, born November 5, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Between 1997 and 2000, they recorded two albums for the Epic Records label , also charting eight singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
released it as a single from the album II
II (The Kinleys album)
II is the second studio album by the American country music duo The Kinleys. It was released in 2000 as their second and final album for Epic Records. It includes the singles "She Ain't the Girl for You" and "I'm In", both of which charted on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
, and ten years later, Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
released his version as the fifth single from his album Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity (Keith Urban album)
Defying Gravity is the title of the fifth studio album by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 31 March 2009 on Capitol Records. The album's lead-off single is "Sweet Thing", which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in March 2009. "Kiss a Girl" was released on...
. Urban's version of the song was a number two hit on the country music charts.
Radney Foster version
Radney FosterRadney Foster
Radney Foster is an American Texas Country artist. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his debut in 1986 alongside Bill Lloyd in the duo Foster & Lloyd...
wrote the song with Georgia Middleman
Georgia Middleman
Georgia Leigh Middleman is an American country singer. Middleman sang from age ten at the Texas Star Inn in San Antonio, and began writing songs shortly thereafter. She sold recordings of her first song, There's a Rainbow in Everybody's Heart, on her elementary school playground...
, and recorded it as a duet with Abra Moore
Abra Moore
Abra Moore is a folk-styled rock singer-songwriter. Her 1997 album Strangest Places included the hit "Four Leaf Clover", which received airplay in Midwest U.S. radio markets and VH1 and MTV2 rotation, and charted on the Billboard Hot 100.-Biography:Moore's parents named Abra after the heroine of...
on his 1999 album See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See is American country music artist Radney Foster's third studio album. It was released in 1999 on Arista Records. The record features a number of notable guests, such as Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as Abra Moore and Emmylou Harris...
. This version was released as the first single from the album, and did not enter the charts. Two weeks before the slated release of the album, See What You Want to See was put on hold due to label restructuring.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic called "I'm In" one of "the best moments" on the album, saying that it "showcase[s] him at his best as a songwriter while successfully delivering a fresh, updated sound."
The Kinleys version
In 1999, country music duo The KinleysThe Kinleys
The Kinleys was an American country music duo composed of identical twin sisters Heather and Jennifer Kinley, born November 5, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Between 1997 and 2000, they recorded two albums for the Epic Records label , also charting eight singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
recorded a version of "I'm In" for the album II
II (The Kinleys album)
II is the second studio album by the American country music duo The Kinleys. It was released in 2000 as their second and final album for Epic Records. It includes the singles "She Ain't the Girl for You" and "I'm In", both of which charted on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
, released in 2000 via Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Foster co-produced The Kinleys' version of the song, and five other tracks on the album.
Critical reception
Country Standard TimeCountry Standard Time
Country Standard Time is a website dedicated to country music and related genres such as Bluegrass and Rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1992 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a print magazine, which was first published only in New England but went...
critic Jeffrey B. Remz, in his review of II, said that The Kinleys' rendition was "radio friendly" and that the duo "strip[s]" the song "from its rootsy feel by going for a bigger, churning sound." Gene Harbrecht of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
called it a "hopeful counterpoint punctuated by soaring vocals."
Chart performance
The Kinleys' version debuted on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts dated for the week ending October 28, 2000. It spent twenty-two weeks on that chart and peaked at 35. It was the third and final single from that album, and the last charting single for the duo.
| Chart (2000-2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 35 |
Keith Urban version
Keith UrbanKeith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
recorded "I'm In" for his 2009 album Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity (Keith Urban album)
Defying Gravity is the title of the fifth studio album by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 31 March 2009 on Capitol Records. The album's lead-off single is "Sweet Thing", which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in March 2009. "Kiss a Girl" was released on...
. In a radio interview, Urban told KILT-FM
KILT-FM
KILT-FM is a Houston, Texas-based radio station with a country music format. It is owned by CBS Radio. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. The station's callsign is a tribute to the station's former owner, Gordon McClendon, who was known as the "Old Scotchman". It is a sister...
that his rendition would be the fifth single from the album, and that he would perform it at the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
awards show on April 18, 2010. This is the second track from Foster's See What You Want to See album that Urban has covered; he had previously recorded "Raining on Sunday
Raining on Sunday
"Raining on Sunday" is the name of a song co-written by country music artist Radney Foster and Darrell Brown. It was initially recorded on Foster's 1998 Arista Records album See What You Want to See. Foster's version of the song features a backing vocal from Darius Rucker of the rock band Hootie &...
" (which follows "I'm In" on Foster's album) and released his version of that song in 2003 from his album Golden Road
Golden Road (album)
Golden Road is the third solo album by Australian country singer Keith Urban. It was released in 2002 via Capitol Records Nashville. The album includes the singles "Somebody Like You", "Raining on Sunday", "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me" and "You'll Think of Me"....
. It is also Urban's first American single that does not have a music video for it.
Critical reception
Jim Malec of The 9513 called Urban's version an "unfortunate cover" that "lacks the urgency and energy" of The Kinleys' cover; on the same site, Sam Gazdziak gave the song a thumbs-up, saying that it was "not as good as the original" but "a good introduction to the song." His review criticized the guitar solo, which he thought was out of place. Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
s Jonathan Keefe also considered it inferior to The Kinleys' version, calling Urban's version "tepid." Allmusic critic Thom Jurek compared the sound of Urban's version to that of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, saying that it would be an "excellent choice" for a single.
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|