Play On
Encyclopedia
Play On is the third studio album from American country
singer Carrie Underwood
. It was released in the United States
on November 3, 2009.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200
with first week sales of 318,000 copies; and rated as the highest first week sales for a female artist in 2009, before being overtaken by Susan Boyle
a few weeks later. It is her second album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, and her third to debut atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Play On charted at #19 on Billboard's year-end chart.
As of October 2011, the album has sold 2,041,000 copies in the United States, making it Underwood's third album to top the two million mark, and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA and Platinum by the CRIA
. It has sold 2.2 million copies worldwide.
The album has spawned three consecutive #1 singles. The first single, "Cowboy Casanova
", was released to country radio on September 14, 2009, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The second single, "Temporary Home
", was released to country radio on December 14, 2009, and has been certified Gold. The third single, "Undo It
", was released to radio on May 24, 2010, and has been certified Platinum. The fourth single, "Mama's Song
", was officially released to radio on September 13, 2010.
In December 2010, the album placed on Billboard
s Year-End Charts, landing at #4 for Country Albums, and at #12 for Billboard 200
Albums.
. One of the tracks entitled "Look At Me" was previously recorded by country singer, Alan Jackson
, on the Billy: The Early Years
soundtrack. Vince Gill
sang background vocals on the track. "Mama's Song" sold more than 31,000 copies in its debut week.
On October 16, 2009, Underwood made a promotional stop in Singapore to promote her upcoming album to the Asian media. The album was released on November 2 in Singapore and various parts of Asia, followed by a November 3 release in the United States. Underwood performed on The Late Show with David Letterman on November 2, and performed a special outdoor concert at Lincoln Center on Good Morning America on album release day, and rounded out her week with a visit to Live with Regis and Kelly on November 5.
Underwood also performed another outdoor concert for Good Morning America at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on November 11, 2009, with Brad Paisley
.
On the November 16, 2009 episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Underwood performed "Temporary Home
", which is the second official single from Play On.
of Allmusic gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars. He argues that "Carrie is still nominally a country artist and sometimes will sing supported by fiddles and steel guitar, but this is crossover pop pure and simple, whether it's the thundering rhythms on the Shania
-styled strut "Cowboy Casanova" or the succession of maudlin melodies on the preponderance of power ballads." Leah Greenblatt rated it B in Entertainment Weekly
, saying "If it seems vaguely insulting to call the smashingly successful Idol alum’s material formulaic, know at least that it is, three albums in, one of the most well-honed formulas in the business."
Sean Daly from the St. Petersburg Times argues that Play On is Underwood's "weakest album to date," but predicts that the album will "sell like gangbusters." Daly says that "Cowboy Casanova
", "co-written by 50 Cent buddy Mike Elizondo, brazenly bites from both 'Before He Cheats' and 'Last Name'." Daly highlights the song "Someday When I Stop Loving You". He says that it "is so good. It has a vague '70s feel, reminiscent of all those great old Chicago songs."
Blake Boldt of 9513 (Country Music) graded the album 3 out of 5 stars. He states "Underwood’s third disc, Play On, starts promisingly, with “Cowboy Casanova”, an ode to a hard-to-keep lothario, plows along to a grungy electric guitar laced with a curling pedal steel line. At her best, Underwood excels at handling the finest storytelling that Nashville has to offer. The album’s strongest track is “Someday When I Stop Loving You”, a brooding tune framed beautifully by her delicate performance, while “What Can I Say”, a collaboration with sibling trio Sons of Sylvia, is a simple, elegant declaration of longing. He added that the remaining 45 minutes, though, are more Hallmark than honky tonk. Play On is a tastefully-done pop pleasure, with little of the pretentious production that gutted much of her first two discs. Play On, though saddled with its share of loose songwriting, is a convincing reminder of a blonde, budding talent."
" served as the lead single for the album. It was released on September 14, 2009, two months before the album's official release and debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs
at #26, the fifth highest debut by a female artist on the chart. It eventually held the #1 spot for 1 week for the week of November 21, 2009. It also peaked at #11 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It has become the fastest-climbing single of Underwood's career; it is also the fastest-climbing single of 2009 in the country music genre. The song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 45th ACM Awards. Underwood was nominated as an artist and a composer. The music video for the song was released in October 2009. As of June 2011 Cowboy Casanova has sold 1,628,000 copies in the US alone making it the 3rd biggest song of her career.
"Temporary Home
", the second single, was released to country radio starting the week of December 14, 2009. The song has received multiple forms of promotion, including performances on The Late Show with David Letterman, the television special "A Home For the Holidays", Underwood's personal CMT Invitation Only performance, Underwood's Christmas variety show entitled "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special", at the 45th ACM Awards, and on her tour. The song has hit at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs
becoming her ninth Number One song in the process. It has also hit #41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the song was released in February 2010. For her performance of the song in her personal CMT Invitation Only, Carrie won the CMT award for Best Live Performance at the 2010 CMT Awards. As of June 2011 the song has sold 743,000 copies.
The third single, "Undo It
", was released on May 24, 2010. Underwood performed the song on the season finale of American Idol
and at the 2010 CMT Music Awards
. The song's peak on the Hot 100 is at #23, giving Underwood her eleventh Top 40 single. As of June 2011 the song has over sold 1,142,000 digital copies. "Undo It" was nominated for the 2010 Teen Choice Award for 'Choice Country Song'.
The fourth single, "Mama's Song
", was officially released to radio on September 13, 2010. Underwood announced this in an interview after her performance on the Today Show on NBC on July 30. The video for the song premiered on VEVO
on September 24, 2010. This song reached the number two position on the country charts. Overall the song has sold 416,000 copies.
. These promotional singles should not be confused with ordinary singles
.
"Mama's Song
" was the first promotional single and was released on October 12, 2009. It was released to radio as the fourth official single off the album on September 13, 2010. "Temporary Home
" was the second promotional single and was released on October 20, 2009. It was released to radio as the second official single off the album on December 14, 2009. "Undo It
" was the final promotional single and was released on October 27, 2009. It was released to radio as the third official single off the album on May 24, 2010.
" released on October 12 followed by "Temporary Home" which was released on October 20 and "Undo It
" released on October 27. Billboard.com also posted a 60 second clip of each song being released on iTunes.
She debuted several of her singles at the Academy of Country Music Awards
and the Country Music Association Awards
.
She also appeared on several shows to promote her album including Late Show with David Letterman
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, Live With Regis and Kelly
, Good Morning America
, The Tonight Show
on NBC
, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, American Music Awards
, CNN International
, and at the Grand Ole Opry
.
Underwood also performed in Singapore
on October 16, 2009; it is her first public appearance in an Asian country in line of a series of events for the grand opening of the newest shopping attraction in the heart of the city, ION Orchard.
. The tour includes several legs traveling across the globe, with the first and second leg focusing on the United States and Canada. The first kicked off in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 11, and will conclude in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Minnesota State Fair on August 31, 2010. The second leg began on September 25, 2010 in Portland, Oregon, and concluded on December 19 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her opening acts/guest performers for the spring tour were Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. The second leg included Sons of Sylvia and country singer Billy Currington
.
In July 2010, the tour ranked at #15 on the Top 100 Tours for the first half of the year. Within the 4 months of the tour's first leg, it raked in an approximate total of $18,400,000, and has sold more than 375,000 tickets.
In December 2010, the tour ranked at #18 for the largest North American tours of 2010, and again at #31 for the largest tours worldwide for the 2010 touring year. The tour made a collective total of $38,300,000 and reached to over 1 million fans, becoming Underwood's largest tour to date.
in June of 2011 to promote her Play On album. During the tour's duration, Underwood would also release the Play On: Deluxe Edition exclusively to Australia. The album will included 6 previous #1 singles of Underwood's, as well as a studio recording of "Home Sweet Home
", a recording in which has never been featured on an album before. Underwood participated in numerous televised events, media coverage, talk shows, and other miscellaneous appearances to promote the album. This was Underwood's first time headlining an international tour.
, with first week sales of 318,000 copies. Play On spent nine consecutive weeks at number two in Top Country Albums Chart, and stayed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 for its first eight weeks of release. As of July 2011, the album has sold 2,041,000 copies in the US. The album debuted at #114 on the Japan Oricon Albums Chart
and #93 on the UK Albums Chart
, becoming Underwood's first entry on both charts. In Canada, the album debuted at #2 on the Canadian charts with 15,000 sales. In Australia
, it debuted at #3 on the Top 20 Country Albums chart and at #80 on the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100 despite very little advertising at the time. In June 2011, Underwood traveled to Australia for a promotional tour for the deluxe edition of Play On. For the chart week following her promotional tour, the album re-entered both the Top 20 Country Albums chart and the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100 at #2 and #14, respectively. The following week, it rose to #1 on the Top 20 Country Albums chart, giving Underwood her first #1 album in Australia, and remained stable on the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100, at #15.
As of June 2011, "Change" sits at 290,000 copies sold.
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 Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on November 3, 2009.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with first week sales of 318,000 copies; and rated as the highest first week sales for a female artist in 2009, before being overtaken by Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
a few weeks later. It is her second album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, and her third to debut atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Play On charted at #19 on Billboard's year-end chart.
As of October 2011, the album has sold 2,041,000 copies in the United States, making it Underwood's third album to top the two million mark, and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA and Platinum by the CRIA
Cria
A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically...
. It has sold 2.2 million copies worldwide.
The album has spawned three consecutive #1 singles. The first single, "Cowboy Casanova
Cowboy Casanova
"Cowboy Casanova" is a country song by American recording artist Carrie Underwood. The song was written by Mike Elizondo, Brett James and co-written by Underwood herself. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On...
", was released to country radio on September 14, 2009, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The second single, "Temporary Home
Temporary Home
"Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being...
", was released to country radio on December 14, 2009, and has been certified Gold. The third single, "Undo It
Undo It
"Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010...
", was released to radio on May 24, 2010, and has been certified Platinum. The fourth single, "Mama's Song
Mama's Song
"Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On...
", was officially released to radio on September 13, 2010.
In December 2010, the album placed on Billboard
Billboard (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...
s Year-End Charts, landing at #4 for Country Albums, and at #12 for Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
Albums.
Background
The album was originally to have included some songs that Underwood wrote with Ne-YoNe-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
. One of the tracks entitled "Look At Me" was previously recorded by country singer, Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, on the Billy: The Early Years
Billy: The Early Years (soundtrack)
Billy: The Early Years is the official movie soundtrack for the film of the same name. It was released October 7, 2008, and charted at No. 70 on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart. The album has produced two chart singles; "Low" by Sara Evans and "Over the Next Hill" by Brooks & Dunn...
soundtrack. Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
sang background vocals on the track. "Mama's Song" sold more than 31,000 copies in its debut week.
On October 16, 2009, Underwood made a promotional stop in Singapore to promote her upcoming album to the Asian media. The album was released on November 2 in Singapore and various parts of Asia, followed by a November 3 release in the United States. Underwood performed on The Late Show with David Letterman on November 2, and performed a special outdoor concert at Lincoln Center on Good Morning America on album release day, and rounded out her week with a visit to Live with Regis and Kelly on November 5.
Underwood also performed another outdoor concert for Good Morning America at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on November 11, 2009, with Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
.
On the November 16, 2009 episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Underwood performed "Temporary Home
Temporary Home
"Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being...
", which is the second official single from Play On.
Critical reception
The album received mixed reviews. 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 gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars. He argues that "Carrie is still nominally a country artist and sometimes will sing supported by fiddles and steel guitar, but this is crossover pop pure and simple, whether it's the thundering rhythms on the Shania
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
-styled strut "Cowboy Casanova" or the succession of maudlin melodies on the preponderance of power ballads." Leah Greenblatt rated it B in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, saying "If it seems vaguely insulting to call the smashingly successful Idol alum’s material formulaic, know at least that it is, three albums in, one of the most well-honed formulas in the business."
Sean Daly from the St. Petersburg Times argues that Play On is Underwood's "weakest album to date," but predicts that the album will "sell like gangbusters." Daly says that "Cowboy Casanova
Cowboy Casanova
"Cowboy Casanova" is a country song by American recording artist Carrie Underwood. The song was written by Mike Elizondo, Brett James and co-written by Underwood herself. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On...
", "co-written by 50 Cent buddy Mike Elizondo, brazenly bites from both 'Before He Cheats' and 'Last Name'." Daly highlights the song "Someday When I Stop Loving You". He says that it "is so good. It has a vague '70s feel, reminiscent of all those great old Chicago songs."
Blake Boldt of 9513 (Country Music) graded the album 3 out of 5 stars. He states "Underwood’s third disc, Play On, starts promisingly, with “Cowboy Casanova”, an ode to a hard-to-keep lothario, plows along to a grungy electric guitar laced with a curling pedal steel line. At her best, Underwood excels at handling the finest storytelling that Nashville has to offer. The album’s strongest track is “Someday When I Stop Loving You”, a brooding tune framed beautifully by her delicate performance, while “What Can I Say”, a collaboration with sibling trio Sons of Sylvia, is a simple, elegant declaration of longing. He added that the remaining 45 minutes, though, are more Hallmark than honky tonk. Play On is a tastefully-done pop pleasure, with little of the pretentious production that gutted much of her first two discs. Play On, though saddled with its share of loose songwriting, is a convincing reminder of a blonde, budding talent."
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 45th Academy of Country Music Awards | Album of the Year | |
| 1st American Country Awards American Country Awards The American Country Awards is a newly created country music awards show, entirely voted on by fans. Created by the Fox Network, the awards honor country music artists in music, video, and touring categories. In addition to the CMA Awards, the ACM Awards, and the CMT Music Awards, it is the fourth... |
Album of the Year | |
| 2010 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Choice Album - Country | |
| 44th Country Music Association Awards Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Album of the Year | |
| 2010 American Music Awards American Music Awards of 2010 The 38th American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2010. Justin Bieber was nominated for, and won, four awards, including Artist of... |
Favorite Country Album |
Singles
"Cowboy CasanovaCowboy Casanova
"Cowboy Casanova" is a country song by American recording artist Carrie Underwood. The song was written by Mike Elizondo, Brett James and co-written by Underwood herself. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On...
" served as the lead single for the album. It was released on September 14, 2009, two months before the album's official release and debuted on the U.S. Billboard 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...
at #26, the fifth highest debut by a female artist on the chart. It eventually held the #1 spot for 1 week for the week of November 21, 2009. It also peaked at #11 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It has become the fastest-climbing single of Underwood's career; it is also the fastest-climbing single of 2009 in the country music genre. The song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 45th ACM Awards. Underwood was nominated as an artist and a composer. The music video for the song was released in October 2009. As of June 2011 Cowboy Casanova has sold 1,628,000 copies in the US alone making it the 3rd biggest song of her career.
"Temporary Home
Temporary Home
"Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being...
", the second single, was released to country radio starting the week of December 14, 2009. The song has received multiple forms of promotion, including performances on The Late Show with David Letterman, the television special "A Home For the Holidays", Underwood's personal CMT Invitation Only performance, Underwood's Christmas variety show entitled "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special", at the 45th ACM Awards, and on her tour. The song has hit at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 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...
becoming her ninth Number One song in the process. It has also hit #41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the song was released in February 2010. For her performance of the song in her personal CMT Invitation Only, Carrie won the CMT award for Best Live Performance at the 2010 CMT Awards. As of June 2011 the song has sold 743,000 copies.
The third single, "Undo It
Undo It
"Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010...
", was released on May 24, 2010. Underwood performed the song on the season finale of American Idol
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
and at the 2010 CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
. The song's peak on the Hot 100 is at #23, giving Underwood her eleventh Top 40 single. As of June 2011 the song has over sold 1,142,000 digital copies. "Undo It" was nominated for the 2010 Teen Choice Award for 'Choice Country Song'.
The fourth single, "Mama's Song
Mama's Song
"Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On...
", was officially released to radio on September 13, 2010. Underwood announced this in an interview after her performance on the Today Show on NBC on July 30. The video for the song premiered on VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on September 24, 2010. This song reached the number two position on the country charts. Overall the song has sold 416,000 copies.
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country 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... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
||
| 2009 | "Cowboy Casanova Cowboy Casanova "Cowboy Casanova" is a country song by American recording artist Carrie Underwood. The song was written by Mike Elizondo, Brett James and co-written by Underwood herself. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On... " |
1 | 11 | 16 |
| "Temporary Home Temporary Home "Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being... " |
1 | 41 | 65 | |
| 2010 | "Undo It Undo It "Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010... " |
1 | 23 | 43 |
| "Mama's Song Mama's Song "Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On... " |
2 | 56 | 68 | |
Promotional singles
Prior to the release of the album, three promotional singles were released exclusively on Apple's iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. These promotional singles should not be confused with ordinary singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.
"Mama's Song
Mama's Song
"Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On...
" was the first promotional single and was released on October 12, 2009. It was released to radio as the fourth official single off the album on September 13, 2010. "Temporary Home
Temporary Home
"Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being...
" was the second promotional single and was released on October 20, 2009. It was released to radio as the second official single off the album on December 14, 2009. "Undo It
Undo It
"Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010...
" was the final promotional single and was released on October 27, 2009. It was released to radio as the third official single off the album on May 24, 2010.
| Song | Peak chart positions |
Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
||
| "Mama's Song Mama's Song "Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On... " |
56 | 68 | 39,000 |
| "Temporary Home Temporary Home "Temporary Home" is the title of a song written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It is the second official single from her third studio album, Play On, and was released to country radio the week of December 14, 2009. Before being... " |
41 | 65 | 31,000 |
| "Undo It Undo It "Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010... " |
23 | 43 | 28,000 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
2× Platinum |
Promotion
Prior to the release of Play On, three promotional singles were made available by iTunes. "Mama's SongMama's Song
"Mama's Song" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Carrie Underwood, co-written by her along with Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fourth single release from her third studio album, Play On...
" released on October 12 followed by "Temporary Home" which was released on October 20 and "Undo It
Undo It
"Undo It" is the title of a song written by Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen, Luke Laird and co-written and recorded by American country artist Carrie Underwood. It was made available to digital retailers on October 27, 2009, and was released as an official single on May 24, 2010...
" released on October 27. Billboard.com also posted a 60 second clip of each song being released on iTunes.
She debuted several of her singles at the Academy of Country Music Awards
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...
and the Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
.
She also appeared on several shows to promote her album including Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Live With Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, CNN International
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
, and at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
.
Underwood also performed in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on October 16, 2009; it is her first public appearance in an Asian country in line of a series of events for the grand opening of the newest shopping attraction in the heart of the city, ION Orchard.
North American Tour
On March 11, 2010, Underwood kicked off the Play On TourPlay On Tour
The Play On Tour is the second headlining tour by country music singer Carrie Underwood. It was in support of her third album Play On. The first round of shows, which contains dates only in North America, were announced on December 10....
. The tour includes several legs traveling across the globe, with the first and second leg focusing on the United States and Canada. The first kicked off in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 11, and will conclude in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Minnesota State Fair on August 31, 2010. The second leg began on September 25, 2010 in Portland, Oregon, and concluded on December 19 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her opening acts/guest performers for the spring tour were Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. The second leg included Sons of Sylvia and country singer Billy Currington
Billy Currington
William Matthew "Billy" Currington is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right, 2008's Little Bit of Everything, and 2010's Enjoy Yourself...
.
In July 2010, the tour ranked at #15 on the Top 100 Tours for the first half of the year. Within the 4 months of the tour's first leg, it raked in an approximate total of $18,400,000, and has sold more than 375,000 tickets.
In December 2010, the tour ranked at #18 for the largest North American tours of 2010, and again at #31 for the largest tours worldwide for the 2010 touring year. The tour made a collective total of $38,300,000 and reached to over 1 million fans, becoming Underwood's largest tour to date.
Australian Tour
On May 16, 2011, Sony Music and Underwood collectively announced that the Country singer would travel to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in June of 2011 to promote her Play On album. During the tour's duration, Underwood would also release the Play On: Deluxe Edition exclusively to Australia. The album will included 6 previous #1 singles of Underwood's, as well as a studio recording of "Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)
"Home Sweet Home" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was originally released in 1985 on the album Theatre of Pain, and again in 1991 for the Decade of Decadence compilation album...
", a recording in which has never been featured on an album before. Underwood participated in numerous televised events, media coverage, talk shows, and other miscellaneous appearances to promote the album. This was Underwood's first time headlining an international tour.
Track listing
Chart performance
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart, as well as the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, with first week sales of 318,000 copies. Play On spent nine consecutive weeks at number two in Top Country Albums Chart, and stayed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 for its first eight weeks of release. As of July 2011, the album has sold 2,041,000 copies in the US. The album debuted at #114 on the Japan Oricon Albums Chart
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
and #93 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, becoming Underwood's first entry on both charts. In Canada, the album debuted at #2 on the Canadian charts with 15,000 sales. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it debuted at #3 on the Top 20 Country Albums chart and at #80 on the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100 despite very little advertising at the time. In June 2011, Underwood traveled to Australia for a promotional tour for the deluxe edition of Play On. For the chart week following her promotional tour, the album re-entered both the Top 20 Country Albums chart and the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100 at #2 and #14, respectively. The following week, it rose to #1 on the Top 20 Country Albums chart, giving Underwood her first #1 album in Australia, and remained stable on the National Album Charts ARIA Top 100, at #15.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Canadian Country Albums Chart | 1 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 91 |
| Japan Oricon Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
114 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
93 |
| UK Country Artist Albums Chart | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 1 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 14 |
| Australian ARIA Country Albums Chart | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
12 |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 4 |
Other charted songs
| Year | Single | Peak positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | ||||||||
| 2009 | "Change" | — | 109 | ||||||
| 2011 | "Songs Like This" | 38 | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
- "Change" was later performed by Underwood on 2010's Idol Gives BackIdol Gives BackIdol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
, and the song received a 2,001% gain in sales, stretching from 9,000 to 53,000 digital downloads.
As of June 2011, "Change" sits at 290,000 copies sold.
Chart precession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
|
| Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
|
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
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| Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
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| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
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| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
|
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
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| South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
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| Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
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| Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
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| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
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| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
|
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
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| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
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| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
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| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
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| Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
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| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
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| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
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| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
|
| United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
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| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
|
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... (Deluxe Edition) |
|
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... (Deluxe Edition) |