“So Much For Pretending“
Bryan White
Written by Derek George, John Tirro, and Bryan White
Billboard
#1 (2 weeks)
September 21 – September 28, 1996
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
September 13, 1996
Bryan White’s youthful energy is well paired with the material here.
The Road to No. 1
Bryan White’s fourth of four consecutive No. 1 singles was preceded at the top by “Someone Else’s Star,” “Rebecca Lynn,” and “I’m Not Supposed to Love You Anymore,” but this is the only one of the four that topped both listings.
The No. 1
White came along when balladeers with a similar range and style, like Vince Gill and Collin Raye, were dominating the charts. By 1996, they made up 60% percent of the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year lineup.
White didn’t win that race, but he took home the Horizon Award, capping off a clean sweep of the new artist awards that year. During that run, this was his biggest radio hit, and also one of his best, largely because it was the most age appropriate.
If him being devastated by a divorce felt like a stretch at his young age, him crushing on a girl and missing out because he didn’t speak up before she left the room feels like a perfect fit.
It has a standard nineties country arrangement for the most part, but with a bit more energy, thanks to White’s infectious performance. It still sounds fresh all of these years later.
The Road From No. 1
“That’s Another Song” broke his No. 1 streak when it peaked outside the top ten, but he was back on top with his fifth No. 1 hit right after that, his final solo chart-topper of the decade. We’ll cover it when we get to 1997.
“So Much For Pretending” gets a B+.
Every No. 1 Single of the Nineties
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Even with more age appropriate material, each passing single became less interesting to me. He was ultimately so uncompelling and uninteresting. A bland placeholder, a young, nice-guy balladeer. I was surprised he took five singles to number one.