# Where We Started > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Where_We_Started > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Where_We_Started.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_We_Started > Source revision: 1353880762 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the film, see [Where We Started (film)](/source/Where_We_Started_(film)). ***Where We Started*** is the sixth studio album by American [country music](/source/Country_music) singer [Thomas Rhett](/source/Thomas_Rhett), released by [Big Machine Records](/source/Big_Machine_Records)' Valory imprint on April 1, 2022. Rhett collaborated with [Katy Perry](/source/Katy_Perry), [Riley Green](/source/Riley_Green_(singer)), [Tyler Hubbard](/source/Tyler_Hubbard) and [Russell Dickerson](/source/Russell_Dickerson). The album was preceded by its lead single "[Slow Down Summer](/source/Slow_Down_Summer)" which peaked at No. 43 on [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100). The album debuted at number 12 on US [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) with 29,000 [album-equivalent units](/source/Album-equivalent_unit). ## History Thomas Rhett began writing songs for the album in 2019, but found out that he was experiencing [writer's block](/source/Writer's_block). He told the blog Sounds Like Nashville that he took six months away from writing songs before coming back to continue the album's material. The album includes the lead single "[Slow Down Summer](/source/Slow_Down_Summer)", along with three collaborations: [Tyler Hubbard](/source/Tyler_Hubbard) (of [Florida Georgia Line](/source/Florida_Georgia_Line)) and [Russell Dickerson](/source/Russell_Dickerson) on "[Death Row](/source/Death_Row_(Thomas_Rhett_song))", [Riley Green](/source/Riley_Green_(singer)) on "Half of Me", and [Katy Perry](/source/Katy_Perry) on the title track.[2] ## Critical reception [Stephen Thomas Erlewine](/source/Stephen_Thomas_Erlewine) of [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that it was "sunny and sweet, an ideal soundtrack for any afternoon activity from housecleaning to day drinking: it sustains its cheerful mood from stem to stern." He compared the title track to the sound of [Sam Hunt](/source/Sam_Hunt), and criticized "Death Row" for its lyrics and Hubbard's vocals.[3] ## Commercial performance In the United States, *Where We Started* debuted at number 12 on [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) with 29,000 [equivalent album units](/source/Album-equivalent_unit) sold in its first week.[4] The album also opened at number two on [Top Country Albums](/source/Top_Country_Albums), becoming his sixth top 10 on the chart. ## Personnel - [Thomas Rhett](/source/Thomas_Rhett) – vocals, backing vocals (2–4, 7–9, 11–14), whistle (4, 8) - Charlie Judge – acoustic piano (2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14), synthesizers (1, 8–10, 12, 13), [Hammond B3 organ](/source/Hammond_B3_organ) (2–7, 9, 10, 14, 15), [Wurlitzer electric piano](/source/Wurlitzer_electric_piano) (4, 12), [Rhodes piano](/source/Rhodes_piano) (8, 14) - Justin Niebank – programming (1–3, 6–15) - [Jesse Frasure](/source/Jesse_Frasure) – programming (1, 2, 6–15), electric guitar (2), synth bass (2, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15), acoustic piano (4), synthesizers (4, 15), backing vocals (4), synth strings (11, 13) - [David Huff](/source/David_Huff_(drummer)) – programming (2, 3, 5, 7–14) - Matt Dragstrem – programming (3, 14), backing vocals (8, 14), acoustic piano (14), synthesizers (14), electric guitar (14) - [Luke Laird](/source/Luke_Laird) – programming (12), synthesizers (12), synth strings (12), synth bass (12) - [Ilya Toshinsky](/source/Ilya_Toshinsky) – acoustic guitars, [gut string guitar](/source/Gut_string_guitar) (1), [dobro](/source/Dobro) (2, 3), [ganjo](/source/Banjo_guitar) (3), [mandolin](/source/Mandolin) (3, 11), [ukulele](/source/Ukulele) (4, 12), [banjo](/source/Banjo) (13) - Derek Wells – electric guitar (1–4, 6, 8–15), [slide electric guitar](/source/Slide_guitar) (7), electric guitar solo (14) - [Dann Huff](/source/Dann_Huff) – electric guitar (2, 4–8, 10–12), electric guitar solo (2–4, 6, 9, 10), mandolin (6, 11), synth flute (8), slide electric guitar (8, 11), [sitar](/source/Sitar) (8, 11, 12), programming (9, 10, 15), synth bass (10) - [Tom Bukovac](/source/Tom_Bukovac) – electric guitar (5) - Julien Bunetta – acoustic guitar (5) - [Paul Franklin](/source/Paul_Franklin_(musician)) – [steel guitar](/source/Steel_guitar) (1, 3, 5–11, 13, 15) - [Jimmie Lee Sloas](/source/Jimmie_Lee_Sloas) – bass guitar - [Shannon Forrest](/source/Shannon_Forrest) – drums (1, 6) - Chris Kimmerer – drums (2–4, 7–14), percussion (4, 12, 15) - Jerry Roe – drums (5) - [Stuart Duncan](/source/Stuart_Duncan) – [fiddle](/source/Fiddle) (3) - Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements (1, 11–13, 15) - Stephen Lamb – copyist (11, 12, 15) - Kevin Bate – cello (1, 11–13, 15) - Austin Hoke – cello (1, 13) - Sari Reist – cello (11, 12, 15) - Monisa Angell – viola (1, 11–13, 15) - Betsy Lamb – viola (1, 13) - Chris Farrell – viola (11, 12, 15) - David Angell – violin (1, 11–13, 15), string contractor (11, 12, 15) - Jenny Bifano – violin (1, 13) - David Davidson – violin (1, 11–13, 15) - Alicia Engstrom – violin (1, 13) - Jun Iwasaki – violin (1, 11–13, 15) - Karen Winklemann – violin (1, 13) - Conni Ellisor – violin (11, 12, 15) - Josh Reedy – backing vocals (1–4, 6–14) - Stevie Frasure – backing vocals (2, 11, 13) - [Teddy Swims](/source/Teddy_Swims) – backing vocals (5) - [Riley Green](/source/Riley_Green_(singer)) – vocals (6) - [Russell Dickerson](/source/Russell_Dickerson) – vocals (9) - [Tyler Hubbard](/source/Tyler_Hubbard) – vocals (9) - [Katy Perry](/source/Katy_Perry) – vocals (15) - [Jon Bellion](/source/Jon_Bellion) – backing vocals (15) ### Production - Allison Jones – A&R - Dann Huff – producer - Jesse Frasure – producer (1, 2, 4, 6–15) - Matt Dragstrem – producer (3), recording (3) - Julian Bunetta – producer (5) - Joe Baldridge – recording (1–4, 6–15) - Buckley Miller – recording (5) - Joel McKenney – recording assistant (1, 2, 6, 8) - Josh Ditty – recording assistant (3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15) - Sean Badum – recording assistant (5) - Kam Luchterhand – recording assistant (11) - Jory Roberts – recording assistant (11, 12, 14) - Mark Zellmer – additional recording (5) - Steve Marcantonio – string recording (1, 11–13, 15) - Michael Walter – string recording assistant (1, 13) - Justin Niebank – mixing (1–14) - Drew Bollman – mix engineer (1–4), recording (3) - [Serban Ghenea](/source/Serban_Ghenea) – mixing (15) - Bryce Bordone – mix engineer (15) - David Huff – digital editing - Chris Small – digital editing (1, 2, 4–15) - Scott Cooke – digital editing (3) - Adam Ayan – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine) - Mike "Frog" Griffith – production manager - John Sherear – photography - Sandi Spika Borchetta – art direction - Justin Ford – art direction, design - Thomas Rhett – art direction - Courtney Geree – wardrobe - Jess Berrios – grooming ## Charts ### Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Where We Started Chart (2022) Peak position ### Year-end charts 2022 year-end chart performance for Where We Started Chart (2022) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[5] 42 ## References 1. *Where We Started* (CD booklet). The Valory Music Co. 2022. VMCTR0550F. 1. Vaughn, Grace Lenehan (April 4, 2022). ["Thomas Rhett talks creating 'Where We Started' and beating writer's block"](https://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/thomas-rhett-talks-creating-where-we-started-and-beating-writers-block/). Sounds Like Nashville. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221201103725/https://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/thomas-rhett-talks-creating-where-we-started-and-beating-writers-block/) December 1, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 15, 2022. 1. ["*Where We Started* review"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/where-we-started-mw0003658180). AllMusic. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220416034634/https://www.allmusic.com/album/where-we-started-mw0003658180) April 16, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 15, 2022. 1. Asker, Jim (April 12, 2022). ["Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry Get 'Started' on Billboard Country Charts"](https://www.billboard.com/pro/thomas-rhett-katy-perry-get-started-billboard-country-charts/). *Billboard*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220417063516/https://www.billboard.com/pro/thomas-rhett-katy-perry-get-started-billboard-country-charts/) April 17, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 17, 2022. 1. ["Top Country Albums – Year-End 2022"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/top-country-albums/). *Billboard*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221201162045/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/top-country-albums/) December 1, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 5, 2023. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Where We Started](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_We_Started) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_We_Started?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.