Amazed

"Amazed"
Single by Lonestar
from the album Lonely Grill
B-side	"Tell Her"
Released	March 22, 1999 (See release history)
Format	CD 7" 45 RPM
Recorded	1998
Genre	Country pop pop rock soft rock
Length	4:00 (original) 4:29 (remix)
Label	BNA 65755
Writer(s)	Marv Green Chris Lindsey Aimee Mayo
Producer(s)	Dann Huff
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Lonestar singles chronology
"Saturday Night"[1] (1999) "Amazed" (1999) "Smile" (1999)
Alternative cover Alternate US pop cover Music video "Amazed" on YouTube

"Amazed" is a song written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo, and Chris Lindsey. The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar, whose version was released in March 1999 as the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill. Lonestar's version is their longest-lasting number one single and biggest hit, spending eight weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart. A remix of the song made it reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts in 2000. The song has sold over 1,650,000 digital copies in the US as of February 2016.^[2]

Only five years after Lonestar's "Amazed" topped the Billboard Hot 100 did another country song top the chart, as Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" debuted at number one on the Hot 100 in 2005. "Amazed" and "Inside Your Heaven" are the only country songs in the 2000s decade to hit number one on the Hot 100.

Since the release of the original, the song has been covered by Bonnie Tyler, Duncan James, and Fady Maalouf, all of whom have released their respective versions as singles. Ben Mills, Boyz II Men and Shane Filan have included covers in their respective albums. On The Sing-Off (season 4, episode 3), judge Shawn Stockman, of Boyz II Men fame, mentioned that the song had been offered to them first, and they decided to turn it down.

Content

"Amazed" is in the key of A♭ major with a vocal range from F3 to A♭4.^[3]

Critical reception

A review in Billboard was mostly favorable, praising Richie McDonald's lead vocals for "perfectly convey[ing] the tenderness and wonder felt in a loving relationship" but saying that some of the lyrics were "a little too clichéd".^[4]

Lonestar version

Lonestar's rendition is the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill. The song spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart that same year. With this accomplishment, it set a record for the longest run at number one on the country chart since Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems was initiated in 1990. This run was later tied by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett's 2003 single "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", which spent eight non-consecutive weeks at number one. "Amazed" spent 41 weeks on the country singles chart,^[5] giving it the second-longest chart run of any country single in the 1990s.^[6] In addition, the single crossed over into the pop airwaves entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 81. It peaked at number 24 on before falling off the Hot 100. It had sold 1,628,000 digital copies in the US as of December 2015.^[2]

"Amazed" was then remixed for pop radio (a tactic commonly used to present country-leaning songs to mainstream audiences) and the new mix's popularity prompted the single to re-enter the Hot 100 at number 45. On this second chart run, it hit number one on March 4, 2000. In doing so, it became the first new country song to top the pop charts since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's 1983 duet "Islands in the Stream".^[7] It also made Lonestar the first country band to place a song in the top ten of the Hot 100 year-end countdown. All remixes of the song made the single spend a combined total of 55 weeks in the Hot 100, and 41 weeks on Hot Country Singles & Tracks.

Only five years after "Amazed" topped the Billboard Hot 100 did another country song top the chart, as Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" debuted at number one on the Hot 100, on June 2005.^[8] "Amazed" and "Inside Your Heaven" are the only country songs in the 2000s decade to hit number one on the Hot 100.^[9]

In the United Kingdom, Lonestar's version of "Amazed" reached a peak of number 21 and spent 22 weeks in the charts. It spent 17 weeks in the top 40 without ever breaking into the top 20.

Music video

Trey Fanjoy directed the music video for Lonestar's rendition. It was released in July 1999. It alternates between shots of the band performing the song in a dark room, and a model making seductive poses. The model is portrayed by Sunny Mabrey. The original music video uses the album version for country channels; a second video was created from the footage for the song's pop remix and served to international and pop stations.

Track listing

USA

1. "Amazed" (Captain Mix) – 4:29
2. "Amazed" (AC Mix) – 4:02

UK CD1

1. "Amazed" (Pop Remix)
2. "Amazed" (Radio Edit)
3. "Lonely Grill"

UK CD2

1. "Amazed" (Mainstream Mix)
2. "Amazed" (Huff Mix)
3. "Amazed" (Mainstream Mix – Acoustic Version)

• The Captain Mix, Mainstream Mix and Pop Remix are all the same version. The AC Mix is the original "Acoustic Version" while the "Huff Mix" is the original album version.

Release history

Charts and certifications

• ¹Re-release.

Duncan James version

"Amazed"
Single by Duncan James
from the album Future Past
B-side	"Save This Moment For Me"
Released	September 29, 2006 (Germany) March 12, 2007 (UK)
Format	CD digital download
Recorded	2006
Genre	Pop
Length	3:58
Label	Innocent
Writer(s)	Marv Green Chris Lindsey Aimee Mayo
Producer(s)	Matt Prime
Duncan James singles chronology
"Can't Stop A River" (2006) "Amazed" (2007) Music video "Amazed" on YouTube

"Amazed" was the third and final single released from Future Past, the debut album of Duncan James, the former member of the English boy band Blue. It was released in the UK on March 12, 2007, but was withdrawn just days later, following James' being dropped from his record label due to poor sales of his previous singles and album. The single was also released in some European countries, such as Germany, where it peaked at number 181 on the German Singles Chart.

Track listing

UK CD single

1. "Amazed" [Radio Edit] – 3:57
2. "Save This Moment For Me" – 4:42

Germany CD1

1. "Amazed" [Radio Edit] – 3:57
2. "Part Time Love" – 4:01

Germany CD2

1. "Amazed" [Radio Edit] – 3:57
2. "You Can" – 3:55
3. "Part Time Love" – 4:01
4. "Amazed" [Videoclip] – 3:57

Chart performance

Fady Maalouf version

"Amazed"
Single by Fady Maalouf
from the album Blessed
Released	2008
Recorded	2008
Genre	Pop
Label	Columbia Deutschland
Writer(s)	Marv Green Chris Lindsey Aimee Mayo
Fady Maalouf singles chronology
"Blessed" (2008) "Amazed" (2008) "Show Me Your Love" 2009 Music video "Amazed" on YouTube

In 2008, the runner up of the fifth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol, the Lebanese-German singer Fady Maalouf released a cover version of the song as his second single release immediately after the big success of his debut single "Blessed". The song also appears in his debut Blessed album's double CD rerelease, titled Blessed: New Edition.

Maalouf's version was a hit in Germany where it reached number 26^[32] in the German Singles Chart. It was also released in Austria, reaching number 52 in the Austrian Singles Chart.

Track listing

CD single

1. "Amazed" – (3:58)
2. "Vole mon ame" – (3:42)

CD maxi

1. "Amazed" – (3:58)
2. "Vole mon ame" – (3:42)
3. "Show Me Your Love" (Dance version) – (4:31)
4. "Amazed" (Instrumental) – (3:58)
5. "Amazed" (Video)

Chart performance

Other cover versions

• In 2000, covered by the German group Trademark. The release was accompanied with a music video release as well.
• In 2007, former X Factor contestant Ben Mills recorded a version for his debut album Picture of You.
• In 2009, Boyz II Men made a cover in their 2009 cover versions album Love.
• In May 2011, American Idol contestant and eventual season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery sang it during competition and a studio version was released after his interpretation.
• South African singer Ray Dylan recorded a version on his album Goeie Ou Country Vol 2.^[33]
• In 2013, Irish singer Shane Filan of Westlife made an acoustic version of "Amazed" that appears in the deluxe edition of his album You and Me in the accompanying bonus disc.
• On March 13, 2013, American Idol season 12 contestant, Paul Jolley sang it during the top 10 week.

References in other media

In 2014, country music duo Haley & Michaels co-wrote their debut single "Just Another Love Song" with Lonestar lead vocalist Richie McDonald. The song makes lyrical reference to "Amazed", and features McDonald singing its chorus.^[34]

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics