The Singles Jukebox

Dierks Living, the offshoot magazine of Southern Living…

[Video]
[5.50]

Josh Love: It’s nice to check in on ol’ Dierks and see he finally got a decent haircut, he’s stacking that Five-Hour Energy endorsement money, and he’s admirably aged into something far less embarrassing than most of his peers. The stop-and-smell-the-roses message of “Living” is extremely saccharine, but the song makes some interesting structural and syntactical choices that Dierks manages to sell quite convincingly (the way he hits the end of a line like “and it killed me” with a little extra intensity or the nice alliteration and assonance of “Some days you’re just breathin’ / Just tryin’ to break even”).
[6]

Alfred Soto: Dierks Bentley albums tend to be slow burners, quietly releasing singles often more than a year after their release. 2018’s The Mountain was his most assured, but listeners would hardly know it from the conservative choices for singles. This valentine to life depends on Bentley’s restraint if not humility, from which the guitars take their cues. I hear touching, others sappy. 
[6]

Katie Gill: It really says something that Dierks Bentley’s “live your life and enjoy the moment” songs sound exactly like his “girl you’re pretty” songs, which sound exactly like his “look at me, I’m on a beach!” songs. Now that we’ve had 10+ years of this sound, it’s starting to wear thin.
[4]

Michael Hong: Dierks Bentley said he was aiming for something that felt “authentically personal” when writing “Living.” Lyrically, nothing about it stands out as “authentically personal,” but Bentley’s relaxed drawl allows him to get away with a couple of clunky lines and generic platitudes. Similarly, the instrumental is nothing new, and while a handful of guitar lines feel vibrant, they fold into the pleasant atmosphere. But while “Living” may not push boundaries, Bentley sounds genuinely grateful, giving “Living” enough meaning to ignore most of its flaws.
[6]

Ian Mathers: See, I am not totally immune to the charms of bro country, it just takes a bit of existentialism in there (I guess?). It doesn’t hurt at all that “sometimes your heart’s poundin’ out of your chest, sometimes it’s just beatin'” is pretty relatable whether or not you’re currently dead inside.
[7]

Juan F. Carruyo: The soft jangle and the programmed beats make no difference: This is pop with a twang. “Living” carries little traction, with vaguely evocative lyrics (and the mandatory whiskey reference to keep country cred) and Bon Jovi-lite guitar crunch in the chorus. Some times you’re just average, dear Dierks. 
[4]