We take you behind the scenes and explore the making of one of our favorite tunes with The Song Remembers When…
Song: “Champagne Night”
Songwriters: Madeline Merlo, Shane McAnally, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Tina Parol, David Thomson, Patricia Conroy, Ryan Tedder, Esther Dean, and Andrew DeRoberts
Album: Ocean (Deluxe Edition)
In 2020, a songwriting competition called Songland was airing on NBC. Nashville hit songwriter and producer Shane McAnally was part of it. On the show, they would feature unknown songwriters who would pitch their songs to guest artists.
In Season 2, writer Madeline Merlo competed on the show with a song called “I’ll Drink To That.” She wanted to write a song that would have fans raising their glasses. On her episode, she pitched to Lady A. They liked it but felt it wasn’t quite there yet. So, Madeline worked with Shane to polish up the song. And, during that process, it gained a new title – “Champagne Night.”
Lady A loved it! Not only did Madeline win the competition, but the trio also recorded the song. It ended up being released to radio and reached number one where it stayed for two weeks in January 2021, becoming Lady A’s 11th chart-topper. That same year, the writers of “Champagne Night” were named the Canadian Country Music Association’s Songwriters of the Year!