Hollywood Gold

Hollywood Gold
EP by Parker McCollum
Released	October 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Genre	Country
Length	21:28
Label	MCA Nashville
Producer	Jon Randall
Parker McCollum chronology
Probably Wrong (2017) Hollywood Gold (2020) Gold Chain Cowboy (2021)

Hollywood Gold is the fourth EP by American country music artist Parker McCollum. It was released on October 16, 2020, by MCA Nashville. It was produced by Jon Randall and was McCollum's first major-label release.

The EP marked a rise in McCollum's success with his first number one single, "Pretty Heart," topping Billboard's Country Airplay. Alongside the song's individual success, Hollywood Gold charted on the Billboard 200 at 99 and on the Top Country Albums at 10.

History

The title Hollywood Gold is a reference to a racehorse once owned by McCollum's grandfather, which McCollum learned more about while listening to a story from his grandmother. According to McCollum, the horse had been purchased with great excitement but was stolen shortly after a long search that ultimately ended in recovery. He described the name as "near and dear" to him and felt it fitting for the project, as the songs all came "from the same place" emotionally and thematically. McCollum has said the EP is a pendulum that swings between different sides of his personality from his optimistic side to his loving side, with every song carrying a piece of his internal conflict.

In addition to previously released "Pretty Heart" and "Young Man's Blues," the EP also includes "Like a Cowboy," a track co-written by Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson in the early 2000s. Other tracks include "Hallie Ray Light," "Hold Me Back," and "Love You Like That," the latter co-written with Billy Montana and Jon Randall. McCollum called the project his best songwriting to date and expressed excitement for fans to hear it. He expressed hope that listeners would walk away believing in the authenticity of the music, saying, "Whether people like the EP or not is one thing...but the thing I care about most is if people walking away saying, 'I believe him' and 'I buy that."

McCollum credits his relentless work ethic, including years of touring and live performance, as central to his development as an artist. He also acknowledged early mentorship from Randy Rogers, who managed him early in his career and offered him lasting advice: "Everyone you see on the way up, you are going to see on the way down."

Themes

Several songs from the EP reflected specific emotional experiences. "Young Man's Blues," co-written with Randy Montana, was described by McCollum as so emotionally raw that he found it difficult to listen to around the time of release, stating it "hits a little too close" as it deals with the struggles of growing up. "Pretty Heart," which became a breakout single, which was also co-written by Montana, and McCollum initially doubted it, feeling they "missed the mark" until his girlfriend reacted with tears after hearing it. "Like a Cowboy" reminded him of his grandfather's mentality and upbringing, and he said recording it was a rare chance to just sing a great song without second guessing. Other tracks, like "Love You Like That" and "Hold Me Back," show the desperation and rawness in his voice, with the latter drawing comparisons to Gary Allan. "Hallie Ray Light," which was the only song solely written by McCollum, was a tribute to his girlfriend and was praised for its vulnerability and authenticity.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Hollywood Gold received positive reviews from critics, who praised its balance between commercial polish and McCollum's red dirt roots. Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that while the EP's title evokes glamor and mainstream ambition, the music itself avoids the trappings of a major-label "sell-out" and instead presents a "glossy, full realization" of McCollum's Texas country sound.

Billboard noted, "McCollum's voice is twangy and strong and the Texan's songwriting really stands out. There's nothing cookie-cutter about these songs." American Songwriter also stated, "Parker McCollum shines bright on his new EP Hollywood Gold."

Commercial and chart performance

Hollywood Gold became the highest-selling major-label debut EP in 2020 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Young Man's Blues"	Parker McCollum Randy Montana	3:27
2.	"Like a Cowboy"	Al Anderson Chris Stapleton	3:45
3.	"Pretty Heart"	McCollum R. Montana	4:04
4.	"Hallie Ray Light"	McCollum	3:41
5.	"Hold Me Back"	McCollum Tony Lane	3:03
6.	"Love You Like That"	McCollum Billy Montana Jon Randall	3:35
Total length:			21:28

Personnel

• Parker McCollum – vocals (all tracks)
• Jon Randall – production (all tracks), background vocals (1–4, 6), electric guitar, mandolin (6)
• F. Reid Shippen – percussion (tracks 1, 4, 6), mixing, engineer (all tracks)
• Marc Rogers – bass (tracks 1, 6)
• Jedd Hughes – electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6), acoustic guitar, (4, 6), mandolin (4)
• Jimmy Wallace – keyboard (tracks 1, 3–6), Hammond organ (1, 4, 5), piano (1, 2, 5, 6), Rhodes piano (2)
• Rob McNelley – electric guitar (tracks 2–5)
• Lex Price – bass (tracks 2, 5)
• Doug Belote – drums (track 2, 5, 6), percussion (5, 6)
• Stanton Adcock – acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 5)
• Albert Perkins – steel guitar (track 2)
• Jerry Roe – drums, percussion, electric bass guitar (tracks 3, 4)
• Jessi Alexander – background vocals (track 5)
• Pete Lyman – mastering (all tracks)
• Brandon Bell – engineer (all tracks)
• Michael Mechling – assistant mixing (all tracks), assistant engineer (1, 2, 5, 6)
• Ethan Barrette – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 5)
• Daniel Bacigalupi – assistant mastering (tracks 1–3, 5)
• Shani Gandhi – digital editing, engineer (tracks 2–6), background vocals, keyboards (6)
• Evan Wilber – assistant engineer, assistant digital editing (tracks 2, 3)
• Justin Frances – assistant engineer (tracks 3, 4)
• Dan Davis – engineer (tracks 4, 5)

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Hollywood Gold

Chart (2020)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	99
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)	10