Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three stars out of five, writing that "the more organic approach on this song is a breath of fresh air" and "the melody isn’t immediately catchy, but the arrangement bounces along in a pleasing manner."[3] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, saying that it "may not excite early Kenny Chesney fans all that much but for the rest of the modern Country Music listening audience it's a song that fits well within what radio is playing."[4]
Music video
The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered in February 2013.[5]
Chart performance
"Pirate Flag" debuted at number 22 on the U.S. BillboardCountry Airplay chart for the week of February 16, 2013.[6] It also debuted at number 35 on the U.S. BillboardHot Country Songs chart for the week of February 16, 2013.[7] It also debuted at number 68 on the U.S. BillboardHot 100 chart for the week of February 23, 2013. It also debuted at number 81 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of February 23, 2013.