Showing posts with label Trisha Yearwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trisha Yearwood. Show all posts

Monday, December 29, 2025

Sunny Sweeney's Rhinestone Requiem Leads That Nashville Sound’s Top Albums of 2025

There are years when music feels like more than entertainment. It becomes a companion, a mirror, and sometimes even a lifeline. 2025 was one of those years. Across country, Americana, roots, and outlaw music, artists leaned heavily into storytelling that felt lived-in and honest. These were records shaped by miles traveled, relationships tested, faith questioned, joy rediscovered, and the steady passage of time.

In an era where singles dominate algorithms and attention spans are short, albums still matter deeply to artists and listeners who value cohesion, narrative, and emotional arc. The best records of 2025 were not just collections of songs, but complete statements. They rewarded listeners who pressed play and stayed put, albums that unfolded slowly and revealed more with every listen.

Country music, at its core, has always been about truth. Not perfection, not polish, but truth. This year’s strongest releases leaned into that ethos. Whether rooted in honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, or modern Americana, the albums that rose to the top carried a sense of purpose and authenticity that could not be manufactured.

Before naming this year’s top album, it is worth reflecting on the records that have previously earned That Nashville Sound’s Album of the Year distinction. These winners represent moments when artistry, timing, and storytelling aligned in a way that left a lasting mark.

Previous That Nashville Sound Album of the Year winners

1995: Dwight Yoakam - Blame The Vain
1996: Vince Gill - High Lonesome Sound
1997: Clint Black - Nothin' But The Taillights
1998: Lee Ann Womack - Some Things I Know
1999: Alison Krauss - Forget About It
2000: Vince Gill - Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye
2001: Tim McGraw - Set This Circus Down
2002: Johnny Cash - American IV- The Man Comes Around
2003: Patty Loveless - On Your Way Home
2004: Rachel Proctor - Where I Belong
2005: Gary Allan – Tough All Over (tie) & Lee Ann Womack – There’s More Where That Came From
2006: Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
2007: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant – Raising Sand
2008: Lee Ann Womack – Call Me Crazy
2009: Eric Church – Carolina
2010: Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give
2011: Pistol Annies – Hell on Heels
2012: Marty Stuart – Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down
2013: Brandy Clark – 12 Stories
2014: Don Williams – Reflections
2015: Chris Stapleton – Traveller
2016: Ryan Beaver – RX
2017: Jason Eady – Jason Eady
2018: Ashley McBryde – Girl Goin’ Nowhere
2019: Erin Enderlin – Faulkner County
2020: Hailey Whitters – The Dream
2021: Mike and the Moonpies – One to Grow On
2022: Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country
2023: Cody Johnson – Leather
2024: Three Times A Lady – Live at 3rd and Lindsley

Each of these albums captured something essential about its moment, while still standing the test of time. That lineage makes the 2025 winner all the more meaningful.

2025 Album of the Year
Sunny Sweeney – Rhinestone Requiem

Rhinestone Requiem is not just a return to form for Sunny Sweeney, it is a reaffirmation of who she has always been as an artist. Honest to a fault, rooted in classic country tradition, and delivered with grit, humor, and heart, this album feels like the most complete statement of her career.

From its opening moments, Rhinestone Requiem establishes its tone. These are songs shaped by real experiences, sung by someone who has lived them. The record balances sharp wit with vulnerability, heartbreak with resilience, and traditional country sounds with modern clarity. Sweeney’s voice carries the weight of the stories effortlessly, never over-singing, never hiding behind production.

Lyrically, the album shines in its specificity. These are not generic tales of love and loss. They are detailed, personal, and emotionally grounded, which makes them universally relatable. Musically, the record embraces honky-tonk roots, tasteful instrumentation, and arrangements that serve the song first and foremost.

Rhinestone Requiem stands out because it feels timeless without feeling dated. It respects country music’s past while confidently existing in the present. In a year filled with excellent albums, this one lingered the longest and left the deepest impression.

----------------------------

Honorable mentions for 2025

Hailey Whitters – Corn Queen

A confident, joyful, and grounded album that continues Whitters’ rise as one of the most important voices of her generation.

Courtney Patton – Carry You With Me

Warm, reflective, and deeply human, this record showcases Patton’s gift for emotional storytelling.

The Steeldrivers – Outrun

A powerful blend of bluegrass tradition and forward momentum, filled with masterful musicianship.

Alison Krauss and Union Station – Arcadia

Elegant, restrained, and beautifully crafted, a reminder of the enduring power of harmony and subtlety.

Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow

Poetic and introspective, an album that rewards careful listening and emotional investment.

The Wilder Blue – Still in the Runnin’

Rich harmonies and thoughtful songwriting anchored in classic Americana influences.

Drew Kennedy – Drew Kennedy

A self-titled album that feels personal, honest, and quietly confident.

Trisha Yearwood – The Mirror

A reflective and mature album that highlights Yearwood’s timeless voice and interpretive strength.

The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road

A seasoned band delivering thoughtful songs rooted in experience and musical craftsmanship.

The Castellows – Homecoming EP

An impressive and intimate collection that signals a bright future.

Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History

Graceful, literate songwriting from one of Americana’s most respected voices.

Turnpike Troubadours – Price of Admission

A powerful addition to the Red Dirt canon, filled with grit, heart, and authenticity.

Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World

Another reminder that Willie Nelson’s voice and perspective remain as vital as ever.

Cody Jinks – In My Blood

Raw, direct, and emotionally grounded, continuing Jinks’ outlaw legacy.

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Bold and uncompromising, rooted in Appalachian tradition and fearless expression.

Waylon Jennings – Songbird

A remarkable archival/postumous release that underscores Waylon’s enduring influence.

Jake Owen – Dream to Dream

A reflective and melodic independent album that hints at a new career direction for Owen. 

--------------------------

Final thoughts

The best albums of 2025 shared one thing in common: they told the truth. In different voices and from different places, these artists reminded us why albums still matter and why country and Americana continue to resonate so deeply.

Sunny Sweeney’s Rhinestone Requiem leads the way this year, but the strength of the field speaks volumes about where the music is headed. Honest. Grounded. And built to last.

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Lauren Alaina Invited To Become Next Member Of The Grand Ole Opry

 Lauren Alaina was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night (December 18th). The Opry was the first major stage Alaina played just a week after she was named runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10th, 2011. Earlier this fall she marked her 50th appearance on the Opry.

Opry member and friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood surprised Alaina on stage with the invitation. Throughout the evening, the Opry played video greetings from artists sharing their 2021 Christmas wishes. When Yearwood appeared to share her wish via video on the Opry House screens during a break in Alaina’s set, she ended with, “Hey… is that Lauren Alaina?” Yearwood then made her way on stage. “Junior (her nickname for Alaina), I have a present for you. And I have some surprises for you too. I know your Mom is here and I know your Dad is as well. He’s super proud of you right now because I have the honor of asking you on behalf of the Grand Ole Opry if you will please accept our invitation of becoming our newest member.”

An emotionally overcome Alaina dropped to her knees and finally uttered a winded, “Yes!” Holding Yearwood’s hand after many minutes catching her breath, “I did not expect this. You are my hero. I could not have picked a more perfect person to ask me. She calls me Junior- ya’ll I’m in her phone as Junior which is the coolest thing to have happened to me besides this!”

“You are the real deal,” Yearwood went on to say. “You’ve played over 50 times. It’s obvious what this means to you. This is a very special club to be in so you have to understand what the Opry means to be asked. It’s such an honor. Country music is in good hands with you. Soak up every second!”

Yearwood duets with Alaina on her Gold-certified song “Getting Good” from her recent album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World and also wrote the foreword to her just-released inspirational book Getting Good At Being You.

Alaina will be formally inducted into the Opry family on an early 2022 date to be announced soon.

“Lauren has been visiting us for 10 years, yet she still brings youthful exuberance and excitement with her every single time she plays the Opry,” said Dan Rogers, Opry vice president and executive producer. “We are thrilled that her name will be added to the Opry member roster next year.”

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Garth Brooks Long-Awaited Fun Album To Be Released On Nov. 20

Artist: Garth Brooks
Album: Fun
Label: Pearl Records
Release date: November 20, 2020

For nearly two years, Garth Brooks has been promising a new album, Fun. While there hasn't yet been a formal announcement on the release, retailers like Target are populating the albums on their online storefronts as presales for a November 20, release. 

There's been a couple songs teased from the album earlier this year. Like the title implies, "Party Gras" is a good-timing zydeco stomp that instantly takes the listener to the Mardi Gras. "That's What Cowboys Do" is a traditional country track that would sound right at home on a record by Brooks’ hero, George Strait. In addition to those two tracks, some songs on the project are to include "All Day Long," "Courage of Love" and the Blake Shelton-assisted "Dive Bar." In addition, Brooks mentioned in one of his Inside Studio G episodes, he updated fans that the album will have a duet with he and wife Trisha Yearwood on a recording of their version of "Shallow."

"[The] FUN album has been delayed every bit so slightly, but still should be here on time," Garth begins before dropping the spoiler alert, "'Shallow’ came out amazing." 

The album looks to have been held off partially due to the tumultuous 2020 year this country has had including the pandemic, political strife and racial divides. "I don't want to be the guy that tries to do something in the midst where everybody is hurting," Brooks said in an interview. "The album's ready to go. It's just, how do you get out and promote and be happy and jolly while everybody's out there fighting for their lives not only physically, but fighting for their lives financially?"

Brooks originally unveiled the album's title during his Jan. 21 episode of Inside Studio G, noting, "The title of the album was sparked because making it has been such a fun process to go through. Being able to go in and out of the studio while being on the tour, working with the same guys, it’s been amazing."

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Write You A Song Podcast - An Interview With Tia Sillers and Shannon LaBrie

This morning we share another new podcast from host Tom Mailey from Bonneville radio station New Country 105.1 KNCI in Sacramento. Tom is a country radio veteran with over 30 years of experience in Seattle and Sacramento and a key partner in our Golf & Guitars Children's Charity Music Festival, a little event in our thirteenth year that has raised well north of a million bucks for kids and individuals with disabilities. It highlights the songwriters in our industry and is entitled Write You a Song. 

It's his hope that this podcast will shine a little overdue spotlight on the talented men and women who, mostly behind the scenes, write the songs that become part of our lives. You know their words and music, but maybe not their names: Write You a Song will feature some of country music’s biggest songwriters--like Jeffrey Steele, Brett Warren, Ashley McBryde, Tim Nichols and more.

Little different episode this month. For the first time, there are two guests. One is a recently-nominated Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame candidate who wrote one of the most inspiring songs ever recorded, Tia Sillers. Her "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack is iconic. She's also the pen behind such songs as the Dixie Chicks' "There's Your Trouble," "Heaven, Heartache & the Power of Love" by Trisha Yearwood and "That'll Be Alright" by Alan Jackson. And the last 15 minutes or so, we welcome a young singer-songwriter named Shannon LaBrie, with whom Tia collaborated on a new album called "Building", which is out now. The songs Shannon and Tia wrote are bold and creative, and you'll love Shannon's voice. 

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Trisha Yearwood To Release Every Girl On August 30

Artist: Trisha Yearwood
Album: Every Girl
Label: Gwendolyn Records
Release date: August 30, 2019

Her 2019 Frank Sinatra tribute album notwithstanding, Trisha Yearwood's new record will be her first full-length country album since 2007's phenomenal Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.

"Honestly, I didn't set out to make a certain kind of record. I didn't set out to do anything, except find songs that I loved, when I started this project about a year ago," Yearwood explains. "I had no expectation, except that I wanted to enjoy myself in the studio."

"Every Girl in This Town," is the first single. "This was one of the first songs I heard, and I just loved it," Yearwood recalls. "After the record was done, it kind of rose to the surface." The track went straight to radio, where it scored Yearwood the biggest-ever add day of her already impressive career.

As Yearwood says, she didn't have many expectations for her new project, and she certainly didn't expect early radio success. "I am very surprised to be one of the women who's on the radio right now. I'm really excited about it ...," she says. "I think it’s really just been in the last couple days since the song’s been out that I really am seeing that it’s striking the same nerve with other people that it struck with me."

1. Workin' on Whiskey
2. Find a Way
3. Home
4. Every Girl in This Town
5. Tell Me Something I Don't Know
6. What Gave Me Away
7. Something Kinda Like It
8. When Lonely Calls
9. The Matador
10. I’ll Carry You Home
11. Drink Up
12. Bible and a .44
13. Can't Take Back Goodbye
14. Love You Anyway

Friday, January 11, 2019

Hear It Here - New Music From Sarah Buxton - "Only The Truth"

"It's time to let go. I have no plan. I have no help. I'm just releasing a song and clearing space for whatever wants to happens next." ~ Sarah Buxton on the new release of her new song "Only the Truth."

For Sarah Buxton, the last fifteen years have been a roller-coaster ride. The singer/songwriter has realized huge successes and at the same time has questioned at times where music would take her. Today, that journey aims to all points north with the release of a brand new independent song, "Only The Truth."

Buxton moved to Nashville following high school graduation both to attend Belmont University and follow her musical dreams and ambitions. The early 2000’s found her the lead singer of a southern rock band called Stoik Oak. But after that group called it quits- it was John Rich and others that encouraged her to find her country music voice and after singing back-up vocals from everyone from Kenny Rogers to Cowboy Troy, she landed her own record deal with Lyric Street Records back in 2006. Keith Urban recorded the Buxton co-write "Stupid Boy" on his album Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing- which he took to #3 on the country charts in 2007. Buxton got her own self-titled album released in 2010 and chart four singles.

But with the exception of a side project titled Skyline Motel and a slew of hits written for other artists such as Gary Allan, The Band Perry, Chris Lane, Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line and more, we hadn't heard any new music from Sarah herself.

Until today...

Saturday, November 10, 2018

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes: New Trisha Album, New Music Videos & A PGA Tour Caddie Makes Album

We've got a handful of news items to share this Saturday morning including some new music videos, a couple of upcoming album announcements and a link to a brand new album from a prominent PGA Tour caddie.

- Trisha Yearwood will release an album of Frank Sinatra covers through William Sonoma on December 20th- the project will get a more universal launch in February of 2018. “I’ve been wanting to make this record for 20 years!” Yearwood, 54, tells PEOPLE. “I have always loved standards, and nobody sings them better than Sinatra. I’m honored to get the chance to pay tribute to him and the songwriters in these timeless classics.”

- Darryl Worley has a new yet-to-be-titled album coming out in February of 2019. He is now on Acceleration Music Group, a new secondary radio label project started this month. Other artists on Acceleration include Ty Herndon and Michelle Wright.

- Ashley McBryde has a new acoustic music video for her song "Home Sweet Highway."

- Rodney Atkins has a new music video for "Caught Up In The Country."

- Jerrod Niemann has a new music video for "Old Glory."

- Longtime PGA Tour caddie and Sacramento-native John Wood has released a new album entitled Record 66. Having been on the bag for golf stars like Kevin Sutherland, Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar, Wood is recognized as one of the finest caddies out on tour- and time between tournaments has had him perfecting his musical craft as well. Says Wood, "Been writing songs for a while now and finally sat down and got to work and made halfway decent recordings of them, so it's almost kinda sorta a whole album. You can listen to it on soundcloud. If you like overly wordy, sad, and slightly off key singing, then this Is your jam. Best I can say is it's not horrible for a caddie."  You can listen to the project HERE.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Chely Wright Readies Holiday Album Santa Will Find You For Late-October Release

Artist: Chely Wright
Album: Santa Will Find You (EP)
Label: Painted Music Group
Release date: October 26, 2018

“I’m the first one in mid-to-late October to be pulling out my holiday records,” Chely Wright says with a chuckle, before naming Christmas albums by Nat King Cole, the Carpenters, Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson as favorites. Now the acclaimed singer-songwriter, activist and author has made her own contribution to the holiday shelf with Santa Will Find You (October 26 / Painted Music Group), a new six-track EP of original songs, most of them shaped with friends and collaborators Richard Marx, Jeremy Lister and Mindy Smith.

Befitting an artist whose story is among the most compelling in country music history—from a hit-making Nashville starlet to a trailblazing LGBT advocate and thoughtful musical storyteller—Wright’s Christmas music reflects the fuller sense of humanity behind the holiday season. It’s a celebration of the pals we look forward to seeing each December, and an expression of yearning for the friends we’re missing. Finally, it’s a bittersweet homage to love—whether it’s been found, lost or is just sort of waiting to come around again.

Santa Will Find You finds Wright engaging with the holiday season in an honest and personal way before the first note is heard. When she began to think about possible cover art for the project, Wright saw that she needed to take a step back and process the mission at hand. “What is this music?” she asked herself. “What do I hope it does for people?”

Her answer—to help inspire future memories—called for a detour down memory lane. “I hope this music becomes part of a new emotional landscape for listeners,” she adds. “And that made me revisit why I wanted to make this record, and I was contemplative about my holiday memories.”

“I grew up in a small town in Kansas,” Wright begins, “and we either spent Christmas morning at our house or at my Aunt Char’s house or in Arizona at my grandparents’ house. We would wake up on Christmas morning and it was as magical as you would hope it is.”

The cover art is a childhood photo titled Captured on Christmas Morning of 1973, featuring Wright, age 3, her two siblings and two of her cousins. Tragically, one of the children in the photo, Wright’s cousin David, died in 1981 of complications from diabetes. He would have turned 50 this year. When she called David’s mother, her Aunt Char, to ask if it’d be OK to use the image, the response was instantaneous and effusive. “She said, ‘Oh, I love it, I love it. He was a star,’” Wright recalls brightly. “It’s a neat way to honor the history of our family.”

The leadoff cut, “It Really Is (A Wonderful Life),” was written alone, on a quiet, post-breakup Christmas Eve in 2005, and eventually “took on a life of its own in a really beautiful way,” Wright says, and has been covered by both Mindy Smith and the Indigo Girls.

With the title track, “Santa Will Find You,” Wright honors the family she’s built with wife Lauren Blitzer and their twin boys, George and Everett. “We were visiting our family in Pennsylvania for the holidays,” Chely remembers. “In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, our boys were totally, 1,000-percent freaked out that Santa would not know where to bring their presents. It’s a real thing that kids are concerned about!”

“Happy New Year, Old Friend” is a torchy, after-hours rumination on that time of year that’s “both the end of something and the beginning of something, which is a really interesting handoff,” Wright says. Perhaps even more interesting is the versatility of the song’s intent, with a message equally applicable to platonic pals or a deeply romantic pair. Marx’s iconic voice sidles up to Wright’s on “Christmas Isn’t Christmas Time,” which, with its “Be My Baby” beat and uplifting orchestral backing, is state-of-the-art pop craftsmanship. Longtime fans will find comfort in “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas,” a Wright/Lister effort whose contemporary Nashville vibe evokes the singer’s hits of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Sarah Buxton Back In The Studio Recording New Music

Chalk this up to the "way overdue" category, but we're excited as can be that Sarah Buxton announced that she's back in the studio creating new music for herself for a yet-to-be-named and yet-to-be-announced project.

Long a favorite singer and songwriter from her fellow Nashville artists, Buxton is probably most famous from both her writing of the smash hit single "Stupid Boy" made-famous by Keith Urban and her debut Lyric Street Records self-titled album released back in 2010. On that critically-acclaimed record, she has singles "Innocence," "That Kind of Day," Space," and "Outside My Window" all make dents on the Billboard Hot Country charts. When Lyric Street closed in mid-2010, Buxton found herself without a label.

Since that time, she has been involved in other projects such as the duo Buxton-Hughes and a band called Skyline Motel.  She's continued to actively be a sought-after songwriter in Nashville, Urban recorded another one of Buxton's songs, "Put You in a Song", for the 2010 album Get Closer. Buxton also wrote Big & Rich's 2012 single "That's Why I Pray", Gary Allan's 2013 single "Pieces" from his album Set You Free and The Band Perry's 2013 single "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" from their album Pioneer. In 2014, she co-wrote "PrizeFighter" by Trisha Yearwood and Kelly Clarkson, "Sun Daze" by Florida Georgia Line and "Fix" and "For Her" by Chris Lane. Her distinctive vocal styling has had her sing harmony and back-up on many a project including ones for Keith Urban and David Nail. And on the personal front, she's gotten married and had a couple of children since making her debut.

This site found enormous promise in her debut project and her resume is as powerful as any songwriter in Nashville. After Lyric Street closed, I've found her voice really is missed in the country music landscape and it's exciting to see that we'll be enjoying new Sarah Buxton music in the coming year or so.

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Garth, Stapleton, Isbell, Pistol Annies & More Contribute To Upcoming Don Williams Tribute Album

Artists: Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Alison Krauss, Lady Antebellum, Keb’ Mo’, Pistol Annies, John Prine, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Trisha Yearwood
Album: Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams
Label: Slate Creek Records
Release date: May 26, 2017

Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Williams announced his retirement from performing last year, concluding an impressive five-decade career that includes two CMA Awards, two ACM Awards and 17 No. 1 hits. In honor of his legendary career, Williams’ longtime producer and friend Garth Fundis has produced a tribute album, Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams, featuring an all-star lineup of artists including Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Alison Krauss, Lady Antebellum, Keb’ Mo’, Pistol Annies, John Prine, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Trisha Yearwood. The 11-track album will be released on Slate Creek Records on Friday, May 26, in honor of Williams’ birthday the following day.

“It has been my privilege to work frequently with Don through the years, and I’m proud to honor him with this new project,” said Fundis. “All of the artists on the album have been huge Don Williams fans for years. It makes the entire project very personal and very meaningful.”

All guest artist performances on the album were generously donated in support of MusiCares®, the charitable foundation created by The Recording Academy, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for those in the music field in times of need. The services cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies. The foundation will receive a majority of the proceeds from the sale of the album.

Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams Track Listing:

 1. "Tulsa Time" - Pistol Annies
2. "I Believe in You" - Brandy Clark
3. "We've Got a Good Fire Goin'" - Lady Antebellum
4. "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" - Dierks Bentley
5. "Amanda" - Chris Stapleton feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. "Till The Rivers All Run Dry" - Alison Krauss
7. "Love Is On A Roll" - John Prine feat. Roger Cook
8. "If I Needed You" - Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
9. "Maggie's Dream" - Trisha Yearwood
10. "Lord I Hope This Day is Good" - Keb' Mo'
11. "Good Ole Boys Like Me" - Garth Brooks

Friday, December 16, 2016

Reba McEntire To Release Double Insipriational Album In February


Artist: Reba McEntire
Album: Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope
Label: Nash Icon
Release date: February 3, 2017

Reba McEntire is doing something she hasn't done before as she prepares to release Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope on February 3, 2017 jointly through Nash Icon Records and Capitol Christian Music Group. For an entertainer with an illustrious career that has elicited 35 No. 1 singles, over 56 million albums sold worldwide, prestigious industry awards, lead acting roles and brand endeavors, new is a rarity. But here she is with her first double album of inspirational songs.

From the set of her forthcoming music video for “Back To God,” Reba revealed details about her influences, upbringing and lifelong help from her guardian angels that lead to this collection. The double-disc project highlights traditional hymns of “faith” throughout the first 10 songs while more contemporary tracks of “hope” round out the back half.

Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope was the perfect title for this album because the message and melody throughout the song connects the dots between the traditional hymns I grew up on and new music that has been uplifting for me in challenging times,” said Reba.

Reba let her heart and friends help guide the song selection, which includes the first tune she ever sang in public, “Jesus Loves Me,” a former Reba co-star’s suggestion of “Oh Happy Day” and an introduction from a close associate to “From The Inside Out.” Collaborating with Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood, “Softly and Tenderly” is available this week. Reba co-produced the album with Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts in his home studio and band leader/musical director Doug Sisemore.
“Music conjures up great memories and goes hand and hand with us McEntires,” said Reba. “Mama, Susie and Alice even came into the studio with me to record ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ all of us gathered around an old hymnal straight from the Chockie church.”

Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope Track Listing

Disc One
Jesus Loves Me
Oh, How I Love Jesus
When The Roll is Called Up Yonder
Oh Happy Day
Amazing Grace
I'll Fly Away
In The Garden / Wonderful Peace (feat. The Isaacs)
Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Swing Down Chariot
How Great Thou Art
Softly and Tenderly (feat. Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood)

Disc Two
Sing It Now
Angels Singin'
God and My Girlfriends
Hallelujah, Amen
There Is A God
I Got The Lord On My Side
Back To God
Angel On My Shoulder
From The Inside Out
Say A Prayer