Artists To Watch In 2009: The Once And Future Queen (And Her Royal Court)
The first decade of the 21st century has not been especially kind to female country artists. Although the ladies dominated the 1990s, they were a group that often struggled to win airtime and sales in what became an increasingly patriarchal musical society.
Now, with the emergence of commercial juggernaut Carrie Underwood, critical favorite Miranda Lambert and phenom Taylor Swift, country’s woman have started to regain some of their former luster. This is a trend that I expect to continue in 2009, a year which sets the stage for the “return” of two icons, as well as one of the previous decade’s most successful artists, and a group that is one of mainstream country’s most underrated acts.
And, of course, there is the anointed one.
Shania Twain (Mercury): Fueled by the emotional torment of her separation from husband Mutt Lange, Shania Twain will return with her first new album in seven years, a collection of deeply personal and passionate songs which draws her back to the artistic realness of The Woman in Me. OR, fueled by a desire to reclaim her crown, country music’s once and future queen will return with her first new album in seven years, a collection of hooky, electric fiddle-driven pop-country, heavy on confection, that follows in the tradition of the 20x Platinum Come on Over. Either way, Twain’s album will debut at #1 on every significant chart, and her return will be hailed as the second coming.
But only in the first scenario will that adoration endure.
Twain’s shimmer faded at the end of her previous reign because her music began to lack substance. Touted as a premier songwriter, Twain seemed to have little to say, and her chart performance faltered. What’s more, the music lost its edge. No longer was she demanding to know whose bed our boots had been under—instead, she became a symbol of the Lifetime mindset, her name more associated with the type of airy soft rock ballad that plays out the credits of a made-for-TV movie than the sassiness upon which her career was built.
If Twain hopes to make a lasting impact on the musical landscape–country or otherwise–she’ll need to get back to the core of what made her music resonate. It was a combination of her palpable passion and unconquerable buoyancy that endeared her to us, and she’ll need to somehow find the spark that made that music possible. She’ll also, of course, need to prove that she’s not just a pretty face—that her success wasn’t due to Lange, one of music’s most renowned producers, pulling the strings behind her. She’ll need to prove that she is not only a capable artist and writer without him, but, in fact, that’s she’s a better artist and writer without him.
Reba McEntire (Valory): Oklahoma’s favorite redhead joins forces with the growing Big Machine/Valory empire, and there is every reason to expect that her first project for mastermind Scott Borchetta’s label will be a success. After all, fellow songstress Trisha Yearwood singed with Big Machine after a period of artistic stagnation, and subsequently released what is widely considered one of the best albums of her career. Elsewhere, the label group has conquered every piece of territory it has set out to conquer, even resurrecting the flagging career of Jimmy Wayne, somehow transforming him into one of the format’s most powerful newcomers.
Expect Reba’s Valory record to follow in that tradition of rebirth. After recording with MCA since 1984, this long overdue change of scenery should provide a breath of fresh creative air and allow for an artistic revitalization of sorts; Valory will be looking for a culturally relevant record, not the post-format schlock that has been at the core of Reba’s catalog for the better part of a decade. I anticipate an album that is at least worthy of Reba’s legacy, instead of one that, like recent releases, heartily panders to the sit-com crowd.
Wynonna Judd (Curb): Wynonna’s personal struggles have had a tangible influence on the overall slope of her career as a solo artist. But the great ones are always tormented, and Wy is certainly a great one. As a member of the Judds, her influence on country music’s current generation is criminally underrated. As a solo artist, her first 10 singles reached the top 10; as has every one–every one–of her nine released albums.
2009’s Sing, Chapter 1 is a genre-hopping covers collection that reunites her with Judds’ producer Brent Maher, and while a loosely focused remake disc doesn’t exactly sound like a formula for success, radio relevance should not be the goal of this project. Wynonna has drifted so far out of the public eye that first and foremost she must remind us how much we’ve missed the boldness of her voice. She must remind us why she’s a significant part of the fabric that makes up country music history.
Jo Dee Messina (Curb): Jo Dee Messina has never released an album that has sold less than Gold. And there’s no reason to expect she won’t achieve that same level of success with 2009’s Unmistakable–despite Curb’s typical lethargy in getting the project off the ground. Messina has one of the most identifiable voices in country music, and she has never failed to deliver when her material has been solid.
Unmistakable only has to be solid, not great. Messina’s recent releases have faltered not because of skill but because of construction. With singles like “Biker Chick,” “Too Late To Worry,” and “Delicious Surprise,” Messina has seemingly embraced songs that try far too hard to be quirky and left of center. While she had a hit with “My Give A Damn’s Busted,” which is part of that lineage, what she needs now is an album that reestablishes her as more than a novelty artist. “Biker Chick” especially did a great deal of damage to her reputation, though I doubt reconstructing that reputation will be exceedingly difficult–she has the talent, if only she can properly direct it.
SHeDAISY (Lyric Street): Maybe it’s just hard to take seriously a group of three young woman who dress shiny, don’t play instruments, and who spell their band’s name with a combination of lowercase and capital letters. Maybe so. And maybe that’s a big part of the reason why the group’s smart, brassy and inventive music hasn’t garnered the acclaim that it deserves–perhaps the most glaring example of this being the startling underperformance of the trio’s most recent single, 2006’s “In Terms of Love,” a striking Don Schlitz/Kristyn Osborn co-write that barely eeked its way up to #32.
SHeDAISY most certainly makes pop country, but it’s difficult to find three individuals who, together, do so to greater effectiveness, take as many chances, or push the style’s artistic boundaries, as far as the Osborn sisters do. The ladies of SHeDAISY have musical sensibilities that betray their girl-band image, and Kristyn Osborn is a hell of a songwriter. While their contemporaries are making generic carbon copies of some radio ideal, SHeDAISY is making substantive, unique music. And that’s something the format needs right now–pop-leaning or otherwise. With the recent onslaught of female Idol alumnus and their ilk, the timing is right for a group of talented women who have something to say.
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Jo Dee Messina // Reba McEntire // Shania Twain // SHeDAISY // Wynonna // Wynonna Judd
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36 Comments
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January 21, 2009 at 3:34 pm Permalink
Can’t wait for more of Jo Dee :) She’s awesome!
I’m not looking forward to the return of Shania that much tho :/
January 21, 2009 at 5:02 pm Permalink
I’m looking forward to Jo Dee, Reba, and Shania. I hope that this is a good year for music. (Even though I have my doubts…)
January 21, 2009 at 5:39 pm Permalink
If Top 40 country radio lets SheDaisy back in the door, maybe Carter’s Chord can sneak in on their coat tails. Hmmm… I do think that the inventiveness and creativity of SheDaisy’s music has been their undoing at mainstream radio where simplicity and familiarity are critical to acceptance by listeners. God forbid these listeners hear background music that might actually challenge them to think.
I am curious to hear what Shania sounds like without Mutt behind her. I wonder if she has a lot of songs she recorded with Mutt in the can already to buffer the transition.
Wynonna scares the crap out of me (even on her “alli” TV commercials) and I’ve never been a big fan of either Jo Dee or Reba, shocking as that may be to some people.
January 21, 2009 at 6:02 pm Permalink
Rick,
I take it you don’t like Redheads…
January 21, 2009 at 6:28 pm Permalink
I am excited for Shania, but I don’t want to endure the whole pop remixing thing again (sigh). Now Taylor Swift is copying Shania’s every move and releasing a Europop remix of her so-called country album, and it is starting to get on my last nerve.
Shania is at least talented though. She can sing decent, unlike Taylor. So I hope that Shania stays true to her earlier work and avoids the horrid UP era. I hated that album.
I just think pop remixing is selling out and cheating, and I lost alot of respect for her when she did that.
If you want to be a pop star, be a pop star, but don’t pretend to be country. I still like Shania though, and hope she comes back strong. I will just have to ignore her pop remixing the way Nashville seems to be turning a blind eye to Taylor’s blatant pop remixing.
It is a little discouraging that country radio and Music Row puts up with it. Are they that desperate for sales?
January 21, 2009 at 6:37 pm Permalink
You’re in luck! SHeDAISY’s new album is due in March, most likely! (I’ve been reading their Myspace blog lately.) I love how unique SHeDAISY is, so I can’t wait for their new record.
Definitely love all of the ladies in this post, so it should be a good year.
January 21, 2009 at 6:55 pm Permalink
Well, I’m a little skeptical about any of their chances for success.
I think Shania has the best shot and your scenario seems quite possible. Still, it will be interesting to hear her music without Mutt’s production (as lousy a husband as he may be).
Reba is, and always will be, my favorite. However, I feel she may now have the same status that Dolly Parton has had for the last 15 years or so. Too old to be relevant at radio and in record stores but well known enough to pop up on tv and release countless compilations. Tough world out there unless you’re a young blonde female or former pop diva.
I’m looking forward to the new Wynonna album but I doubt it will help her regain her former status and glory days.
Jo Dee has surprised us in the past with her resilience so we’ll see. I’ve never found her voice to be all that distinctive though.
As for SheDaisy, save a couple of their ballads, I always considered them to be a less talented rip off of the Dixie Chicks.
Speaking of the DXC… any new product expected from them this year? What about Shania’s chief early milennium country crossover competition, Faith Hill?
January 21, 2009 at 7:27 pm Permalink
Matt B., the fact I’m a big fan of Megan Mullins disproves your theory completely! (lol) And that actress who plays FBI agent Reneee Walker on the new season of the FOX TV series “24″ ain’t half bad either, and I don’t even care if she sings…..
January 21, 2009 at 7:34 pm Permalink
“I just think pop remixing is selling out and cheating, and I lost alot of respect for her when she did that.”
I’ve never understood why this upsets some people so much. Is it any worse than releasing a pop mix only and trying to convince country fans that it’s actually country?
January 21, 2009 at 9:46 pm Permalink
In what world is Shania Twain considered a great songwriter?
January 21, 2009 at 10:22 pm Permalink
I hope Reba’s new album is one that I can enjoy from start to finish. I feel like everything she released from 1987’s The Last One to Know through 1994’s Read My Mind was that way. My favorite was Rumor Has It. Most critics cite For My Broken Heart. Even Starting Over, an exercise in excess if there ever was one, is a guilty pleasure of mine. After that most of her CDs contained album tracks and singles (I’m looking at you “Wrong Night”, “We’re So Good Together”, “Forever Love”, “Love Needs a Holiday”, “Every Other Weekend” and “My Sister”) that were just plain filler.
Shania has really only had three successful albums under her belt and I consider Up! to be a disappointment. Although I’m sure no one expected her to match the success of Come On Over (certified for 20 million copies shipped in the US), it has only sold about six million (certified at 11X Platinum thanks to the RIAA’s policy that counts each unit of the album sold as 2).
January 21, 2009 at 10:24 pm Permalink
“In what world is Shania Twain considered a great songwriter?”
She uses more exclamation points in her song titles than every other songwriter in Nashville, combined. That has to count for something.
January 21, 2009 at 11:54 pm Permalink
You can make a good argument that Shania Twain and Mutt Lange are the best true “pop country” songwriters of all time. I’m not sure I agree with that, but it’s a reasonable perspective.
January 22, 2009 at 7:30 am Permalink
No matter about her song writing or genre she will be played on country radio whether people like it or not.
I am excited to see her come back because I think chart wise and vocally she will be the best competition for the women who have been on the top of the charts for the past two to three years (not mentioning names), and competition never hurt anyone. If anything I think the competition will boost the females in country music even more than they have in the past year or two.
January 22, 2009 at 8:26 am Permalink
I didn’t realize such a resurgence of 90’s female acts were coming this year, I’m excited. I’m curious like everybody to hear what Shania will do. I love Reba so I’ll be eagerly waiting for the new album. Wynonna is another favorite of mine but I’m not sure on the new album, I’ve heard some snippets and it didn’t catch me like before. Jo Dee is going to have a lot of trouble getting back on the radio but I think she can pull off a decent hit or two. Other than Reba, SHeDAISY’s probably my favorite artist in the article and I’m hoping Lyric Street doesn’t ignore them. I doubt the March release date for the album will stick though.
I’m also expecting to hear something new from a few other 90’s females (Dixie Chicks, Lorrie Morgan, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Chely Wright, Deana Carter, Jamie O’Neal, Jessica Andrews), and with Lee Ann Womack still supporting Call Me Crazy, It’ll be like the 90’s all over again. I’d won’t hold my breath for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Pam Tillis, Suzy Bogguss, or Matraca Berg though.
January 22, 2009 at 11:33 am Permalink
^ My problem with pop remixing is simple. You are double dipping for sales, and it gives the false impression that you are selling millions of albums to country fans, when many of the sales are from pop fans who HATE country music.
Taylor Swift is a perfect example of that. Until she started remixing all her songs to pop radio, she was selling decent but not outstanding. Now, because she is on top 40 radio with the pop remixes, and hangs out at MTV every other week, she is selling a ton of albums to the teen pop crowd, the same crowd buying the Jonas Brothers, Britney Spears and Hanna Montana. They are not country fans, and likely never will be.
But Taylor continues to win Billboard awards for dominating the country charts when she is selling largely to pop fans, with pop songs, and pop remixes.
To me that is cheating… as you are trying to play both sides of the fence. You are pretending to be “country” just to get fame and to win sales awards, etc. But then you present yourself as a Pop artist to sell big numbers both in the US and internationally. So what are you really? A pop tart, or a “country singer”?
Country pop songs are fine in and of themselves, which is why I like shania’s music. But remixing them to manipulate sales is double dipping and wrong. If you want to be a pop star so bad, be one, and good bye.
January 22, 2009 at 12:22 pm Permalink
Francesca I feel the same way. Country pop or mainstream country is fine with me as long as people stick to what and who they say they are.
People hate on CU and say she is pop, but she has always said from the minute she came off AI that she will be country but it will be mainstream, and she has stuck to that. Here is a snip from her comments to Reality Mag:
Shutting the door on the age-old idea that if a song isn’t about a broken-down, alcohol-fueled, honky-tonk life, then it “ain’t” country, Carrie’s music ranges from sentimental and spiritual to sexy and sassy. Carrie says “Country music is where I want to be and for you doubters out there thinking I might make a pop album, it’s just not gonna happen.”
January 22, 2009 at 12:33 pm Permalink
Excellent article, Jim.
And I think Reba and Shania will be the only 2 of these women to have any actual chart success. Wynonna’s album will probably have a decent first-week sales number, but then it will fade quickly with no radio support. Same with Jo Dee, unless she seriously steps up her game. But I am super excited to hear what Shania and Reba come up with this time, after a divorce and change of labels, respectively.
January 22, 2009 at 1:35 pm Permalink
“Carrie says, ‘Country music is where I want to be and for you doubters out there thinking I might make a pop album, it’s just not gonna happen.’ ”
She’s already made two pop albums.
January 22, 2009 at 8:01 pm Permalink
Yeah, i agree with Francesca, and Razor X.
As y’all know i dont care for pop country, and while SheDaisy makes stuff along that line i do like most of their stuff and which radio would promote them better. They have good harmonies that arent heard anymore by a three woman group.
Also Reba is great and always will be. Jodee is really good too. Hope she has a good year. Shania is ok, and while i think Wynona is talented i dont care for her.
January 22, 2009 at 8:20 pm Permalink
I think Wynonna has strayed further from country music than pretty much any other female performer, which is why I think country radio stopped playing her. Yet she never seems to be criticized the way other crossover acts have been.
January 22, 2009 at 8:30 pm Permalink
I hear what you’re saying, Razor X, but as long as Wy throws me a bone like “Flies on the Butter” once in awhile, I’m still with her.
Great article, by the way, Jim! I’ll be watching these women too this year.
January 22, 2009 at 8:42 pm Permalink
I got bored with Wynonna’s music about 15 years ago, but if she ever did a real country album again, I’d probably buy it. Great voice but wasted on lame material.
January 22, 2009 at 8:54 pm Permalink
What do you think of “Flies on the Butter” though? It seems like something you’d like. No?
January 22, 2009 at 10:06 pm Permalink
I’m surprised to find so many country fans to be so possessive of original country mixes, to the extent that they’re offended by pop/mainstream remixes. To me, ANY sort of alternate mix of a song I love is nothing short of a great thing. If I take any issue with country remixes it’s that they’re too blatantly geared toward the mainstream pop market. “Re-visioning” a country song should be something fans embrace, but only IF the remixers make a genuinely creative attempt at it.
In other news: I’m very anxious to hear Reba’s new material. She’s at such a pivotal crossroads now, I fear that she’ll merely attempt another radio comeback (a la “What If It’s You” as a follow-up to “Starting Over”) than attempting something truly unique and creatively risky. As a longtime fan, it surprised me recently to realize that Reba has not made very many truly great albums. Singles, yes. A few great album tracks here and there, yes. But not many great end-to-end albums.
January 22, 2009 at 10:20 pm Permalink
Leann, yes I did like “Flies On The Butter”. I wish she would do more stuff along those lines.
January 22, 2009 at 10:24 pm Permalink
“As a longtime fan, it surprised me recently to realize that Reba has not made very many truly great albums. Singles, yes. A few great album tracks here and there, yes. But not many great end-to-end albums.”
I recently had the same epiphany. It occurred to me one day that there aren’t many of her albums that I play all the way through. I have to say though, that I consider “What If It’s You” to be one of her better ones.
What I’d really like to hear from her is another “My Kind Of Country” or “Whoever’s In New England” (the album, not the single). I doubt very much that will happen, though.
January 23, 2009 at 12:59 am Permalink
I disagree, Razor. While I will agree that there are several holes in Reba’s consistency, I still contest that she has many albums that are awesome from start to finish. These include ‘Rumor Has It’, ‘If You See Him’, ‘For My Broken Heart’, ‘It’s Your Call’ and the 3 you mentioned.
January 23, 2009 at 6:18 am Permalink
Razor, I can definitely agree with you on wishing that more of Wy’s music was like that song for sure.
January 24, 2009 at 4:10 pm Permalink
I was shopping at the Gap or some store the other day, and I heard a remixed version of Rascal Flats song “What Hurts the Most” that sounded like a Disco Club remix. It was so bad I barely recognized Gary’s voice. Then I heard Taylor’s Club remix of Love Story, and I wanted to hurl. If that is the direction “country” stars are going in, I will pass, thank you.
January 24, 2009 at 11:16 pm Permalink
Hmm…all of these comments are both relative and thoughtful, yet firmly blunt. Not surprising…as for me, I already have faith in Reba, Messina, and potentially Shania (if she ever gets back to “The Woman in Me” mode). I am sort of gunning for Wynonna, but I agree with Rick’s sentiment: she is a bit scary. I even read two of her biographies (her and mother’s point-of-view) of their lifestyles and it’s all…b****in catty fights. *EEK!* But her vocals can certainly outwhip anyone from my vantage point. As for SheDaisy…I never really caught on with them that much: somehow they didn’t ring true for me. Even Dixie Chicks resonated more for me.
February 21, 2009 at 5:45 pm Permalink
It looks like SHeDAISY’s new album “A Story To Tell” will be released September 29th! Heard one of the new songs “Bucket Full of Beautiful” amazing, and fun. This album is sure to be a treat!
These girls have been overlooked for years and years (example: their “Knock On The Sky” album…amazing), and really have so much to offer to country music. Kristyn’s songwriting ability is incredible, and how many artists/groups can actually take pride in the fact that 99% of their songs on each album was written by themselves? I sincerely hope Lyric Street will step in and do a better job promoting and supporting SHeDAISY, where lately (probably the past 5yrs or so, its only been about Rascal Flatts). I really hope these girls get the recognition they deserve this year.
April 7, 2009 at 3:46 am Permalink
I just have to say, to the person who referred to SHeDAISY as a “less-talented” version of the Dixie Chicks — have you ever listened to their music? The intricate, creative harmonies alone set them apart from the Chicks — not to mention Kristyn’s amazing songwriting. Also, SHeDAISY was kicking around Nashville before the Dixie Chicks even became popular. IMO, the Dixie Chicks are a less-talented version of SHeDAISY. Can’t wait for the new album!
July 20, 2009 at 9:56 am Permalink
In all my years of listening and following SHeDAISY, I am always hearing something new and exciting every time I listen to their albums. Plus, they are the nicest and sweetest people I have ever met in my life. And on a sidenote, I absolutely HATE today’s country music (hard rock, metal and punk are my genres of choice). Most of it is the same old crap disguised as music. But SHeDAISY’s harmonies and songwriting gifts are something to behold and deserve a honest to goodness listen. For those that say they are “Dixie Chick ripoffs” and also those who complain about their music being poppy, I say that you must understand that SHeDAISY have been around longer than the French Hens (1989) and if you don’t like their songs anyway, that’s your opinion. My opinion, however, is that maybe the music would sound better if you didn’t have your head up your butt.
July 20, 2009 at 10:14 am Permalink
My only hope is that SHeDAISY will finally get the respect they deserve with their new album. They are ahead of their time & that’s why a lot of people (including country radio) don’t get them. There is genius in their music written by Kristyn and magic in their harmonies. They won’t play by country radio’s rules & that’s one of the many reasons why I love them! Their new album will be sure to please. Hopefully radio & fans will finally appreciate it.
July 20, 2009 at 11:56 am Permalink
I think SHeDaisy HAS gotten the respect they DESERVE.
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