Faith Hill

[Kim]

Faith Hill Returns to Ryman Stage With a Smile

Apr 29th 2011
by Gayle Thompson
theboot.com


Faith Hill fans will have something to smile about next week when the superstar returns to the Nashville's Ryman Auditorium stage for the first time in almost a decade to support a worthwhile cause.

The multi-platinum selling singer will join Mark Wills, the Carter Twins, Lance Miller and the Warren Brothers May 6 for the Something to Smile About benefit. The proceeds from the concert will go to Music City's Interfaith Dental Clinic, which provides dental benefits to low-income families.

Faith might perform a few songs from her upcoming album, which will be her first new CD since her 2005 album, 'Fireflies.' "I've actually been in the studio a couple of times in the last six years," she recently revealed. "I'm just trying to find that spark, that thing that's exciting for me ... and that feels inspired and true and honest, from an honest place. It's been a creative journey ... But no one's really heard anything. [laughs] But that's going to be the nice part: to actually get it finished and get it out there for people to hear."

[Kim]

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Discuss Raising Their Daughters


Despite their fame and superstardom in the country world, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have managed to raise three normal daughters, according to the couple. In an interview with Australia’s ‘Today,’ the duo — who will tour Down Under together next year — chatted about the rigors of raising a family in the spotlight, to which McGraw said, “I don’t think that those things register. They’re well-adjusted, great kids.”

Despite the fact that fame and the spotlight are not “registering” with their girls, McGraw also pointed to their residence in Nashville as a catalyst for their normal lives, saying, “That’s what we love about Nashville. We can be such a normal family.”

When the host asked who is the bigger star, Hill quickly pointed to her hubby and replied, “This one here. I’m the cook.”

Hill is hardly just the family cook. She called being a mom “empowering” and said she is most proud of the fact that “I have a husband that is supportive and respectful and understanding, and children I can show what it means to be a woman who is smart and in charge of your business.” She also acknowledged that she has the love of music in her heart, which she doesn’t take lightly. “I do have a gift and I don’t take it for granted,” the singer said.

Faith and Tim really are well-adjusted, normal people who just happen to be country music superstars.

[Kim]

Faith Hill ¨C 2012 New Album Preview


Faith Hill made it public knowledge that she would be releasing a new album in 2012 around the same time that her husband, the legendary Tim McGraw, made a similar announcement. It¡¯s the first album since 2005 for the ¡®Breathe¡¯ icon, so it¡¯s a fresh start and a pretty great New Year¡¯s resolution. Now that 2012 is almost here (she promised ¡°by March,¡± but we¡¯ll see), we¡¯re gathering all of the pieces of information about the 2012 new album to give our readers an idea of what to expect from Hill¡¯s ¡°deepest album yet¡± ¡ª in her words.

The Inspiration

¡°I¡¯m a lover of soul music,¡± Hill revealed in an interview with an Australian newspaper back in October. The singer, who turned her name into a pop music crossover in the ¡¯90s, is ready to get something different on the shelves, something which is deeply inspired by her childhood. ¡°I was brought up in the church and that was the first music I ever heard and ever performed. I¡¯ve tried to infuse that into my albums over the years but I haven¡¯t been able to do that until this one,¡± she admitted. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve dug a little deeper than previously. I fought for that space within myself and I found it.¡±

The Songs

Hill was understandably ¡®psyched¡® to perform at the 2011 CMAs back in November, given that it was her first time on that stage in five years and she packed a new song to unleash to her fans. As expected, Hill brought everyone in the Bridgestone Arena to their feet that night as she delivered ¡®Come Home,¡¯ the premiere single from the new album. The ballad is soft on the ears and surprisingly modern, despite her absence from the scene. It¡¯s a powerful tune which describes someone who works hard for a good cause, without ever specifying who that person is or what they do, which makes it especially easy to relate to for country fans of all walks.

What to Expect

Expect something quite different from Faith Hill¡¯s 2012 album, rumored to be titled ¡®Illusion.¡¯ The album will follow 2005¡äs ¡®Fireflies,¡¯ which was a No. 1 chart-rider on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums lists. With plenty of time to reflect, plan and gather her thoughts, we¡¯re anticipating a similar turnout from Hill¡¯s next release, even though a lot of time has passed. Hill is undoubtedly one of those artists who never loses her sparkle and is never forgotten. It seems that she¡¯s feeling especially pumped up about what¡¯s to come in the new year, and we¡¯re more than anxious to hear this revised sound ¡ª and this deeper album ¡ª which she¡¯s been harping about.

[Kim]

CMT News

Faith Hill Delivers Two New Songs at CRS Showcase - She Performs Luncheon Set for Country Radio Broadcasters

February 24, 2012
Written by Craig Shelburne




Faith Hill sang two brand-new songs, "600 Years" and "American Heart," for a crowded room of country radio broadcasters in Nashville on Friday afternoon (Feb. 24). Her private performance during the Warner Music Nashville luncheon at Country Radio Seminar also boasted five of her biggest hits and a fan favorite, "Stronger."

Aside from expressing her gratitude to country radio, Hill barely spoke during her set, choosing to communicate through her music. Her first three selections -- "Mississippi Girl," "This Kiss" and "The Way You Love Me" -- were all upbeat No. 1 singles. The soulfulness in her voice remains intact, even though she's been mostly missing from country radio for the last five years.

After that triple-hitter, Hill introduced "600 Years" and sang it live for the first time. The romantic ballad draws heavily on her gospel influences, both musically and lyrically. However, Hill did not indicate it would be her next single. If it is released, though, expect to hear it at weddings for years to come.

In the middle of her set, she delivered "Breathe," a career song and a No. 1 hit from 1999. A dozen years later, her vocal power is undiminished. She followed that with "American Heart," insisting that such a thing can never be broken. New Orleans and Detroit get shout-outs in the lyrics, as do California and Texas. Her longtime label would be wise to release it as a single soon, now that we're just a few months out from the Fourth of July.

Although it never resonated at country radio, Hill surprised the audience with "Stronger" from her 2002 album, Cry. (If you missed her thrilling 2007 rendition on Letterman, it's worth looking up.) In any other venue, fans would have been shrieking and applauding her incredible vocal prowess. However, among the CRS crowd -- music industry veterans fatigued by several days of business and partying -- it was met with more than a few Facebook updates and early exits.

Nonetheless, Hill and her band moved right into "Piece of My Heart," the No. 1 from 1994 that earned a standing ovation and concluded her set. Indeed, Hill did give the broadcasters in the audience a piece of her heart. Only time will tell if they'll share that piece with listeners back home.

[Kim]

Faith Hill Strikes Balance Between Country and Soul on New Album


It’s been almost seven years since the Faith Hill released a studio album of original material, and the superstar admits she is as anxious as the fans to get the new music heard. Recently she talked to reporters about the upcoming project’s direction.

“I spent a great deal of time on this last record — an extraordinary amount of time, and for good reason,” Hill said during the CMA Music Fest in Nashville, Tenn. last weekend (quota via The Boot). ”I was really digging and searching … as an artist who has grown, searching for a place that I can live creatively. A lot of people put in many, many hours, lots of heart and soul. I’m very excited.”

When asked about the musical direction of the new project — rumored to be titled ‘Illusion’ — Hill says, ”I came from the church; I’m a soul singer. I’ve tried for so many years to mesh the two worlds together. My love of country music has been my backbone; I was raised with country music.”

“But I’m a soul singer,” Hill says, “so to bring those two worlds together in a way that’s authentic and that is true — to me, that’s the most important thing. I want my music to be truthful. I feel like I’ve accomplished that.”

Hill did preview the new project with a performance of ‘Illusion,’ an uptempo soul track with traces of country, pop and R&B. The album’s first single, ‘Come Home’ was released last year. The mid-tempo ballad was written and produced by OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder.

Fans hoping to catch Hill play her new material live may have to wait just a bit longer. The singer admits she is just as anxious to hit the road as she is to release the new music to fans, but is unable to give concrete plans for both.

“That’s a question everybody’s been asking me!” says Hill, speaking on her touring plans. “I hope this year, a few shows. I haven’t toured in a really long time, so I’m excited to be on stage playing music.”