Reba McEntire Says Next Record Will Be The Most Country of Her Career
Reba McEntire’s got something cooking. And according to the Country Music Hall of Famer who’s certainly flirted with more pop and contemporary sounds throughout her career, what she’s got cooking is country, and probably more country than anything we’ve heard from her before.
Speaking with ABC Radio recently, Reba said “I’m really excited about getting back in the studio, working with Buddy Cannon on a new project. It’s gonna be probably the most country album I’ve ever recorded.”
Buddy Cannon is best known as being Willie Nelson’s go-to producer, as well as the producer for Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, and (gulp) Kenny Chesney.
“[I] don’t have a release date on it yet,” Reba continues. “But we have thirteen songs already recorded. And we’ll go in and do some more if we find ’em. I can’t say no. Because when they say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a song. You wanna listen to it?’, [I say] ‘Yeah!’ You know, it doesn’t take that long to listen to it, and you never know what you’re gonna get. Where it comes from, you never know.”
After spending a significant amount of time focusing more on her acting career, Reba has been enjoying a bit of a musical resurgence recently. Her 2017 Nash Icon/Big Machine Gospel release Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope sold over 215,000 copies, and won the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album. The strength of the record also saw Reba re-emerge as a nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2017 CMA Awards. She also hosted the ACM Awards earlier in 2018, and will also be hosting the CMA Country Christmas special later this year.
As country music continues to look for women in the mainstream who can offer a counterbalance to all the bros, perhaps we shouldn’t just be looking to the future, but also to the past. Well-liked across the board from young to old, with strong support and name recognition from her acting work, and even a recent stint as Colonel Sanders, perhaps Reba McEntire can step up and help save country music.
October 3, 2018 @ 7:45 am
What does that mean? Her early albums weren’t country enough?
October 3, 2018 @ 8:15 am
I thought her early albums were pretty damn country, so this has me intrigued.
October 3, 2018 @ 8:41 am
Man, yeah. Those first few albums she did on MCA were damn good.
October 5, 2018 @ 7:21 am
I think Reba’s first hit was in the middle or late 1970s when, while there were issues with pop/country crossover hits, the damage to country music’s “integrity” by that phenomena was far less than what it is today. The first I heard of her was in 1980, with “You Lift Me Up To Heaven”.
I would, however, really caution Reba on saying that this new album is going to be the “most country” of her career, because that will have to be borne out by the album itself and not by any PR. In any case, the country music landscape is a lot different now (and arguably a lot more artistically barren) from what it was when she had her greatest success in the late 1980s and 1990s. We’;; just have to see what happens here (IMHO).
October 5, 2018 @ 9:45 am
Of course there’s some hyperbole in her statement. She’s just excited about her new project. But I don’t think she would be saying it if she wasn’t planning to put out a really country record.
October 7, 2018 @ 2:04 am
I always thought she had a great country voice… and her earlier stuff was much more country… my sis is a big fan so I’d hear all of her stuff eventually. I just felt in the mid 90s or so she just sorta went really country pop… also seemed like she started just singing for the soccer moms or something, I just couldn’t relate anymore.
I’m intrigued now to hear what she comes out with.
October 3, 2018 @ 8:15 am
What we need are newer and younger artists telling us this.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:18 am
If the trend toward trad came around again EVERY newer and younger artist would be telling us this . But yeah …you bet we need that .
October 3, 2018 @ 9:45 am
We have a metric ton of them
October 3, 2018 @ 8:26 am
Reba’s album “My Kind Of Country” released in 1984 is very traditional country.
October 3, 2018 @ 8:38 am
My favorite album too.
October 13, 2018 @ 5:23 pm
“Whoever’s in New England,” released 1986, is solid country (in the Jimmy Bowen style) and besides the title cut, includes one of my favorite country songs of all time: “Don’t Touch Me There.”
October 3, 2018 @ 8:35 am
Reba is the reason I love concerts. I was dragged to her show in 1993 and she was amazing. She is one of the most underrated country performers of all time and to be honest the lack of respect she received in the 1990s and 2000s have been a precursor to what we are seeing today with women. At one point, she performed to sold-out arenas, had No. 1 singles and a successful TV show and yet never came close to being Entertainer of the Year by CMA and ACMs. I remember one year Brad Paisley was nominated for Entertainer of the Year and he opened for her that summer.
I look forward to her next album.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:11 am
She’s won Entertainer of the Year with both the ACMs and CMAs.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:46 am
True, once a piece, but she hasn’t been nominated since 1995 despite huge touring success, TV, Broadway and No. 1 singles.
October 3, 2018 @ 8:36 am
Since her ”Greatest Hits” back in 1987 there was little to nothing country in her albums.
Maybe she forgot what great songs used to sing 30 years ago. She was the female George Strait of the 80’s.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:34 am
I think veteran artists no matter how successful they may have been or may still be have only two real choices when it comes to a direction in these times. They can embrace the rap-pop-fluff- driven stuff young artists are recording and try to compete with them ( BAD idea …..integrity , authenticity and fan base is compromised ) or they can head for the high ground and do what they do best and what their fan base loves them for musically and ‘ wait out the flood ‘ .
There is no fence-sitting I don’t think . I don’t wanna hear ( and have no fear that I will ) Gene Watson , Larry Gatlin or Joe Nichols ( anymore , please Joe ) singing a Sam Hunt , Chris Young , Fake Owen , Urban-like non-descript piece of science-fiction-pseudo ‘country’ trying to sound hip or relevant and looking old and foolish when we KNOW those guys are twice the talents the trend-chasers will ever be.
October 4, 2018 @ 2:27 pm
Chris Young at least has the vocal chops
October 3, 2018 @ 9:40 am
Hoping we get a bonus track from Colonel Sanders.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:57 pm
That Christmas With Col. Sanders LP was a banger.
October 3, 2018 @ 9:52 am
Erin Enderlin has a cut on the new project- that speaks volumes about the direction.
October 3, 2018 @ 10:13 am
Does it? Erin had cuts on Terri Clark’s last album, too…
October 6, 2018 @ 4:42 pm
What was wrong with Terri’s album?
October 3, 2018 @ 10:56 am
link ?
October 4, 2018 @ 12:28 pm
I don’t remember the tracks. Check out Erin’s FB page.
October 3, 2018 @ 10:44 am
I’m here for it. I’ll never complain about getting new Reba music, and I’m really intrigued.
October 3, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Love her. Can’t wait to see where she goes with this.
October 3, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
Always have loved Reba and always will…always at the top of my charts
October 3, 2018 @ 2:28 pm
She’s my #1 always, she’s my husbands favorite red headed country girl singer of all time, whatever she chooses will be great I’m sure. She’s got what it takes to be that girl. We love you REBA your the sunshine in our house. Go for your dreams an were rooting for you.
October 3, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
I also remember Reba Mcentire’s projects from Mecury Records in the mid to late 70-s-1980 before she went with MCA.Those songs for the most part were pretty real country.
For those of you who don’t remember some of those songs,I want to suggest checking out Reba’s songs like “Today All Over Again”,and I’m Not That Lonley Yet” on you tube.She’s had more hits with Mecury than that,but those are a couple of suggestions.
October 3, 2018 @ 7:14 pm
Goddess
October 10, 2018 @ 7:03 pm
Country pop, however, is nothing new. Think Patsy Cline. And the original country rock act could be the Everly Brothers.
October 3, 2018 @ 8:57 pm
Reba is always really good even when she’s doing pop and contemporary. But it sure will be a blessing to see her come back to her country roots, if anyone can it’s Reba.
October 4, 2018 @ 9:30 am
Reba is already a great country singer, and millions of people love her songs that have meaning and feeling in her music . I believe that Reba is a very blessed, and gifted women with all her talent in movies and music. I’m sure that Reba will do great in whatever she chooses in her music or movie. Reba is # 1 to me. Always has been
October 4, 2018 @ 11:30 am
Hopefully the final product delivers on her promise. She has an amazing voice.
October 4, 2018 @ 2:23 pm
About time we had some REAL COUNTRY in country music. Like George Strait song in his latest album kicked outa country for being too country. What we need is real country and more of it. Put pop in pop and rap in rap. It doesn’t belong in Country.
October 4, 2018 @ 2:26 pm
Talking about being country is the new being country… I love Reba, but just make your fucking album, let it speak for itself, and stay off that ridiculous “look how country I am” bandwagon. You’re better than that.
October 4, 2018 @ 10:36 pm
Just read an article about Luke Bryan’s upcoming Vancouver show with Hunt and Pardi .
Apparently the promoters are asking local folks and the industry to put the word out that there are LOTS of tickets left ….huge blocks , in fact .
Gees …..and I thought Luke made it clear what makes you ‘country’ is HAVING SAM HUNT-INGFORAGOODSONG ON YOUR SHOW
…Hmmmmm…..I wonder if that’s more hindrance than help
October 4, 2018 @ 10:26 pm
Talked with three of the players on this project this week and I can tell you they loved hearing “dial up the Country” from Reba and Buddy! They were all very positive on the project…can’t wait to hear it!
October 5, 2018 @ 12:46 pm
I expect a country opera. Maybe a duet with Underwood.
October 9, 2018 @ 2:28 pm
My mom knows country and hasn’t listened to a Reba song as far as I know since about 1995, so this is interesting. I think Reba’s been singing soccer mom country for the last couple decades.