It has been awhile since Kellie Pickler released new music. From those days on Idol when the judges were less than kind and the public somewhat were the same. Soon after her release from the show, she was signed to a label, released “Red High Heels” and rode the wave of success into Nashville and onto the pop country charts. She’s hosted events, walked the red carpets, got some enhancements, gone on interviews and got married since then.
Pop country is something that I feel Kellie Pickler fits into – she never needed the deep-seated country lyrics or the insightful stories to be a “hit” on the airwaves. She was the bubbly-fun girl that always delivered in interviews or on the red carpets of the industry. She had a few sappy ballads along the way, but more importantly she had writers to throw in those radio-friendly tunes to keep her relevant in the industry and connected to her Idol fans…
Bring on a few year hiatus and the final release of her new album, “100 Proof”. At first listen, I was surprised. Surprised for a few reasons. First, this isn’t the pop country that I am used to. I don’t instantly hear too many radio-friendly tunes that would surpass the country genre and into the mainstream (a la Sugarland and Lady Antebellum – two of my favorites). Secondly, I was surprised that the old-school country sound works for Kellie! There are songs on this album that showcase some beautiful vocals – not something Idol viewers may have expected years ago. Way to go. I approve.
Kellie clearly has matured over the years – at least in the world of lyrics and singing prowess. I hope that this gamble that she took with the old-school country sound pays off for her. Maybe even landing her some music nominations in the big scale arenas (Grammys?). This album features about six co-written songs by Kellie Pickler herself. I guess that its time for me to make my recommendations for “100 Proof”
Take a listen to her first single “Turn on the Radio and Dance”, her radio-friendly hits “Tough” and “100 Proof”.
Tracklisting:
1. “Where’s Tammy Wynette”
2. “Unlock That Honky Tonk”
3. “Stop Cheatin’ on Me”
4. “Long as I Never See You Again”
5. “Tough”
6. “Turn On the Radio and Dance”
7. “Mother’s Day”
8. “Rockaway (The Rockin’ Chair Song)”
9. “Little House On the Highway”
10. “100 Proof”
11. “The Letter (To Daddy)”
To wrap this up, I wanted to share a video of a performance that I am always reminded of by Kellie Pickler. This showed her vulnerability, her authenticity, and her connection to her music. On her first album, her song “I Wonder” spoke to her true life story of being abandoned by her mother as a child. Watch through to the end to see how the lyrics finally get to her (around 3:30).
After listening to “100 Proof”, what is your vote?
