Every Girl (album)

Every Girl was produced by Garth Fundis, Yearwood's production collaborator since the early 1990s.[2] It was her first country studio album since 2007's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love (not including 2014's PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit) and her second since the release of a jazz project in early 2019.[3] Yearwood said she went into the studio with "no pressure or expectations" which made the project easier to approach. "I’m so grateful the songs were there. I found 14 tunes I couldn’t live without. You want people to recognize you as an artist, but you also want to take them somewhere they haven’t necessarily been with you before," she explained.[4]

The album contained 14 new songs composed mostly by female songwriters including Karla Bonoff, Lucie Silvas, and Ashley McBryde.[2] It featured several collaborations with artists Yearwood had mostly worked with before: Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Don Henley and Patty Loveless.[5] Yearwood described working with some of them in a 2019 interview. She called Clarkson's voice "the unicorn, who's always on pitch". The pair record the album's fifth track, "Tell Me Something I Don't Know". "When you want that strong, soaring harmony, nobody does it like her. She's just a little sister — fun and with all this energy," Yearwood commented. Having known Patty Loveless for many years, she called her a "quiet" and "solid friend". Yearwood's husband Garth Brooks is featured on the track "What Gave Me Away". The pair first recorded together in the 1990s.[6]

Other tracks on the album were first recorded by other artists. The song, "Find a Way", features backing vocals by Lucie Silvas, which she first recorded for her 2015 album Letters to Ghosts.[7] "Home" was first recorded by its writer, Karla Bonoff, in 1977 for her eponymous studio album.[8] "Bible and a .44" was first recorded by its writer as well, Ashley McBryde. She first recorded it for her 2016 extended play, Jalopies and Expensive Guitars.[9]

For Every Girl: Deluxe, Yearwood chose the same songs from the original project, with the exception of three new recordings. The first new track included was her cover of the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet, "Shallow". Also included is an original composition titled "I Dare You to Love" and an acoustic version of Yearwood's number one single "She's in Love with the Boy".[10] Yearwood explained her appreciation for the 1991 song in a 2021 interview: "It's precious to me now because it represents the beginning, and it represents the longevity of a good song and the loyalty of a fan base."[11] "I Dare You to Love" was composed by Natalie Hemby, Laura Veltz and Best West.[12]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Digital Journal	A
Roughstock	Favorable
Sounds Like Nashville	Favorable

Every Girl was reviewed positively by music critics and writers alike. Matt Bjorke of Roughstock called her vocals "pristine" and "more powerful" than ever before. He compared "Workin' on Whiskey" to a songs since recorded by that of Tammy Wynette. Bjorke also praised "Home", calling it "a master class of nuanced emotion." Bjorke concluded by saying, "When listening to Every Girl, you wouldn’t know it’s been a dozen years between all-new albums for Miss Trisha Yearwood (how Garth Brooks once introduced her to me), but that’s exactly the case and it makes me hope that her creative spirit of albums."[13] Markos Papadatos of the Digital Journal gave the album an "A" rating in his review. He praised several tracks on the project, including the title track which he called "empowering". "Overall, Trisha Yearwood is back stronger than ever with Every Girl, and she is country to the core. Fans and listeners ought to do themselves a favor and purchase this as a whole album," he commented.[14]

Every Girl was also reviewed favorably by Cillea Houghton of Sounds Like Nashville. "Yearwood proves that she still stands as one of country music’s best vocalists and storytellers, drenching the project in a cinematic theme created by piano, strings and drops of steel guitar, all bound together by her timeless voice," she commented.[15] Lastly, Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the effort four out of five stars. Like other writers, Jurek praised her vocal effects and the quality of the songwriting. "Supported by excellent charts and nonintrusive production, she inhabits these songs as if she wrote them, making this not only a welcome return but one of her finest albums," he concluded.[1]

In promotion of Every Girl, Yearwood will embark on her first solo tour in five years. The tour will begin in October 2019, starting with three concerts backed by the Nashville Symphony. Yearwood will reach 22 major cities on her tour.[16] The title track was released as a single in June 2019 to also promote the record. The song debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making it Yearwood's highest chart debut of her career.[16] The song would also reach number 49 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in July 2019, becoming a minor hit.[17] At first, Yearwood was hesitant about releasing a single to country radio. However, the title track changed her mind. "That's so crazy to me — the icing on the cake. When you make sure you take care of the music, everything else will take care of itself," she commented.[6]

Every Girl debuted at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, with 11,000 equivalent album units, of which 10,000 are in traditional album sales.[18] The album also spent one week on the Billboard 200, where it reached number 57.[19] It has sold 34,600 copies in the United States as of March 2020.[20]

Every Girl: Deluxe was released on August 13, 2021 on the Gwendolyn label.[10]

All credits are adapted from Allmusic.[24]

Musical personnel

Technical personnel

• Chad Carlson – engineering, percussion
• Tommy Colorigh – retouching
• Garth Fundis – producer
• Russ Harrington – photography
• Greg Morrow – percussion
• Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements

• Official website