Faith Hill’s ‘Cry’ Turns 10
While Faith Hill's 'Cry' was once named one of the best releases of the 2000s, it is not one her biggest country fans would call a career highlight. The album -- which came out 10 years ago today (Oct. 15) -- was purchased by over two million fans worldwide, but failed to produce a country hit.
'Cry' heightened the building tension between purists and more contemporary fans of country music who were comfortable with the level of pop production and sensibilities used by artists like Shania Twain. Positive reviews praised a sound that more scathing reviews of the album criticized. With 'Cry,' Hill picked up where 'Breathe' (1999) left off in pushing for a sound that would cross over. It worked, but the success came at the expense of country credibility.
The title track reached No. 1 on U.S. Adult Contemporary radio charts and hit No. 12 on country charts. Hill wouldn't have another Top 5 country hit until 2005, when 'Mississippi Girl' from 'Fireflies' reminded fans of the woman they fell for in the mid to late '90s. 'Cry' did win a Grammy Award, but it was shut out at the major country music awards, with the exception of the title track's video, which scored a CMT Flameworth Video Music Award for Hottest Female Video of the Year.