Country music artist and actress Kellie Pickler, best known for finishing sixth in the fifth season of "American Idol," released her fourth studio album, titled "The Women I Am," on Nov. 12. Unlike most of the contestants from prior seasons, Pickler used the show as a way to break into the country music scene, not pop.
Hoping to make her new album a success like her last, titled "100 Proof," her husband and co-writer, Kyle Jacobs, helped her with several songs including the title track.
Pickler created this album with a traditional sound versus the pop-country that separates her from most nuanced country singers. She wanted to set a tone and show how women can stand for themselves and can have big dreams. Through the song "Selma Drye," Pickler sings and dedicates the slow ballad to her loving grandmother.
"Where did Your Love Go" is a step in a different direction for Pickler, with her strong vocals that make this one of the most memorable songs on the album.
Title song "The Women I Am" seems to be the fan favorite, with a traditional country ring and more traditional country melodies. In this song Pickler expresses how she is trying her best to be the women she is and she will not stop pursuing her dreams and goals for anything. Through this song, she hopes as an artist and a woman that she can reach other young women to help them pursue their dreams like she did by auditioning for "American Idol" years ago.
Other songs including "Bonnie and Clyde," "Little Bit Gypsy," "Someone Somewhere Tonight" and "Ring for Sale" also call to mind the traditional style of country with smooth and laid back feel to them.
This 12-track album is already being downloaded more than her last, when she first took out her pop style and went more traditional country. For Pickler, making the switch to traditional country was a good choice, and her music continues to get better with her feminist-powered album being on the charts this past week.
Though most country singers today are mixing pop into their music, Pickler is doing the opposite, which makes her stand out to longtime country music and "American Idol" fans.
Amanda Boyer can be reached at amanda.boyer@student.shu.edu.
