Cry (Faith Hill album)

Cry
Studio album by
Faith Hill
ReleasedOctober 15, 2002 (2002-10-15)
RecordedLate 2001–2002
StudioSkywalker Sound (Marin County, CA)
Rumbo Recorders (Canoga Park, CA)
Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, CA)
Henson Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
Capitol Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
Essential Sound (Houston, TX)
Profound Sound (Fenton, MO)
Emerald Entertainment (Nashville, TN)
Ocean Way Recording (Nashville, TN)
Sound Kitchen (Franklin, TN)
The Hit Factory (New York City, NY)
The Attic
Genre
[1]
Length60:30
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
Producer
Faith Hill chronology
There You'll Be
(2001) 		Cry
(2002) 		Fireflies
(2005)
Singles from Cry
  1. "Cry"
    Released: August 8, 2002
  2. "When the Lights Go Down"
    Released: November 18, 2002
  3. "Baby You Belong"
    Released: December 20, 2002[2]
  4. "One"
    Released: April 7, 2003
  5. "You're Still Here"
    Released: April 28, 2003

Cry is the fifth studio album by American country music singer Faith Hill. It was released on October 15, 2002, via Warner Bros. Nashville. The album was Hill's attempt at expanding her crossover appeal that she had garnered with hits like "Breathe" and "The Way You Love Me". Hill co-produced the album along with Marti Frederiksen, Byron Gallimore, and Dann Huff.[3][4]

Upon its release, Cry received mixed reviews from music critics, with Hill's decision to focus on pop and R&B influences while largely abandoning the country sound of her previous album being divided over.[5][6] Despite this, the album went on break a record for the highest first week sales by a female country artist, debuting atop both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums chart with first week sales of 467,000 copies sold in its first week. It would go on to sell four million copies worldwide and was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA, a commercial failure compared to her previous album Breathe (1999), which was certified 8× Platinum.

Five singles in total were released. The title track, "Cry", was released in August 2002 and despite debuting at number 32 on the US Hot Country Songs, it only peaked at number 12, marking her lowest-peaking lead single to the format. Country radio was hesitant to play songs from the album and as such, follow-up singles released like "When the Lights Go Down" and "You're Still Here" failed to be successful. "One" was exclusively released to the adult contemporary format while "Baby You Belong" was released exclusively to Japan to promote the 2002 Disney film Lilo & Stitch. The album was negatively reviewed at country radio, with many programmers claiming Hill had "abandoned" the genre.[7] Hill was heavily compared to Celine Dion in terms of the move of genres, which was also negatively reviewed.[8]

At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004, the album received two nominations: Best Country Album and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the title track, winning the latter award. Cry would later be ranked at number 179 on Billboard's Top 200 album of the 2000's decade. In a retrospective interview from 2005 while promoting her following album Fireflies (2005), Hill told Billboard that "it was definitely a different record," but that she is still "so proud of [the album]."[9] The album, along with works by fellow female artists LeAnn Rimes (Twisted Angel), Shania Twain (Up!), and Lee Ann Womack (Something Worth Leaving Behind), were seen as albums that struggled the most at country radio due to how they tried to appeal to both pop and country, but failed to have major success in either genre. Hill, in particular, was questioned if she was "selling out".[10]

  1. ^ "After a brief hiatus, Faith Hill returns with R&B-heavy 'Cry'". Star-News. October 18, 2002. p. 13. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "CMT.com : Faith Hill". CMT. Archived from the original on October 12, 2004. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Faith Hill Has A Good 'Cry'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. August 9, 2002. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference meta was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Dukes, Billy (October 15, 2012). "Faith Hill's 'Cry' Turns 10". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Stark, Phyllis (November 9, 2002). "Faith's Album Is No. 1, But Radio Balks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 45. p. 66. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  8. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (October 18, 2022). "Classic Album Review: Faith Hill | Cry". Tinnitist. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Billboard (Vol. 117, No. 30 ed.). Prometheus Global Media. July 23, 2005. p. 26. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  10. ^ Stark, Phyllis (July 5, 2003). "Country Women Lose Hit Magic" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 27. pp. 1, 73. Retrieved May 1, 2024.