The Women I Am

There are very few country artists today who stay true to their country roots without crossing into the Top 40 Pop genre, but Kellie Pickler is one who has stayed consistent from day one.

It is easy to tell that Pickler is an authentic Southern-Belle, and although I have never been the biggest fan of the certain twang that her voice holds, I have to say that The Woman I Am may be one of the most organized and stable albums I have heard from start to finish in quite some time.

In the 1960’s, concept albums were extremely popular because fans of an artist had to purchase the entire album to hear a song and normally you listened the first time in consecutive order. Concept albums put songs in certain orders to tell a story and today this is a concept (no pun intended) that seems to be nonexistent. However, The Woman I Am is the closest to a concept album I think you will find in today’s country market.

When listening from start to finish it is easy to get a sense of Pickler and the things that make her unique. You hear songs about quirky traits, broken hearts, and wishful thinking; basically the inner mind of any young woman.

I have a few favorites on the album, but my top two have to be, “The Woman I Am” and “Where Did Your Love Go.”

“The Woman I Am” is so down to earth and really depicts a typical Southern girl. After living in Nashville this summer, I can attest to the fact this song will soon become most females who live there’s theme song. “Where Did Your Love Go,” reaches a broader female spectrum; girls of any region or age. The lyrics to this song really resonate with me as a girl who has had a broken heart a few times in the past. This is the perfect song to blast after a breakup while eating Ben & Jerry’s.

I have to say that I have really grown as a country fan. I grew up in a city where country music was not even a recognized genre, so I came to school with a pre-determined notion that I hate anything and everything country. With an open mind and a few good friends who really exposed me to the best songs of the genre, I soon began to love it. I have to say even when I first fell in love with country I was not a fan of Pickler; there was a certain quality about her voice that was a little too country for me. After hearing this album though, my opinion has completely changed. I hear a special tonal characteristic to her voice and a range that most singers would kill to have.

If you have not yet heard The Woman I Am, I suggest you listen right away. This is definitely geared towards a female target audience, but I know there are men out there who are closet Pickler fans, so you guys can take a listen too! I can almost guarantee the music will really speak to you and echo with your emotions in some way. These are true “diary” songs that seem to tell the story of any woman’s inner thoughts, and are definitely worth a listen, or ten!