- 2022-09-19
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MUSIC
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ LeAnn Rimes Releases New Album “god's work”: Streaming
American singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes released her highly-anticipated 19th studio album “god's work” on September 16, 2022 via EverLe Records.
Described by LeAnn Rimes as her “journey of reclamation,” the album includes a mix of ethereal, rhythmic, and brutally honest songs that take each listener on their own unique journey.
Written and produced by LeAnn Rimes and her longtime collaborator Darrell Brown, the 12-track record features Ziggy Marley, Mickey Guyton, Aloe Blacc, Ben Harper, Ledisi, Sheila E., Robert Randolph, and Táta Vega.
It is her first album in two years since the 2020 album “Chant: The Human & the Holy”.
“After nearly three years of creating this record, I couldn't be more excited to release god's work out into the world. This project is more genre-bending than anything I've ever done before, and I have the amazing group of featured artists to thank in part for that,” LeAnn Rimes said of the album. “god's work will break your heart and heal it all within the same breath. My hope for this record is that everyone connects with the music in their own unique way, discovering something new about themselves and the complexities of life in the process. This album is a reclamation of god for myself and the lowercase 'g' really represents the duality of this record and where humanity meets spirit.”- LeAnn Rimes explained of some tracks for the album.
LeAnn Rimes “spaceship” via Variety
“I mean, definitely. I knew when I had that title. And look, I've performed 'Rocket Man' in my show many, many times. And it's like, if only I could have a song like that. And when I had a song like 'Spaceship,' I was like, well, I definitely wanted to work in that direction of that kind of epic song. There's some definite Bowie feels on that, too.”
“the only” featuring Ziggy Marley, Ledisi, and Ben Harper
“It is an honor to have such a unique and diverse group of artists joining me on this song. Artists of like mind and heart that are also spreading a message of love in the world. 'the only' really is all about community and connection, so I felt inspired to create the track in community with those I deeply admire and respect.”
“awakening”
“When I was writing this track, I was smack dab in the middle of my own awakening. I was going through this overwhelming volume of emotions, and I was really able to channel those feelings of the pain and ecstasy of the awakening and let them shine through this song. I hope when others hear this track it helps shed some light on the experience of life and the expansion and contraction of the human experience, the way it does for me.”
“how much a heart can hold”
“Last year on our 10th anniversary, I posted a little snippet of a song I had written for Eddie on our wedding day. I had never shared this before and the response to 'how much a heart can hold' was overwhelming. I couldn't keep up with the requests from my sweet fans asking for the full track. As we were finalizing my new record, god's work, I decided to head back into the studio and add it to the track list at the last minute. Even though I wrote this song for Eddie for our wedding, it feels like the sentiment fits this album, perfectly. After 11 years of 'how much a heart can hold' being just ours, the overwhelming, outpouring of love, convinced us, it was time to share it with the world, so that other people could have the opportunity to make it a part of some of their most memorable, tender moments too.”
“throw my arms around the world”
“It's such a song that speaks to this time. And a reminder for people to, to wake up, wake up to what's happening and wake up to their own power. When we wake up to the love that's in our hearts and connect with one another, which I think is happening through this really challenging time, the power that we have to be able to change this world for the better is incredible. Bringing light into this dark moment, really. And that's really the major messaging.” -
“the wild” featuring Sheila E. and Mickey Guyton
“My new album as a whole looks at the duality of life, the light and the dark, and I believe that is most apparent in 'the wild'. The song is about the patriarchal world that has shaped us as a society, especially women… the silencing and fracturing of ourselves in order to fit into the pretty and polite societal box, throughout generations. It's a battle cry to unite women to reclaim every part of our truest nature and no longer allow our wild, our 'unholy' to be ignored, shamed and rejected. It is full of rage… the kind of rage that calls us home. Rage, that ignites change and says, 'I have been here all along, waiting for you to return to your wholeness. ' And, I couldn't be more excited to have such strong, kind hearted, 'wild' women featured alongside me. Mickey Guyton and Sheila E. helped make this track come alive!”
“god's work” featuring Robert Randolph, Mickey Guyton, and Táta Vega via Variety
“There's a lot of love on the record… I always knew 'God's Work' would be the title of the record, because I felt like everything that we were talking about was kind of under that umbrella. It was an exploration for me of: Can we get past the dualistic nature of black and white and good and bad? And can we start to live within the gray area, or allow it to at least be present more? It was an emotional exploration of more unpleasant, uncomfortable emotions that I hadn't really touched upon in my work, or even for myself as a person and as a woman — anger and rage and grief and things that I think we're taught aren't as acceptable to bring to the forefront. So for me, it was a real upheavaling of sorts, kind of excavating what had been there that I hadn't touched before. Most of this record was written right after we all went into our homes (for quarantine). So I was left, as we all were, with all of these difficult emotions about things that I had run away from for a long time that I finally had time to sit with. It came out in song.”
“there will be a better day”
“During this time of reflection, I wanted to share some footage from a recent studio session. The track is titled 'There Will Be A Better Day', some of you might recognize this from my Christmas tour. Music has supported my heart in many a dark time, yours too, I'm sure. It helps crack our heart open, helps us feel into the depths where we may be unwilling to go without its melodic embrace to keep us held and safe. Music is a gift, a gift that I have been blessed with and a gift that I know, in moments like these I am meant to be sharing in order to hold those who need to be held. Right now we all need a little light and stillness in our hearts and I hope the lyrics in this song inspire you to let them in. There WILL be a better day and I am holding you til we get there and for as long as I am blessed to have a voice to share. I LovE you.”
“i do” featuring Aloe Blacc
LeAnn Rimes: “We both didn't know it was each other, so at the end to know, to see him there, I was like, 'Oh my god, it's my friend! I'm so excited!' I went back after to hug him, because I was like, 'Can we hug? Can we see each other for a moment?' So, you know, it was nice to be on the stage, the two of us, at the end. For me, honestly, it was the most exciting part, being on the stage with someone I knew. It's nice to find people that you really adore and are kind hearted and just, you know, love to collaborate, and I find that with Aloe that he's just such a nice gentlemen and is just super collaborative. I had the best time working with him.”
Aloe Blacc: “The beautiful thing is we both performed on The Masked Singer. She won, she was the very best of all of the Masked Singer contestants, and I got a chance to reunite with her backstage. It just dawned on me. She was saying, 'Well, we should work again, we should sing again,' and I was about to say the same exact thing and I thought, 'OK, we can make this happen. The show is a lot of fun. Singing other peoples songs is a lot of fun, the hard part is singing other peoples' songs in a mask, with choreography. But I really enjoyed it.”
Photo by Norman Seeff - source : Apple Music
