Love Somebody

Personnel: Reba McEntire (background vocals); Ilya Toshinskiy (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, bouzouki); Doug Sisemore (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, background vocals); Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Kenny Greenberg, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie, Jimmy Mattingly (mandolin, fiddle); Jonathan Yudkin (cello); Jay Dawson (bagpipe); Ethan Mattingly (French horn); Steve Nathan (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Gordon Mote (piano, keyboards); Jimmy Nichols (keyboards); Greg Morrow (drums, percussion, programming); Tommy Harden (drums, percussion, background vocals); Lonnie Wilson (drums); Gary Oliver, Kelly Clarkson, Caroline Kole, Ronnie Dunn, Vicki Hampton, Wes Hightower, Kim Fleming, Bob Bailey, Perry Coleman, Tania Hancheroff, Jenifer Wrinkle (background vocals).
Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN.
Photographer: Jeremy Cowart.
Reba McEntire sat out the first half of the 2010s, spending time concentrating on a new television show -- the sitcom Malibu Country, which lasted the 2012-2013 season -- before signing with Nash Icon, an offshoot of Big Machine, for 2015's Love Somebody. Stakes were relatively high for Reba. She still was one of the biggest stars in country music but a five-year hiatus is a long time for anybody, particularly in a format that no longer favors either longevity or females. Given this environment, it's not a surprise that McEntire chose to play it safe, doubling down on the carefully crafted Music City pop that was her stock in trade, but changing her style just enough to signal she was not out of touch. Tellingly, those slight changes are the tunes that resonate here: the Brandy Clark/Shane McAnally tune "She Got Drunk Last Night," "Love Somebody" co-written by McAnally, Sam Hunt, and Josh Osborne, even the Jennifer Nettles duet "Enough." Elsewhere, McEntire serves up the expected in typically solid style: with flair but no flash, serving the song while steering all attention to her. If Love Somebody isn't a knockout, it's nevertheless welcome: Reba does what she does so well, it's a pleasure to have her back. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine