She's back! Julianne Hough's 2008 debut met with marginal success, yielding the minor Top 20 hit "That Song In My Head," and earning her a fan-voted ACM Award for Top New Artist. But she never quite gained a firm hold on radio, as she and her label had hoped. Now she's taking another shot at radio success with the first single from her upcoming second album.
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"Is That So Wrong" is an emotional ballad that was influenced by Julianne's recent breakup with fellow country star Chuck Wicks. The song's narrator is a woman who has just gone through a difficult breakup, and is eager to pursue a new relationship. The lyrics are decent, but not outstanding.
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Since Julianne's debut album was criticized for having "dated" production, her new producer Dann Huff gives her new single a more modernized pop-country sound. The song is backed by electric guitar and percussion, with the occasional twang of a steel guitar. If you were a fan of the 90s-style country sound of her first album, as I was, you might find her new sound rather difficult to digest. But believe me - it grows on you.
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One listen to this song is enough to tell you that Julianne's pipes are still in fine repair. She delivers the song's verses in a deeply emotional aching and pleading tone, which is easily the single's most positive quality. With a solid single such as this, Julianne Hough just might be able to waltz her way into the Country Top 10.
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JULIANNE'S SCORE: 7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)
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