Reba McEntire is one of the most beloved country music veterans ever to grace the genre. With her strong, powerful voice and her equally substantial musical catalogue, Reba has been dubbed “The Queen of Country Music” numerous times, and for good reason. I’ve been a fan of Reba since I was about 6 or 7 years old. Her songs are some of the first songs I remember memorizing and singing aloud. “I’m a Survivor”, “Fancy”, “Is There Life Out There”, “Cathy’s Clown”, and “She Thinks His Name Is John” are only a few of her more powerful songs. As of late, we haven’t heard those kinds of ballad and statement songs from Reba, at least, up until now.
Reba released her latest record, Love Somebody, on April 14, 2015, and it quickly hit #1 on the charts. So far, the album has produced three singles, “Going Out Like That”, “Until They Don’t love You”, and “Just Like Them Horses”. The lead single, “Going Out Like That” fared fairly well on radio and the charts, peaking just outside of the top 20, but the follow-up single, “Until They Don’t Love You”, didn’t even chart. Both singles weren’t Reba’s best by any stretch of the imagination.
Lately, I’ve seen a disconcerting trend of veteran artists chasing the “in sound” and trying to compete with the young guns. Reba has forayed into the new mainstream sound a few times, sometimes pulling it off and other times… well… not. “Going Out Like That” was a bit of a dud, compared to what we’re used to hearing from our favorite red-head. But have no fear, Reba is back with a brand new single and it’s a darn good one. We find Reba back at the top of her game with the beautiful, moving “Just Like Them Horses”.
Reba has recorded personal and emotional songs before, but “Just Like Them Horses” has an even more personal feel to it, as the song acts as a tribute to her late father. As most fans know, Reba’s father was career rodeo man and a three time World Champion Steer Roper. Reba herself was also involved in rodeo events, including barrel racing; in fact, she was discovered while singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in December 1974. Reba had a close relationship with her father, who passed away in 2014, so this tribute is no surprise to fans.
“Just Like Them Horses” is pure Reba, with a contemporary country sound to it; forget the loud, obnoxious sounds of mainstream today. The production is stunning with a soft piano and a beautiful fiddle, and works to place the spotlight on Reba’s powerful vocals, which is where the true strength and power of this song comes from. The single finds the narrator singing about her father and their relationship, and mainly his passing. The song opens with the narrator’s father talking to his daughter, presumably on his deathbed, telling her, “if you love me don’t you be afraid to look in my eyes and open up the gate, then watch me ride beneath a newborn sun, just like them horses when it’s time to run.” Shortly after that he takes his last breath.
“Just Like Them Horses” will no doubt become another fan favorite, it’s just too beautiful not to. This is a rare case where the production, lyrical content, and vocal delivery all come together in perfect harmony to create magical perfection. The low, rumbling drums mimic the pounding of horses’ hooves, and at other times the slow, beat of the drums mimics a heartbeat. The fiddle comes in and adds a gorgeous layer that gives a sweet sadness to the single, and of course, Reba’s vocals infuse the necessary emotion into the song. “Just Like Them Horses” is a perfect tribute to Clark McEntire (Reba’s father). It uses the imagery of horses running free to illustrate the father’s dying and going to Heaven, imagery that fits Mr. McEntire’s life spent working with horses.
Trust me, you do NOT want to miss this single. Download it, stream it, do whatever you have to in order to listen to this stunning single.
Originally posted here.
