Julianne Hough first hit the country radio airwaves back in 2008 with her debut single, “That Song in My Head.” The single was somewhat successful on the charts (it peaked inside the top 20), but wasn’t the smash hit Hough and her label, Mercury Records, were hoping for. Now Hough is back with her newest single, “Is That So Wrong?” Will this song serve as Julianne’s breakthrough, career-making hit or will it be a career-breaking single?
Julianne Hough’s transition to country music has been well documented. She first came to light on the hit reality show, Dancing with the Stars, as a professional dancer. After becoming a fan favorite on the show, Hough decided to venture into her true passion: country music. After her debut self-titled album hit number one on the country albums chart, she decided to temporarily hang up her dancing shoes to fully invest in her music career. During that time she connected and began dating fellow country newcomer, Chuck Wicks. Ultimately, the relationship came to an end and now Hough finds herself as just another single gal.
On “Is That So Wrong?” it’s hard to wonder if her failed relationship with Wicks was the inspiration behind the song. Written by Julianne with Sarah Buxton and Blair Daily, this mid-tempo song deals with its narrator just wanting love and someone to hold after going through a breakup. Julianne does an excellent job at delivering lines about not wanting to be alone and just wanting someone to hold. Though the lyrics aren’t spectacular, they do what they’re supposed to and that’s deliver a message.
The production producer Dann Huff comes up with fits both Julianne’s new found style as well as the song. The booming sound of drums, electric guitar, and steel blend well together and deliver a great current, mainstream sound. Julianne’s vocal performance is controlled and stays within her vocal range. She does a great job at making sure her voice is the center of attention and not the booming production.
Her debut album gave us the sweet innocent Julianne we all fell in love with on Dancing with the Stars, but it became clear that country music didn’t really care for that side of Hough. Now by changing producers and singing more mature songs, it should be interesting to see how she’ll be accepted at country radio. However, she’s taking a step in the right direction with this song and it could turn out to be the door busting song she needs to get to the next level.
All Things Country 