Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been in a show and then I got sick! But enough about me, because It Happens All The Time was released this week!!! Megan Hilty has talked about delaying making an album because she simply had nothing important to say. She finally has a statement to make, and it's about Loooooove! (I intended for you to say Looove with a Southern Belle Accent)
As many of her fans know, Megan broke off her six year relationship with actor Steve Kazee early last year. She was able to maintain a strong exterior in public, but six years is a LONG time to be with someone! It must have been devastating. She has said in interviews that she didn't intend for her album to become a collection of breakup anthems, but she related to those songs the most.
Now, we all know that Megan could belt the heck out of any song, shredding the likes of all that her ex did wrong with powerhouse delivery. But she did just the opposite. She sang softly, but with power and pain behind every note. The result? An accumulation of intimate easy rock ballads that leave listeners begging for more.
The title song, It Happens All The Time, poses the question, "If people fall in love all the time, why am I still alone?" It is a bluesy pop song that is sung in a toned down Hilty belt. Is it the sound of someone who knows them self, but is in a lonely state. Someone who is justifying the actions of a breakup. Megan's voice takes a break from her typically smooth velvety sound and becomes almost raspy. Some parts are sung forcefully, some nearly in a whisper.
Be A Man, Megan's self proclaimed favorite, starts with drawn out phrases, almost like sighs. Then, it transitions into lines of questions and statements that take pauses, as if waiting for a response. Despite its staunch name, Be A Man is a ballad that helplessly prods the former lover to, "Don't try to dance around it, just be a man about it," leading us to wonder....was this an unfair feeling Megan has experienced?
Walk Away is Megan's most radio ready song, which is probably a result of Carrie Underwood and Ne-Yo being cowriter of it. It is a powerful women's solo about not putting up with the guilt and constant annoyances from the dumpee.
Next, Megan covers Taylor Swift's made-for-the-movies Hunger Games composition Safe and Sound. Instead of taking the lyrics such as "The war outside our door keeps raging on," in a literal way, as intended, Megan puts them in a romantic context. This added to her clear, forward delivery and sound of tears in her voice amplifies the well-written song to a level that was never reached by its original songstress.
Megan also covers the heartbreaking song, originally by Damien Rice, Blower's Daughter. Another ballad, however the theme isn't becoming tired as it should. Megan expresses the melody and lyrics in a straight forward way that respects the original, but adds another haunting level.
Suddenly, we are dropped into a repetitive pop song that hardly uses any of Megan's talent called Hopin'. It's a fine ditty, but does no justice to the wealth of talent who sings it. She gives it as much as the song allows. Needless to say, it's not my favorite.
After we conclude hearing 'Hopin' repeated what seems like trillions of times, we hear a single piano begin and Hilty's fresh voice begin to deliver Wise Up. It is a scolding song telling her lover who is on the edge how to make a decision about their seemingly one-sided relationship.
Just to show her class, Megan throws in a Don Henley cover of The Heart Of The Matter. She slows down the recognizable melody and dials back the manly power to turn it into a raw, regretful anthem of mistakes that are made when falling in and out of love.
Megan then moves onto to a cover of the Switchfoot song Dare You To Move. I've never heard the original, but Megan sings it with competence and dominance. The beat makes it a shoo-in for a Dance Party Remix to fist pump to on the dance floors of classy New York bars.
For a final cover, Hilty accesses the Elvis-style artist Bruno Mars as she takes on It Will Rain. She maintains the original beat and lyrics, but they way she sings it makes more sense than the original. By adding male vocals underneath parts of the chorus, she packs more emotion in the song than has ever been achieved on that song previously.
New details have been released about Megan Hilty's first solo album titled It Happens All The Time. A break-up theme and renowned song writers in the mix? "Stylistically these aren't the type of songs that I'm used to singing."
Be A Man
No Cure
Walk Away
Safe And Sound
Blower's Daughter
Hopin
Wise Up
Dare You To MoveIt Will Rain
The Heart Of The Matter
Gravity
For this album, Megan has stepped out of her past recording history of Broadway and the occasional pop hit cover. Although some of the songs above are recognizable pop songs, Megan has assuredly rearranged and made them her own. The majority of the songs are originals written by the likes of Ne-Yo, Carrie Underwood, Glenn Ballard, and Wayne Hector (best known for writing One Direction songs).
"I want to show a different side of me because it's the first thing I've ever done that's just me and not attached to any character or story line."
The album takes on the unintended shape of a break-up album. The past year has been a year of falling in, and out, of love for Hilty. Megan split from boyfriend Steve Kazee, this year, and is now in a serious relationship with Broadway performer Brian Gallagher. Megan says she chose the songs based on lyrics she could connect with. As for the title,"It Happens All The Time is about the frustration of trying to find true love. If it happens all the time then why hasn't it happened to me?"
Based on the strong cover art and intriguing song list, March 12th can't come fast enough! What song are you most looking forward to hearing Megan Hilty sing? Comment below. My picks are No Cure and Be A Man.
For more from the interviews the above quotes came from, go to broadwayworld.com
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