Martina McBride photo by Kristin Barlowe, courtesy of RCA Nashville.

The fresh sound is immediately noticeable right from the opening guitar lick of "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong," a song that celebrates the friendship and support two girlfriends can have when the wrong guy is finally "?gone baby gone." The new sounds continue on through the light and airy "Sunny Side Up," a song co-written by Martina and the veteran hit songwriters Brad & Brett Warren.

However, not everything on Shine falls under the realm of new. Always one to successfully straddle that fine line between staying innovative and remaining familiar, Martina brings her signature bombastic vocals to songs like "Walk Away," "What Do I Have To Do," and the four on the floor, "God-Fearin' Women"-esque "You're Not Leaving Me." Also remaining true to form is her affinity for story songs with the all too timely "Don't Cost A Dime," a song reminding us that regardless of how things might be going in the world, love is its own currency.

Created with the mindset of making a cohesive album as opposed to a collection of 11 songs that could be singles, Shine is arguably Martina's best compilation. The recording process stretched over a ten month period not only because of her touring schedule, but primarily due to her uncompromising devotion to recording only great songs.

"We did it in stages. When we would find three or four good songs, we would go in and track them. I wish I could find eleven amazing songs all at one time, go in and record the whole thing and have it be done in a month ? but you have to wait for the songs. Sometimes you'll get two or three good ones in a row and sometimes you have to just wait. There are times when you could be looking for a couple of months and nothing hits you."

The songs that make up Shine are, as always, the essence of Martina. Artistically she's never been one to bounce all over the map, and her consistent level of musical integrity has been rewarded with more than 18 million in album sales and 22 Top 10 singles, six of which hit the top of the charts. Since day one the four-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year has carved out her niche as a woman that women can relate to, while creating music that speaks to everyone. Lyrically her songs have remained much like her: positive, powerful, strong, and self-assured.

"The music is just who I am. I have a really strong sense of who I am, what works for me and what I like. There's a certain positivity to my music, even though some of my biggest hits have been songs that aren't necessarily happy, like 'Concrete Angel,' 'Where Would You Be' and 'Independence Day.' The songs on Shine are definitely not all positive, but even if the song is about heartbreak or loss, there is a strength to it that comes through."
At the end of the day, while the years on the calendar may have changed, Martina has not. Nor have her wishes. She wants the same thing for Shine that she did for her debut album back in 1992 and for every album that has surfaced in between.

"I want my fans to love Shine like they've loved all the albums. I want to make new fans with this record and have hits on the radio. I want to be able to go out and play this music live and keep building my touring. For me, it's still challenging to make it all happen because no matter where you are in your career, ultimately it's up to the fans."