Mississippi Girl
"Mississippi Girl" is a song written by John Rich and Adam Shoenfeld and recorded by American country music singer Faith Hill. Hill co-produced the song with Byron Gallimore and Dann Huff. It was released on May 16, 2005, as the lead single from her sixth studio album Fireflies (2005). Hill says in the song that she has not forgotten her roots after becoming famous.
"Mississippi Girl"
The song spent two weeks at number 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Content[edit]
Written specifically for Hill by John Rich (of Big & Rich) and fellow MuzikMafia member Adam Shoenfeld, the uptempo tune was anticipated within the industry[2] and spearheaded Hill's post-Cry "country comeback".[3]
"Mississippi Girl" was considered by contemporary commentators to be the same in purpose and theme to singer Jennifer Lopez's 2002 hit "Jenny from the Block".[3][4][5]
Chart performance[edit]
The single debuted at number 27 on the Hot Country Songs chart on May 28, 2005. On September 3, "Mississippi Girl" rose to the top spot for two weeks. It spent twenty weeks on the chart.
"Mississippi Girl" made its debut on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 on June 11, 2005, at number 85. It reached its peak position of number 29 on August 27. "Mississippi Girl" overall spent twenty weeks on the chart.
"Mississippi Girl" made its debut on the now-defunct Pop 100 on June 18, 2005. It reached its peak of number 51 on August 20, 2005.
"Mississippi Girl" made its debut on the Canada Country Top 30 chart by Radio & Records on May 27, 2005, at number 13. It topped the chart on August 5, spending three weeks at the top.
"Mississippi Girl" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance but did not win; however it did win the SESAC Country Song of the Year award for its two writers.[6]
Slant Magazine said the song had the "stench of desperation" about it, with "southern-fried production [meant to] ape shamelessly the things that the women who supplanted her at the top of Nashville's pecking order have been doing."[7]
Music video[edit]
There is also a music video for the song, directed by Wayne Isham. In It, Hill and her band are seen performing the song in concert (filmed at a concert in July 2005 at Rupp Arena), intercut with shots of Hill walking around rural settings in a white dress as CGI butterflies flutter about. The video received a CMT Awards nomination.[8] At the beginning of the video, it shows Hill diving into the water from a wooden bridge in a long white dress.
Compiled from liner notes.[1]