Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood — better known as country trio Lady Antebellum – showed up and went boom after releasing their self-titled debut in 2008: A Grammy nomination for Best New Artist; wins in new artist categories at the ACMs and CMAs; a No. 1 song in “I Run to You”; and as of today, platinum certification. EW has now learned exclusively from the mouth of Kelley that their Officially Highly-Anticipated™ sophomore album will be called Need You Now, and it will be available at a record store or digital equivalent near you on January 26, 2010.
Kelley says the Lady As decided to name the album after their current single, “Need You Now” — currently in the country Top 10, and streaming at the bottom of this post — because that song represents the direction they’re trying to go this time around. “If we can wrap our heads around what makes that song special… it’s hard for me to put into words,” Kelley says. “I think the songs are a little more honest. There’s a little more urgency in them. Hillary said the love songs are about loving as strong as you can love, the hurt songs are about hurting as strong as one can hurt. ‘Need You Now’ is two people at their most desperate moment.” He adds, “We’ve become better writers. You know, people always say, ‘Hey, man, you get ten years to write your first record, and a year to write your second.’ But when we wrote our first record, we’d only been together for a year. We’ve actually had two years to write this album. So I almost feel like we’re more prepared now — just our lives are a little crazier. I feel like, for the most part, people will think it’s a better album. I hope so.” He laughs. “I can’t really say that without it being done.”
Need You Now is being produced by Paul Worley and the band; they’ve cut seven tracks and are going back in to do seven more this month, with an eye on whittling that down to 11 or 12. Kelley says to expect a few more traditional-sounding country tunes this time, as well as some that push it all the way in the other direction. After the jump, check out an exclusive in-the-studio video for “Need You Now,” and let us know if you’re psyched for more from this threesome. What do you want to hear out of the new album? And what are the chances they’ll unseat Rascal Flatts in the group category at the upcoming CMA Awards, given the fact that Kelley himself says, “I really truly don’t think we deserve that yet”?
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I was really hoping that their new music would be more like Love Don’t Live Here than I Run To You. But Need You Now is a lot like I Run To You. Granted I Run To You hit #1 but it didn’t do it for me and Need You Now isn’t either. It’s a bunch of well sung cliches.
I hope the rest of their album sounds different because they’re really talented.
I hope they unseat Rascal Flatts. OH PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET THAT HAPPEN.
I second that! I cannot stand Rascal Crapps!
I just bought there album like 3wks ago cus it was on sale for $8 and omg I LOVE IT!!! All the songs are great i love the album, im looking foward to the 2nd one!!! I love ALL WE’D EVER NEED that should have been a single ugh havnt we all felt that way.
I would marry Charles Kelly’s VOICE if it were legal or possible. Need You Now has been played over 300 times on my iPod this month, and as much as I love me some Rascal Flatts, they are the group of the year. I CANNOT WAIT for this 2nd Album.
… I mean Lady A is group of the year.
Lady A rocks. I’m so excited for the next album! And I think they actually DO deserve to unseat Rascal Flatts–I mean, what other country group has made such an impact in country music this year? I vote Lady A. Rascal Flatts is in a slump right now.
Lady A has crept up on me in a way that Rascal Falts never did. Every song Lady A has been a fave of mine. I’d love to see them come to Toronto on their own, not as an opening act.
I love “Need You Now”!! I loved Lady A before, but this song took them to a different level in my mind. They are so talented! Can’t wait for the new album
Cannot wait for the new cd. They are the best group since Alabama and I can’t wait until they beat Rascal Flatts, hopefully this year.
I’m sort of put off by them releasing ‘Need You Now’ as a single 5-6 months before the album comes out. I’m all for “advanced previews”- but the delay between the single and the album is just too long. This album, based on the single release, should be out by the end of October, at the absolute latest. Now, to keep momentum up, they are going to have to release a 2nd single before the album ever comes out. I’m not crazy about that plan, but hope I’m still into this band 5 months from now when their album finally drops.
The reason it was put off for that long is
1. They aren’t done making the album because
2. All of their other singles so far have taken 6 months to hit their peak so as they originally planned it, the album would have come out when the song was near the top of the charts. Now they will probably have a second song out by that time which can help them out even more for the first week’s sales.
I loved the first album but this one bores me to tears! I really like it when they show soul not just another easy listening hit. This whole album feels over produced, their image is over produced, now their website is over produced. Another great group of talented young singers taken down by “the man”.