Martina McBride Wants Fans to ‘Leave the World Outside’ on Upcoming Tour

The world is a crazy place these days. Between protests, and the ongoing political climate, Martina McBride admits that it’s not exactly a warm and tender time. With her upcoming Love Unleashed Tour, the four-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year aims to change that way of thinking.

“It seems that we are so inundated with bad news these days, and disturbing images. It’s a crazy world we’re living in right now, and there’s 24-hour coverage of it,” she confessed to Sounds Like Nashville. “So, I have an eleven-year old at home, and in trying to protect her – and all of us – emotionally and mentally from the deluge of that, we just started watching the news less and doing more things together, like listening to music. We’ve just been trying to shed some of that negativity.”

The singer said that caused a light bulb to go off within her. “I was just trying to think of what I wanted to say and do with this tour, and I really wanted to create a space where people could just come together and enjoy common interests, and just enjoy music.”

In other words, McBride wants her audience to simply get lost in the moment – as she hopes to do herself. “I wanted people to leave the world outside for a couple of hours, and share a positive and loving experience. I want them to leave feeling like they can go out and tackle the world from a much more positive place. I guess you could say that’s the mission statement and the goal for this tour.”

What can fans expect from the tour, which kicks off on October 14 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri? “We’ll be doing a lot of music from ‘Reckless’,” she says of her current Nash Icon album, “as well as a lot of our hits. I think we’re also going to pull out some songs from ‘Timeless,’ which we did back in 2005,” she said of her well-received album of covers. “I’m going to have a section of the show that features songs from that album and pays tribute to the traditions of Country Music.”

McBride has also been headlining a series of benefit concerts titled Band Against Cancer – The Sarah Cannon Tour. Three dates are already in the books, with two more (October 8 in Denver and October 26 in Nashville) on the itinerary. McBride says that being a part of the series of shows has been very special. Of course, her 2011 single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” touched many that were afflicted with the disease. Over the past five years, the stories that she has heard from fans about how that song affected listeners never get old. She says it’s a hallmark of the genre.

“For me, it’s a reminder of just how powerful music is – and it can be in our lives. To have a song that helps someone with what they are going through, I think that’s what is great about Country music. That’s how it’s always been. You look over the years, and some of the best songs in Country Music are the ones that people relate to, where they feel like you are singing about them. That was a very special one.”

Another song that McBride says is very special to her is her most recent single, “Just Around The Corner,” which she feels her fans are identifying with. “I feel like at some point we all go through things, whether good or bad, or times where we just don’t feel good or confident. Maybe we feel down about a life situation, like a lost job or somebody who isn’t well. This song just felt like a touch point. To me, it says that even if you have lost your faith for a minute, or you’re carrying some weight on your shoulders, hang in there….because it’s going to get better.”

2017 will mark twenty-five years since the release of “The Time Has Come,” McBride’s first single. Though just a minor hit, the song proved to pave the way toward future hits such as “Independence Day” and “Love’s The Only House,” as well as four wins as Female Vocalist of the Year from the CMA. When asked to reflect back to 1999, the year of her first win, what does she recall? “It was magical. We had been nominated two times before, and I felt like we were really in a good place that year. We had ‘I Love You’ out, and a lot going on. We had worked very hard, and it felt good to have that recognition from the industry. I was just so happy and grateful. It was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Speaking of the CMA, the songstress is also a part of the new “Forever Country” single and video, which she says was an honor to be included in. “It was just great to be a part of it. There are so many incredible artists that are involved, and it turned out beautiful. I was happy to be a part of it, and to honor our traditions.”

For more information on McBride’s upcoming tour, visit her official website.