Smile, Smile, Smile

12/18/2000 9:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Tamara Saviano

The first thing one notices about Faith Hill during conversation is her smile. It's the easy, relaxed smile of a woman who is completely comfortable with herself and the world around her. That cheerful attitude isn't a charade--Hill has plenty to smile about.

In just seven years, the pretty little girl-next-door from small-town Mississippi has blossomed into a worldly, glamorous diva--in fact, she's even performed alongside her heroes on VH1's Divas Live program. Of course, she's also won numerous awards, appeared on the Academy Awards, sung the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and sold more than 12 million copies of her four albums combined. Along with her career success, in 1996, Hill married her tourmate and "soulmate" Tim McGraw, and within the next two years she gave birth to the couple's two daughters, Maggie and Gracie.

After a three-year hiatus from the recording studio, Hill released her third album, Faith, in 1998, and on the strength of the single "This Kiss," she roared into the mainstream limelight. The 1999 release of Hill's latest album, Breathe, sealed her fate as one of America's hottest new stars. And through it all, Hill has stayed true to herself and has done things her way.

"Not everyone has embraced the fact that my music has expanded or that my image changed," Hill admits. "But for the most part, I feel the industry is very proud. I really do. I haven't left country music. The word 'crossover' to me is a hard word to swallow, because to me, when you cross over, you've left something and you're not going back--and I don't feel that way at all. There might be some people out there that don't like what I'm doing or don't agree with it, but I can't worry about those people. I don't make music for those people. I make music for my fans, and I'm doing what I love to do. It's real for me. I feel that my music is embraced, and if that changes--well, I can't worry about that. It's nice to be accepted, but if there comes a time when my music is not embraced, I still have to go on my way. I don't mean to sound aggressive, it's just the way it is."

Acceptance doesn't seem to be a problem for Hill--she's become so popular, and her face so well-known, that it's nearly impossible for her to remain anonymous in public."It is different from even a year ago, and it's difficult," she admits. "I'm still adjusting, because that kind of celebrity is very new to me. It's a new part of my life, and I'm trying to deal with it gracefully. It's another facet of my career I'm trying to figure out. But it doesn't keep me inside--we go where we want, and I just try to deal with it gracefully. The great thing about being home in Nashville is that Tim and I can go anywhere. People know us, and it's nice to see friendly faces and the people we've known for years. In Nashville, we can live a somewhat normal lifestyle."

Although Hill is unquestionably a superstar, she insists that she is the same woman inside, and easily dismisses any controversy surrounding the changes she has made both musically and aesthetically. "I've just grown up," she says. "Remember, I was 25 years old when I recorded my first album. I was young. I'm 32 now, and having more confidence and life experience has certainly played a part in the albums I have made. It's fun to have change. It's boring to be the same person all the time. As women, we're always changing our hair and trying this and trying that. It's just fun. There are so many possibilities at my fingertips. A lot has changed since my first album. I'm more involved in choosing my material. I'm more comfortable in the studio. I'm not changing the person I am, though.

"That's one thing that people confuse--because of the way I look, they think I've automatically changed who I am, continues Hill. "I know who I am, and that's what matters. I believe I am still growing as an artist--still, not just from back then, but now and into the future. Hill adds that her taste in music hasn't changed over the years, because she's always been a fan of a great song. "I just really try to find material that moves me. The process seems really difficult, because I have to listen to so many songs, but in all honesty, when I look back on it, it's not that difficult, because the great songs really rise to the top.

"There have been some songs that I've not recorded--not because they weren't great songs--because they didn't fit on the record I was doing at the time. On Breathe, I recorded a lot of songs, and I had a really difficult time figuring out which ones were going to remain on the record and which ones I had to let go of. I want to put together a record that my fans will listen to from start to finish. I don't want them to choose a couple of songs and then not listen to the rest of the record. I want it to be a work as a whole.

"The songs that made the final cut for Breathe set their own tone. I feel like there is something for everyone. I wanted to give the fans more of me--more of the style of music I love. Especially the last song on the record, 'There Will Come A Day,' that's the kind of song that I grew up singing. No matter what is said, I wasn't far away from my roots at all. I always try to look for pieces of material that cover as much of what I enjoy musically as I possibly can. I'm a fan of music, period. There is so much that inspires me and there is so much that I want to do. Each time I go into the studio or each time I walk onstage, I learn something, and I apply it to what I'm doing next."

But before Hill thinks about what's next, she's taking the time to enjoy each day and savor her memories. "The past year or so has been wonderful," she enthuses. "Singing the national anthem for the Super Bowl was a pivotal moment in my career. I still feel that way now. Being on the Diva show and singing on the same stage as some of the greatest singers in the world was great. I don't know where else I could have gone in one night to meet all those people and share the stage with them at the same time. Shooting the video with Tim in Paris for 'Let's Make Love' was incredibly special.

"The Oscars thing was cool," Hill continues, mentioning yet another career milestone this year. "I had just gotten off a plane from New York, and I was so excited about spending Saturday with my family at home. We were going to hang out and just do fun things. Then we got the phone from Lili Zanuck and Burt Bacharach to see if I could fill in for Whitney [Houston] on the Oscars Sunday night. I said I wanted to think about it and talk it over with my husband. So Tim and I talked and decided to do it, and we jumped on a plane about two hours later. It was a whirlwind, to say the least. It was one of those moments that I had to be so focused on what I was doing that I didn't really have a chance to enjoy it. It was a great experience, but I certainly would have liked more time to prepare. But sometimes it's great to go into a situation like that, because you don't think about it so much and you just have to do it."

However, the ultimate highlight of Hill's year has been the Soul2Soul tour with her husband. "The reaction from the fans has just been amazing," Hill says. "Country music fans are wonderful. Most of our fans have been with both of our careers since the beginning, and they've seen the changes and the growth, and it's almost like they're proud to have been a part of it. It's special to know that our songs have helped people through bad situations or good situations or are great memories for people. There are a lot of new fans that have come on board since 'This Kiss' and the Soul2Soul tour. Their response has been phenomenal, too. This is the kind of reaction I always dreamed about when I was a kid."

Hill has a few more memories to create in her career. In fact, it's quite possible that fans will see her on the big screen. "I'd like to do a movie--a really good movie," Hill admits. "I've been reading a lot of scripts. A couple of things I really like a lot. That's a whole new world where I have an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is I can get my foot in the door. The disadvantage is that I have to be really good." Hill laughs. "That's why I'm searching for a movie that I feel wouldn't be too outside of who I am as a person. It would have to be a character that I could relate to easily and be a natural thing for me to do. I'd want people to say, 'Oh, I can see her doing that,' but it doesn't necessarily have to be musical."

Career isn't Hill's only focus. She says she plans to take a break from the road to spend time with her family and have more children. "The most important thing to me is my family," she asserts proudly. "Being a good wife and good partner to Tim is so important to me. My career is important and means a lot to me, but my family means everything. Tim and I both try to embrace each part of life. We wake up every day and take one day at a time, and deal with what's in front of us at the moment. And I think it's important to try to be happy. It's easier to smile than it is to frown, but sometimes people find it harder to be happy than it is to be mad. Mad is such an immediate thing, and sometimes it may seem easier to get angry. But I've learned that it's more rewarding to just deal with things with a smile on my face. I'm happy. And that's something to smile about."