By: Shelby Parker
Assistant Features Editor
Lucy Hale is certainly not the first TV star to turn country singer, but she is quickly proving that she is here to stay,thanks to the Pretty Little Liars fan base that is supporting her and helping spread the word about her new music.
Wednesday, Feb. 6, KUZZ announced that Hale would be playing a free listener show at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace as part of the radio tour she is currently on, promoting her first single, “You Sound Good To Me.” All fans had to do was make a reservation.
The phones were ringing off the hook as soon as the restaurant opened, myself being one of those callers. Luckily, I happened to get through to put my name down and was ecstatic. After all, she is my favorite “little liar” from the ABC Family drama.
One fan, Amanda Reveles, 19, said, “ I first became a fan of Lucy’s from watching her on Pretty Little Liars. I liked that she was a familiar face, after having seen her on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place.”
That led Reveles to giving Hale’s music a listen when she heard she was coming to town.
“I found it very cool she was coming, since we don’t get a lot of celebs, and I knew I would regret not going.”
Toni Marie, dee jay for KUZZ announced Hale, explaining that the singer hadn’t made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage yet, though she will be Feb. 21, meaning we got her before Nashville did. Impressive!
Without further ado, Hale, 24, took the stage in a black flowered dress, greeting the crowd and throwing a “y’all” in there, revealing a bit of her southern twang. After all, she is from Memphis, Tennessee and her country roots run deep. Alongside her were only a couple band members, playing the box and guitar for a few acoustic tunes.
Hale didn’t waste much time and kicked the show off with “Goodbye Gone,” which is like most country songs in the sense that it has that female empowerment, with a lot of sassiness.
When the song ended, Hale took a sip of water and talked to the crowd.
“Are any of you a fan of the show Pretty Little Liars?” which caused the room to erupt in cheers from young girls all over the room. It was safe to say they had.
What many fans don’t know is that she actually got her start as a singer. Hale was one of the contestants on the short-lived American Idol spin-off, American Juniors back in 2003. When it came to which genre she would pick, country has always been her favorite.
“I love the stories and how nostalgic a song can make you feel,” said Hale, before playing a sentimental song, entitled, “The Backseat,” as the narrator in the song talks about being a child observing her parents in love from the backseat, to experiencing love as a teenager from the backseat.
Hale had announced the day before the show that the title of her album will be “Road Between.” She explained to the crowd that she was on the fence of whether or not she should have a self-titled album, but ultimately decided on this one, after her song of the same name. It deals with the journey of life and really, just finding yourself, which seems to be the most relatable for the demographic of her fans.
Hale played five songs in total and was on stage about 25 minutes, singing a couple of other songs, “Kiss Me” and of course, “You Sound Good To Me,” which the audience was more familiar with.
Reveles said, “The show was short, but sweet. Lucy is a talented girl on and off the stage and definitely has a sweet charm about her.” She also added that she’s “really looking forward to hearing her full album coming out and hearing more of her stuff.”
I did have the chance to meet Lucy Hale and get a picture with her, but due to time, she wasn’t able to answer any questions.
Hale might not be the next Carrie Underwood or Martina McBride, as far as vocals go, but she has the potential of being someone that girls can click with, like Taylor Swift. It will be interesting to watch her evolve as an artist in years to come.
Hale told Teen Vogue in January that many fans know her as her character, but her album will give them a chance to see who she really is.
“I think after listening to the album, they’ll get a clear idea of who Lucy Hale is as a human being, not just as an actress or whatever.”
