B-side "Wicked", "Shadows" Format CD single Length 3:42 | Released September 30, 2002 Genre Country · AC Label Warner Bros. Nashville | |
“Cry” was the first single from American Country singer Faith Hill's 2002 Cry album. Before her rendition, the song was recorded by its writer, Angie Aparo, for his 1999 album, The American.
Contents
Originally released to country radios, "Cry" crossed over to adult contemporary radios. It spent 11 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song eventually peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, in the United States. "Cry" reached number three on the Canadian Singles Chart and was a Top 30 success in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 2003, at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Hill won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Cry", marking her second win in the category.
This song appears on the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2.
Music video
The video accompanying the song (directed by Mike Lipscombe, produced by Michael J. Pierce) shows Faith encountering past phases of her life and unrequited love, moving from happy, carefree childhood, through adult betrayal to bitterness and the desire for emotional revenge, all taking place in the atmospheric, rain soaked shell of an old mansion surrounded by a neglected garden. As each scene comes to life, different parts of the dilapidated ruin return magically to their former glory - as if receiving a fresh lick of paint before our eyes. But with the renewed memories, Faith revisits the raw hurt of rejection. The video is notable for its use of driving rain and a brooding presence to evoke the tragic memories, giving rise to the "wet look" Faith, which is showcased in the album's promotional photography. The last iconic scene shows a rusty old Cadillac Eldorado, abandoned in the murky, overgrown garden coming back to life, as a 'childhood Faith' with her friend get in the back seat - but only 'semi-materialised', followed by the adult Faith, wearing a stylish, sleek, black dress getting in the drivers seat. The final shot shows her head slumping down on the steering wheel in despair, the past hurt still not resolved. It is one of Faith's most powerful performances, aided by a classy arrangement and has provoked a plethora of responses from people sharing their own moving experiences of rejection and betrayal.
Track listings
- Cry - 3:46
- Wicked - 4:02 (also included on Japanese editions of the Cry album)
- Shadows - 4:29
- "Cry" - 3:46
- "Wicked" -4:02
Chart performance
Released in mid-2002, "Cry" proved to be less successful than the title track, "Breathe," from Hill's previous album, Breathe. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Country Chart and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song achieved its greatest success on the Adult Contemporary chart, where it spent 11 weeks at #1.