Faith Hill’s New Album to Bridge Country and Soul

It's been almost seven years since Faith Hill has released an album of new material, other than her 2008 holiday collection. So to say that fans are eager to hear new music from the music icon is an understatement. Faith herself is almost like a kid waiting for Christmas when it comes to the release of her upcoming album, into which she has put a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

"I spent a great deal of time on this last record ... an extraordinary amount of time, and for good reason," the powerhouse singer told reporters backstage at CMA Music Fest over the weekend. "I was really digging and searching ... as an artist who has grown, searching for a place that I can live creatively. A lot of people put in many, many hours, lots of heart and soul. I'm very excited."

The first taste of the project is "Come Home," a cover of a OneRepublic song that was released late last year as the album's first single. Faith puts quite a soulful spin on the song, which is apparently indicative of the whole album's flavor.

"I came from the church; I'm a soul singer," she insists. "I've tried for so many years to mesh the two worlds together. My love of country music has been my backbone; I was raised with country music. But I'm a soul singer, so to bring those two worlds together in a way that's authentic and that is true -- to me, that's the most important thing. I want my music to be truthful. I feel like I've accomplished that."

Faith performed an uptempo tune from the new album, "Illusion," at CMA Music Fest on Saturday, much to the crowd's delight. Rumored to be the title track, "Illusion" is a sassy song sung from the perspective of a scorned lover. Its sound is indeed a mesh of country, soul, pop and even a little R&B.

So when will we hear more new Faith Hill music? As of now, the full album's release date is being kept under wraps. The superstar singer is beyond anxious for that day to come, so that she can get back on the road to share the new songs live with her fans.

"That's a question everybody's been asking me!" Faith said with a laugh when asked about her tour plans. "I hope this year, a few shows. I haven't toured in a really long time, so I'm excited to be on stage playing music."