Whoever's in New England (song)
"Whoever's in New England" is a song written by Kendal Franceschi and Quentin Powers, and recorded by American country music entertainer Reba McEntire. It was released in March 1986 as the first single and title track from the album Whoever's in New England. The song was considered one of her signature and breakthrough singles.
| "Whoever's in New England" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Reba McEntire | ||||
| from the album Whoever's in New England | ||||
| B-side | "Can't Stop Now" | |||
| Released | March 2, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | Fall 1985 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:25 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kendal Franceschi and Quentin Powers | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen Reba McEntire | |||
| Reba McEntire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
The song was written in the voice of a Southern woman who believes her husband is having an affair during his business trips up north (the video clearly shows him having at least an emotional affair with a coworker), but pledges that she will remain available to him when "whoever's in New England's through with you." [1] The song was inspired by Barry Manilow's 1970s Pop hit, "Weekend in New England". The 2007 Sugarland hit "Stay" was, in turn, inspired by "Whoever's in New England", and tells the story from the perspective of the mistress.
Background
It was a career-making song for McEntire, not least because it was promoted by her first music video. Reaching number one in May 1986, it marked a major breakthrough for her, beginning a string of chart-topping hits that didn't begin to slow down for the next thirteen years. "Little Rock," the follow-up single, also hit number one, as did the Whoever's in New England album, her first album to be certified platinum.[1]
In 1987, McEntire won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Whoever's in New England", her first Grammy Award. Also thanks in part to the success of the song, McEntire won a number of awards from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.
Music video
"Whoever's in New England" was McEntire's first music video. It was directed by Jeff Schock & Jon Small. The video aired on CMT in 1986 and was quite popular as well. It was filmed in Boston, and featured footage of Boston Common, the Trinity Church, the Hancock Tower and Logan Airport. It begins with a shot of a packed suitcase, before revealing Reba singing the opening lines while staring out the window of her house. It is implied that she is married, and her husband is set to go on a required business trip. He, all of a sudden, reflects on his relationship with another woman, a co-worker of his. As Reba finishes the first chorus, her husband confronts her. She starts the second verse while in the car on the way to the airport, while more memories of the man and his other girlfriend playing in the snow are then seen. At the airport, the man is almost ready to go on his flight, but stops short when Reba confronts him. He leaves her at first, but all of a sudden, drops his suitcase and goes back to embrace Reba as others are heading to their gates.
Chart positions
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
References
- About Reba McEntire's "Whoever's In New England" at Allmusic; retrieved February 3, 2008.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 225.
- "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.