Jo Dee Messina wants you to be exactly who you are and she’s letting you know with her first taste of new music in a long while. Sharing the single “Just To Be Loved,” the ’90s country star not only gifts listeners an uplifting message, she also flexes her abilities to still make irresistible sing-alongs.
Written by Messina alongside Jess Cates, Jordan Mohilowski, and Tim Nichols, the “Heads Carolina, Tails California” artist was inspired to write the song from her experiences as a mother. The beat-driven “Just To Be Loved” opens with the story of a girl who once was fearless but lets the noise from the world around her sink in and with it comes doubt and disdain for herself.
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Then it got complicated / That girl, she started hating / Things that made her beautiful / Started changing who she was, the star sings before diving into the powerful chorus. Well, you’re perfect, you’re priceless / There’s nobody that can deny it / Don’t be somebody you’re not / Just to be loved, Messina assures elsewhere in the pop-heavy tune.
“The gist of the song is, don’t change who you are just to be loved because God made you perfect,” she said of the new song in a statement. “He made you priceless and He already loves you with a perfect love.”
Below, watch her share a bit of “Just To Be Loved” live.
While earlier this year, Messina retraced all the essentials in her catalog, releasing the compilation project, Heads Carolina, Tails California: The Best of Jo Dee Messina, she promises more new music to come. Messina is currently on tour under the Heads Carolina, Tails California banner for the very first time, but she’s looking forward just as much as she’s looking back on her illustrious pop-country career.
“It seems crazy that we’ve never toured under the ‘Heads Carolina, Tails California’ banner before,” Messina said of the tour. “We are so excited to bring people songs that they know, stories we will share and, yes, new music!”
Until you can get to a show, the artist has a sample of some of that new music below. Check out “Just To Be Loved.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images