What If It's You is the twenty-first studio album by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released on November 5, 1996, and would peak at #1 on the Billboard country chart and #15 on the Billboard 200. It is certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. What If It's You was the first album in which McEntire did not use session musicians; relying instead on her touring band.[3] The album produced four singles in "The Fear of Being Alone", "How Was I to Know", "I'd Rather Ride Around with You" and "What If It's You", which respectively reached #2, #1, #2, and #15 on the Billboard country charts.

What If It's You
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 5, 1996 (1996-11-05)
GenreCountry
Length35:34
LabelMCA
Producer
Reba McEntire chronology
Starting Over
(1995)
What If It's You
(1996)
If You See Him
(1998)
Singles from What If It's You
  1. "The Fear of Being Alone"
    Released: September 16, 1996
  2. "How Was I to Know"
    Released: December 16, 1996
  3. "I'd Rather Ride Around with You"
    Released: March 4, 1997
  4. "What If It's You"
    Released: September 6, 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Los Angeles Times[2]

The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #15 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.[4]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."How Was I to Know"Cathy Majeski, Sunny Russ, Stephony Smith3:41
2."The Fear of Being Alone"Walt Aldridge, Bruce Miller2:58
3."What If It's You"Robert Ellis Orrall, Majeski4:07
4."I'd Rather Ride Around with You"Mark D. Sanders, Tim Nichols3:28
5."It Don't Matter"Tommy Lee James3:36
6."State of Grace"Trey Bruce, Lisa Drew3:31
7."Close to Crazy"Jerry Salley, Melba Montgomery3:38
8."She's Callin' It Love"Russ2:59
9."Just Looking for Him"Russ3:44
10."Never Had a Reason To"Nichols, Sanders3:52

Personnel

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  • Reba McEntire – lead and backing vocals
  • Paul Hollowell – piano
  • Doug Sisemore – keyboards
  • Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
  • Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar (2)
  • Kent Wells – electric guitars
  • Terry Crisp – steel guitar
  • Larry Franklinfiddle, mandolin
  • Chopper Anderson – bass guitar
  • Scott Hawkins – drums, percussion
  • Joe Chemay – backing vocals
  • Liana Manis – backing vocals

Production

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  • Reba McEntire – producer
  • John Guess – producer, recording, mixing
  • Derek Bason – recording, mix assistant
  • Scott Ahaus – assistant engineer
  • Patrick Murphy – assistant engineer
  • Marty Williams – mastering
  • Carole Ann Mobley – production coordinator
  • Cindy Owen – art direction, design
  • Mark Tucker – photography
  • Narvel Blackstock – management
Studios
  • Recorded and Mixed at Starstruck Studios (Nashville, Tennessee).
  • Mastered at The Work Station (Nashville, Tennessee).

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Owens, Thom. What If It's You at AllMusic
  2. ^ Lewis, Randy (December 1, 1996). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Reba :: The Official Site - Music, Reba Duets, Reba #1's, Room To Breathe, 20th Century Masters, Greatest Hits Volume Two, What If It's You
  4. ^ "Reba McEntire | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  5. ^ "Reba McEntire ARIA Chart history (complete) (1988 to 2024)". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  6. ^ "RPM Top Albums for December 9, 1996". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  7. ^ "RPM Country Albums for December 2, 1996". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  8. ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  11. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  13. ^ "Reba McEntire Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  14. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for December 2, 1996". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  15. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for April 14, 1997". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  16. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for August 4, 1997". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  17. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for October 27, 1997". RPM. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  18. ^ "American album certifications – Reba Mc Entire – What If It". Recording Industry Association of America.