Venus Joy Williams

• 1 Before I Sleep 03:34
• 2 Sweet Love of Mine 03:53
• 3 Woman (Oh Mama) 03:40
• 4 One Day I Will 03:20
• 5 Not Good Enough 04:11
• 6 What a Good Woman Does 03:26
• 7 Until the Levee 02:40
• 8 You Loved Me 03:13
• 9 The Dying Kind 04:14
• 10 Till Forever 03:57
• 11 Welcome Home 03:39
• Total Runtime 39:47

Info for Venus

Als Hälfte des US-amerikanischen Duos The Civil Wars feierte Joy Williams zwischen 2009 und 2014 weltweit große Erfolge; die beiden Alben verkauften sich alleine in den USA mehr als 800.000 Mal und bescherten den beiden vier Grammys.

Mit „Venus“ erscheint nun das erste Solo-Album von Joy Williams seit dem Ende von Civil Wars. Die erste Single „Woman (Oh Mama)“ handelt davon, die eigene Schönheit und die Stärke zu erleben, die man in seiner eigenen Haut erfährt. »Ich habe einmal ein Zitat gehört, das glaube ich ursprünglich von Eleanor Roosevelt stammt: ‚Eine Frau ist wie ein Teebeutel man weiß vorher nie, wie stark sie ist, bis in heißes Wasser gerät. Als ich ‚Until The Levee' schrieb, fühlte ich mich, als würde ich in heißem Wasser umherschwimmen. Jeder fragte mich nach dem abrupten Ende von The Civil Wars, ich musste mich als frischgebackene Mutter an einem neuen Lebensrhythmus gewöhnen, ich kämpfte um meine Ehe, die einer Generalüberholung bedurfte und hatte mit der tödlichen Erkrankung meines Vaters klar zu kommen. Ich verspürte den Drang, in diesem ganzen Chaos eine neue Stabilität zu finden.« Darum geht es auf diesem starken, emotionalen Erstling!

Joy Elizabeth Williams
initially planned on a career in journalism or family therapy. Instead, the California resident signed with Reunion Records at the age of 17 and released her debut project in 2001. Mixing elements of contemporary Christian music into an intimate form of pop music, she enjoyed a successful CCM career during the early 2000s, earning multiple nominations at the Dove Awards and selling over 250,000 copies of her first three albums. Williams eventually expanded beyond the sacred world, serving as a songwriter for Warner/Chappell Music and founding her own company, Sensibility Music, with husband Nate Yetton. She also formed an acclaimed acoustic folk duo, the Civil Wars, with fellow songwriter John Paul White.

Joy Williams grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the central coast of California, where her father, Roger Williams, served as the executive director of Mt. Hermon Christian Conference Center. In interviews, Williams would later state that living in an environment that hosted prominent spiritual leaders led her to become "a learned extrovert." During high school, she excelled and was often labeled a super-achiever, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while also filling the roles of varsity athlete and student body president. At the age of 14, Williams was offered a recording contract, but she turned down the opportunity to pursue a normal childhood. When a second recording contract was presented to her three years later, however, she signed. Her debut album was recorded during her final years in high school, and Williams followed it with 2002's By Surprise and 2005's Genesis.

After Genesis' release, Williams ended her relationship with Reunion Records and began writing songs for other artists. She returned to her solo career in 2009, releasing a series of EPs under her Sensibility Music label. That same year, she also released Live at Eddie's Attic, which marked her debut with John Paul White as secular Americana/folk act the Civil Wars. Prior to the duo's 2014 split, they won four Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard 200 with their second, self-titled album. Williams continued her solo career.

This album contains no booklet.