Jennifer Nettles says Sugarland’s “Stay” took shape after hearing Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England”

Jennifer Nettles is crediting a Reba McEntire classic as the spark behind “Stay,” one of Sugarland’s signature hits. As the country duo marks the 20th anniversary of their 2006 album Enjoy the Ride with a North American tour, Nettles is reflecting on how the song emerged and why its stripped-back approach resonated so widely, according to The Boot.

Released as Enjoy the Ride’s fourth single in 2007, “Stay” was the first Sugarland track penned solely by Nettles. She told People the idea formed after hearing McEntire’s 1986 hit “Whoever’s in New England,” which is voiced by a woman who suspects her husband is cheating while he travels for work. Nettles, 52, said she began wondering about the other side of that story, ultimately writing “Stay” from the perspective of the other woman in an affair. “The song is purely fictional,” she noted, explaining she wanted to explore what that character “must be going through.”

Nettles and bandmate Kristian Bush shaped the concept into an acoustic ballad that stood apart from the rest of Enjoy the Ride. The minimalist production became part of the song’s power, Nettles said, adding that a strong composition should work even when “you strip away all of the other instruments and play it as it was composed.” She called “Stay” a testament to that philosophy.

The track went on to peak at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, Sugarland won the Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Stay,” while Nettles received the Best Country Song award as its sole songwriter. As the group revisits Enjoy the Ride on tour two decades later, Nettles’ account connects the dots between a formative Reba McEntire narrative and a modern country ballad that pushed perspective and simplicity to the forefront. For listeners, her comments underline how an enduring hit can trace its lineage to a country standard—and why “Stay” still lands with the emotional clarity that first broke it wide in 2007.

Source: The Boot