On This Day in 2014, Miranda Lambert Released the History-Making Album That Showcased Her Softer Side

On this day (June 3) in 2014, Miranda Lambert released her fifth studio album, Platinum. Later that month, it debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 charts. It made her the first artist to send their first five albums to the top of the country chart. Additionally, it was her first to reach the top of the all-genre chart.

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Lambert’s first four albums established her as country music’s spitfire. Hits like “Gunpowder & Lead,” “White Liar,” “Fastest Girl in Town,” and “Mama’s Broken Heart” were packed with tough-as-nails attitude. While she had previously shown vulnerability with “The House That Built Me,” she was comfortable in the persona that she began crafting with her debut record.

[RELATED: On This Day in 2014, Miranda Lambert Released a Duet That Achieved a Feat Not Seen Since Reba McEntire in the 90s]

Platinum contains plenty of the same attitude. It also showcases her softer side. She had just turned 30 when she started working on the album. As a result, some tracks touch on aging, relentless tabloid coverage, and the constant judgment that comes with being in the public eye.

“I didn’t go into the studio with any certain plan like, ‘this is going to be the message’ or ‘I want to say this.’ I just picked songs and wrote songs that spoke to me and sort of were where I am in life right now, at 30 years old,” Lambert said. “Everything on this record is just sort of a picture of who I am right now… I know that some of the things I’m going through–good or bad–surely there are people out there who can relate to something on this record.”

Miranda Lambert Picked the Perfect Title

Platinum was a fitting title for such a successful LP. The album spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. Later in the year, it brought her the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. It also took home Album of the Year at the ACM and CMA Awards. Additionally, three of the album’s four singles landed in the top 5. “Somethin’ Bad,” a duet with Carrie Underwood, reached the top of the chart. It has since been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. Roughly two years after its release, the album received Platinum certification as well.

The title, though, was more about life than selling records. “When you’re in the industry, and you hear ‘platinum,’ you think platinum album,” Lambert said of the album’s title cut. “But platinum is a lot of things. It’s hair, it’s diamonds and platinum, it’s Bud Light Platinum, it’s the color of an Airstream,” she pointed out.

“So, I hope other people don’t look at that title and think, ‘Oh my God, she’s thinking her album’s gonna be platinum.’ That’s not what I’m thinking,” Lambert said. “I hope all my albums go platinum. But it’s more about my lifestyle and all of those things that encompass that word. So, there wasn’t another title. It just felt right.”

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