Trisha Yearwood Reflects on Her Christian Roots as "Broken" Cracks the Top 20

Country music singer Trisha Yearwood hasn't had a Top 20 hit in almost 10 years. Her last Top 20 hit was "Heaven, Heartache & the Power of Love" which peaked at #19 in 2007.  Now, she's back with her first Top 20 hit in almost a decade with "Broken."  "Broken" is one of the songs recorded for the Christian TV film "The Passion" which aired this year on Palm Sunday. 

The ballad is one of two songs Yearwood recorded for the TV-movie.  "Broken" is a remake of Lifehouse's No. 7 Adult Pop Songs hit in 2008. It's her highest appearance on the charts ever -- and her first time on the AC charts since 2006's Trying to Love You.

"When I originally signed on to do it, there wasn't even a soundtrack yet. Then it went from that to 'Let's make a soundtrack and it will make sense to have all of these different artists represented. But there was no talk of anything being a single," Yearwood tells Billboard. "Then 'Broken' emerged as this song that people were responding to, so they asked if they could make it a focus track. I was happy for that, then I got a call that it was on the Christian charts, and they wanted to send it to AC radio. I thought 'Really?' Then, I found out this week that it had made the top 20."

In the movie, Yearwood played the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Yearwood in participating in the movie and soundtrack reflects on her Christian roots.  "Anytime you tackle a religious story, you are going to be criticized from one side or another, if not both. I was worried about how it was going to be presented, and I was so happy that they stayed true to the scripture. I grew up in the church and thought it was well done. At the same time, it gave the story a modern take for young people, especially, so they could relate."

"For me, it was the fact that I was raised in the church. I'm a Christian. Even though I'm pretty private about my faith, and don't wear it on my sleeve, it's there. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a little kid. I sat and listened to the Easter story a million times and I don't remember as a young person getting emotional. But playing the role of Mary and seeing a physical person go through the physical things that you've read about in the Bible, for me singing 'Broken at the foot of the cross' after my son has been crucified, you can't even begin to describe the emotion."

"No matter what people say, I think that everyone is looking for searching for something. My whole premise in doing it was that it wasn't religious propaganda to try to get you to think a certain way. This was about believing in something bigger than yourself and loving one another, and those are themes that everyone needs to hear right now."

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