After four albums, Yearwood decided to apply her expressive alto voice to a batch of distinctively modern tunes on 1996's Everybody Knows. The down-home flavor of early hits like "She's in Love with the Boy" was downplayed in favor of jangly folk-rock ("Believe Me Baby (I Lied") and vibrant retro-soul ("I Need You"). Despite some sonic updating, Yearwood remains true to her love of intelligent lyrics and sparkling melodies. The album's title track was a wry look at surviving a breakup, while "A Lover Is Forever" has the smoldering feel of a classic torch ballad. The musical backdrops vary from bright '60-ish sounds to quiet acoustic settings as Yearwood takes on a range of emotional shadings. But even when confessing weakness, she delivers her songs with trademark strength and conviction. Yearwood set the gold standard for female country-pop vocalists in the '90s, and Everybody Knows gives prime evidence why.