Faith Hill's Mile-Long Leg Stole the Spotlight at The CMA Awards and We Can See Why
The 2017 awards show had plenty of glamour and fierce fashion, but it also touched on serious topics.
Everyone from Taylor Swift to Chris Stapleton took home awards at the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards, which were broadcast from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 8. But the real winner of the evening seemed to be the stunning Faith Hill — and her mile-long legs.
The "Breathe" singer took to the stage to sing a duet with her husband Tim McGraw, and wore a sparkling, slit red gown that let her impressive stems peek through. Though the duo's vocals were dazzling, Hill's leg managed to upstage any other aspect of the performance, and fans took to social media to show their allegiance for the shapely limb. One Twitter user opined that the leg deserves its own hashtag, while another used fire an applauding emojis to exclaim that Hill "still has it."
Though it featured fierce fashion and lighthearted moments, the show also had some more somber highlights. In light of the October 1 mass shooting in Vegas — which targeted fans at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival — hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood paused to acknowledge the shared grief surrounding gun violence and other recent tragedies.
In an opening monologue, Underwood said, “Las Vegas. Charlottesville. New York. Sutherland Springs. Historic storms in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Florida. And the list goes on and on. This has been a year marked by tragedy, impacting countless lives, including so many in our country music family. So tonight, we’re going to do what families do: come together, pray together, cry together, and sing together, too.”
Later in the show, Underwood was brought to tears when she sang the hymn "Softly and Tenderly," which paid tribute to those lost in 2017. As she sang, a screen behind Underwood showcased the faces of members of the country music community who have recently passed away, including Glen Campbell and Troy Gentry. Then, the faces of the 58 people killed in the Las Vegas attack flashed across the screen.
The mood lightened — but didn't stray from political topics — when the two hosts put a spin on Underwood's hit song "Before He Cheats." In a new ditty called "Before He Tweets," the singers poked fun at President Trump's unfiltered approach to social media.
To the tune of Underwood's catchy classic, Paisley sang, "Right now, he's probably in his PJs / watching cable news / reaching for his cell phone. In the middle of the night from the privacy of a gold-plated white toilet seat / he's writing 'Liddle' Bob Corker, NFL, and covfefe." There was also a chorus with the telling lyrics: "It's fun to watch it that's for sure / until little rocket man starts a nuclear war / and maybe next time he'll think before he tweets."
The show's political tone came after the Country Music Association issued guidelines that banned the press from addressing "Las Vegas tragedy, gun rights, political affiliations or topics of the like" at the November 8 awards show. After facing backlash for the restrictions — including from Paisley — the association reversed its stance, and lifted the guidelines.
