Tim and Faith: It's their country

Country is the reigning style in pop music right now.

So it seems only proper that a country king and queen have emerged: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Married almost a decade and both at high points in their careers, the sexy, superstar couple is on their "Soul2Soul II" tour, which will probably be the highest-grossing country-music tour ever, eclipsing Kenny Chesney's 2005 gross of $63 million, and even the record $90 million Shania Twain racked up in 2003-04.

The 74-date, 56-city "Soul2Soul II" tour, which plays KeyArena on Wednesday and Thursday and continues through September, is further proof that country has overtaken hip-hop and rock, both of which have seen big drops in popularity. On Billboard's current country-albums chart, 25 CDs on the 75-album list have sold more than a million copies, with almost half of them selling in the multimillions. All told, those 25 albums have sold almost 50 million copies.

By comparison, there are 15 noncountry discs that have sold a million or more among the top 75 albums on the Billboard 200 album list. The sales of those 15 platinum albums total 25 million. Another indication country has taken over is the proliferation of country-music radio. Locally, The Wolf (KKWF-FM 100.7), which went on the air in December, is giving longtime local powerhouse KMPS-FM 94.1, the top-rated radio station in the Seattle market, a run for its money.

Both stations play the heck out of Hill's latest album, "Fireflies." She reaches a new level of artistry and sophistication on the disc, which leans more toward pop than country. Her incredible voice soars more loftily than ever, and she sounds more assured and more emotional. And she seems to be having more fun.

Hill cut a glamorous figure as a smashing blonde in the 2004 remake of "The Stepford Wives," a spectacular flop starring Nicole Kidman. While the movie was a dud, Hill was good enough, and photogenic enough, to almost guarantee future movie roles, especially following this current smash tour.

She's back to brunette on the "Fireflies" cover and on the tour. On the CD, she tries to convince us that she hasn't changed a bit and is still just a plain old "Mississippi Girl" (yeah, sure). It's the kind of rural fantasy urban country-music fans love.

The current hit from the CD, "Sunshine and Summertime," is light and breezy, the perfect top-down summer crusin' song. The album has other fun cuts, including "Stealing Kisses" and the celebratory "The Lucky One."

The most surprising cut is "We've Got Nothing Left to Prove," a thinly veiled protest of the Iraq war.

McGraw and Hill are outspoken Democrats — he's even said to be considering a run for governor of Tennessee — but they don't suffer the same opprobrium the Dixie Chicks have had to endure from country fans for their anti-war stance.

For one thing, the Chicks spoke out against the war while in another country — England — and directly attacked President Bush. McGraw and Hill are more circumspect, talking issues rather than personalities, and seldom doing it from the stage. They have been vocally critical of the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and have played benefit concerts for the victims.

McGraw's songs are even more rural-fantasies-for-urban-people than Hill's. The compact cowpoke always wears a black cowboy hat, strategically unbuttoned country shirt, fancy country boots and skintight faded jeans (some critics joke that his butt-hugging jeans are half his act).

He sings about cowboys and Indians, honky-tonk women, small-town life, families, love and girls, girls, girls. Like Hill, he's backed by a top-notch band. His current CD is "Greatest Hits Vol 2," so expect to hear lots of his chart-toppers at the shows here.

McGraw has also crossed over into movies. He got some good reviews for his acting in "Friday Night Lights," the popular 2004 football-themed film starring Billy Bob Thornton. This fall, he will star in "Flicka," an update of the 1943 horsey classic "My Friend Flicka."

Both singers are adept at picking songs that suit their pop- and rock-oriented styles. But for "Flicka," McGraw has composed his first song, which he may preview at the show.

As befitting country's royal couple, the concert is big, busy and state-of-the-art. The show is in-the-round, on a wagon-wheel-shaped stage with four "spokes" jutting out into the audience, allowing the stars to get close to the fans.

The problem with round stages, of course, is that much of the time you're facing the performers' backsides (which, ahem, may not be a bad thing in this case). But with several huge video screens, you can always see the action close-up and from the front.

The two sing duets at the beginning, middle and end of the show. Both have full-length sets, Hill first, then McGraw. The show lasts 2 ½-3 hours. There is no opening act and no intermission.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com