of winning and was shocked to receive the accolade. "I had not prepared a speech for that night, but I'd been rehearsing one since I was a little girl," she commented. In 1996, Wright released her second album titled Right in the Middle of It. According to Wright, songs for the project were chosen carefully, even if they strayed from a traditional country sound. The album was produced by Ed Seay, along with Harold Shedd. At the time of its release, PolyGram/Mercury was hopeful of its success. The album had sold 42,000 copies in its initial release and its first music video had regular airtime on Country Music Television. Yet, the album was unsuccessful. Only two of its three singles charted on the Billboard country chart. Its highest-peaking single was 1996's "The Love That We Lost," which reached the top 50. Right in the Middle of It received acclaim from critics. Allmusic's Charlotte Dillon rated the project at four and a half stars, praising Wright's vocals and the album's mix of material. With her lack of success, Wright was given permission to leave her contract with PolyGram/Mercury and she began exploring new options for commercial stardom. 1997–2003: Breakout into the mainstream Free from her previous record label, Wright made several changes to her career. She began working with a new manager (Clarence Spalding) and a publicist (Wes Vause), who helped secure her a contract with MCA Records Nashville. Wright then contacted producer Tony Brown, who had previously made hit albums with Reba McEntire and Wynonna. Brown agreed to work with her and together they recorded her third album. In 1997, Let Me In, was released on MCA. According to Brown, the album's material was backed by a simplified arrangement to help amplify Wright's vocal performance. It received a four star rating from Thom Owens at Allmusic who highlighted its "clean acoustic arrangements." Owens also called it her "most accomplished and arguably best album to date." Meanwhile, Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time gave it a less favorable response, finding some of the material to be fillers rather than quality music. Let Me In was her first to reach the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at number 25 and spent 44 weeks there. It was also her first to enter the Billboard 200 where it charted for seven weeks. The album spawned Wright's first major hit, "Shut Up and Drive."