Martina McBride celebrated the success of her most recent No. 1 hit single, "I Love You," at a party thrown in her honor on Tuesday (Nov. 16) in Nashville. "I Love You" has been at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for five weeks, while McBride's new album, Emotion, remains in the top 10 on the country album chart.

While McBride says she instantly knew she had to record the song, she never expected the success that followed. "I don't think anybody ever really anticipates that, or can even think that they know what's going to happen with a song when you release it," she tells LAUNCH. "I mean, I love the song, and when I heard it I thought it was something really special, and I thought it sounded like a song that people would respond to, but certainly this has exceeded all our expectations."

"I Love You" was also featured on the soundtrack to the movie, Runaway Bride, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. McBride's next single is called "Love's The Only House." There is no official release date at this time.

-- Margy Holland, Nashville

courtesy of www.launch.yahoo.com