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The morning after her triumph at the Juno Awards, Jann Arden was sitting on a Canadian Airlines flight, bound for Calgary. It was her birthday, and the 33-year-old performer was looking forward to a quiet trip home before celebrating with family and a close circle of friends. But word about her presence travelled quickly through the aircraft. Several passengers offered congratulations on her Juno success. Then a flight attendant came and asked for an autograph. The pilot, a professed fan, even invited Arden to the cockpit, where he gave her a demonstration of the controls. Just when it seemed that she might be able to relax for the final leg of the journey, an announcement came over the spea...

Arden’s always worn her heart on her sleeve—hit songs like “Unloved” and “Insensitive” are proof of that. The beloved Canadian star keeps confessing on her latest album, with songs of heartbreak like “What About Me?” and “You Forgot You Loved Me.” But Arden then stays afloat with the soaring ballad “I Ain’t Sinkin’ Yet.”