Fearless (Phillips, Craig and Dean album)
Encyclopedia
Fearless is the eleventh studio album from Contemporary Christian
group Phillips, Craig and Dean
. It was released on August 4, 2009., and won a Dove Award for 'Inspirational Album of the Year' at the 41st annual GMA Dove Awards.
Shawn Craig explained his view of the album's message:
, is paraphrased by Randy Phillips as "Get out of the funk. Embrace life! Run headlong into it. Start counting on God." Album producer Bernie Herms wanted Phillips to "Get in the microphone and growl" and had him singing through a magazine to produce a vocal effect.
When explaining the meaning of "Revelation Song
", Randy Phillips stated that it “captures the moment of looking up into Heaven, peeling back the curtain of eternity so we can peek in. If you keep your eyes on the Dow Jones or nuclear weapons in North Korea, you’ll always be nervous. Look to the awesomeness of God instead.” The song was written by Jennie Lee Riddle
.
Another song on the album, "Let God Be God", was written by Dan Dean in response to global instability. Dean stated that "This is the perfect time for us to say, Don't panic. God is in control. Jesus asks in Luke 12:25: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" One of the edgier songs the band has recorded, the song even has a James Brown
scream, which Dean originally recorded to be funny, but it eventually stuck.
"The Distance", an original song written by Shawn Craig, is explained by him as "The idea is that God couldn't stand the distance between us, so He came near. There's a bit of hyperbole in that, but the principle is true. God shows His love in spanning the canyon between mankind and Himself with the humble cross. I feel as strongly about that lyric as any I've written."
"Nothing to Prove", an adult contemporary song, was written by Dan Dean in response to the death of a close friend and church member's father. "I'll never forget the morning he called and said, 'My dad is gone,'" Dean recalled. "It was brilliant and sad, and I went into the chapel with a heavy heart asking God what I could do, and out came this song with words that I hope can be said about me someday."
Randy Phillips also explained the message and style of "Spirit Of God Is Here". "If you love golf, talking to Tiger Woods would be an honor. If it were politics, maybe you'd enjoy speaking with President Obama. But to talk to God! That's amazing. And musically, Bernie gives the song some Coldplay cool."
chart and no. 49 on the Billboard 200
, both career highs for Phillips, Craig and Dean.
Fearless was also received positively by critics. Kevin Davis of Christian Music Review gave the album a B+, commenting that he particularly enjoyed “Counting On
God”, “From The Inside Out”, “Revelation Song” and “The Distance”.
", was released digitally on May 5, 2009. It was successful on the charts, reaching no. 1 on Billboard' s Christian Songs
and Christian AC charts, spending over 10 weeks at the top on both. It also had a run on the iTunes Christian Singles chart, reaching no. 1 on it as well. The song won a Dove Award for 'Worship Song of the Year' at the 2010 Dove Awards, at which it was performed live by Phillips, Craig and Dean and Kari Jobe
.
"Great Are You Lord" was released as the second single of the album on April 30, 2010. It has currently peaked at No. 1 on the Soft AC/INSPO Chart, holding the spot for 3 weeks, 19 on the Christian AC chart, and 22 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. After dropping out of the main Soft AC/INSPO chart, it also peaked at no. 1 on the Soft AC/INSPO recurrent chart.
"From The Inside Out" was released as the third single from the album, peaking at No. 39 on the Christian Songs chart and No. 2 on the Soft AC/INSPO Chart, their third top 5 single from the album. In addition, an album cut, 'Nothing to Prove', spent one week on the Soft AC/INSPO chart, peaking at No. 16.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
group Phillips, Craig and Dean
Phillips, Craig and Dean
Phillips, Craig and Dean is a contemporary Christian music trio composed of Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig, and Dan Dean. Since forming in 1991, they have released 12 albums and earned 18 No. 1 radio singles...
. It was released on August 4, 2009., and won a Dove Award for 'Inspirational Album of the Year' at the 41st annual GMA Dove Awards.
Concept
Randy Phillips explained how they found the album's theme:
“We were talking about how afraid our church members are today. A look at your finances right now might mean kids who wanted to go to college can't, and so on. The fear that brings can be paralyzing... But then we asked ourselves, Shouldn't believers who have the heart of eternity in them be different? That's where we found our theme; fear less, hope more.”
Shawn Craig explained his view of the album's message:
“Fearless is a statement against the current level of anxiety that's being sold by the loudest voices in our culture... But I've also been inspired by the stories of Christians in parts of India. A missionary our church supports tells us about many who are baptized there in spite of being shunned by family or even endangering their live. That's being fearless. We all need that kind of courage.”
Songs/Style
The first track on the album, "Counting on God", a pop worship song written by Jared AndersonJared Anderson (Christian musician)
Jared Anderson is a Christian worship leader from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He grew up in the New Life Church where he served for many years as part of New Life Worship and the Desperation Band. Anderson has released two solo albums with Integrity Music, titled Where to Begin and Where Faith...
, is paraphrased by Randy Phillips as "Get out of the funk. Embrace life! Run headlong into it. Start counting on God." Album producer Bernie Herms wanted Phillips to "Get in the microphone and growl" and had him singing through a magazine to produce a vocal effect.
When explaining the meaning of "Revelation Song
Revelation Song
"Revelation Song" is a song written by Jennie Lee Riddle. The song first got national exposure by Gateway Worship, and was also included on Kari Jobe's self-titled album...
", Randy Phillips stated that it “captures the moment of looking up into Heaven, peeling back the curtain of eternity so we can peek in. If you keep your eyes on the Dow Jones or nuclear weapons in North Korea, you’ll always be nervous. Look to the awesomeness of God instead.” The song was written by Jennie Lee Riddle
Jennie Lee Riddle
Jennie Lee Riddle is an American Christian songwriter, best known for penning the “Revelation Song”, first made popular by Kari Jobe and carried to number one by Phillips, Craig & Dean. She has been awarded two Dove awards; Songwriter of the Year and Worship Song of the Year...
.
Another song on the album, "Let God Be God", was written by Dan Dean in response to global instability. Dean stated that "This is the perfect time for us to say, Don't panic. God is in control. Jesus asks in Luke 12:25: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" One of the edgier songs the band has recorded, the song even has a James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
scream, which Dean originally recorded to be funny, but it eventually stuck.
"The Distance", an original song written by Shawn Craig, is explained by him as "The idea is that God couldn't stand the distance between us, so He came near. There's a bit of hyperbole in that, but the principle is true. God shows His love in spanning the canyon between mankind and Himself with the humble cross. I feel as strongly about that lyric as any I've written."
"Nothing to Prove", an adult contemporary song, was written by Dan Dean in response to the death of a close friend and church member's father. "I'll never forget the morning he called and said, 'My dad is gone,'" Dean recalled. "It was brilliant and sad, and I went into the chapel with a heavy heart asking God what I could do, and out came this song with words that I hope can be said about me someday."
Randy Phillips also explained the message and style of "Spirit Of God Is Here". "If you love golf, talking to Tiger Woods would be an honor. If it were politics, maybe you'd enjoy speaking with President Obama. But to talk to God! That's amazing. And musically, Bernie gives the song some Coldplay cool."
Reception
Fearless was received positively by CCM fans, selling over 10,000 units during its first week of release, peaking at no. 1 on the Hot Christian AlbumsHot Christian Albums
Christian Albums is a Billboard chart of the best-selling Christian music albums of the week.-1980 number one Christian Albums:-1981 number one Christian Albums:-1982 number one Christian Albums:...
chart and no. 49 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, both career highs for Phillips, Craig and Dean.
Fearless was also received positively by critics. Kevin Davis of Christian Music Review gave the album a B+, commenting that he particularly enjoyed “Counting On
God”, “From The Inside Out”, “Revelation Song” and “The Distance”.
Singles
The album's first single, "Revelation SongRevelation Song
"Revelation Song" is a song written by Jennie Lee Riddle. The song first got national exposure by Gateway Worship, and was also included on Kari Jobe's self-titled album...
", was released digitally on May 5, 2009. It was successful on the charts, reaching no. 1 on Billboard
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
and Christian AC charts, spending over 10 weeks at the top on both. It also had a run on the iTunes Christian Singles chart, reaching no. 1 on it as well. The song won a Dove Award for 'Worship Song of the Year' at the 2010 Dove Awards, at which it was performed live by Phillips, Craig and Dean and Kari Jobe
Kari Jobe
Kari Brooke Jobe is an American Christian singer and songwriter.- Biography :Kari Jobe was born in Waco, Texas to parents Mark Douglas and Caroline "Sandy" Jobe and was raised in Watauga, Texas and Hurst, Texas; she has two other siblings, Kristen and Caleb. Jobe first began singing at the age of...
.
"Great Are You Lord" was released as the second single of the album on April 30, 2010. It has currently peaked at No. 1 on the Soft AC/INSPO Chart, holding the spot for 3 weeks, 19 on the Christian AC chart, and 22 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. After dropping out of the main Soft AC/INSPO chart, it also peaked at no. 1 on the Soft AC/INSPO recurrent chart.
"From The Inside Out" was released as the third single from the album, peaking at No. 39 on the Christian Songs chart and No. 2 on the Soft AC/INSPO Chart, their third top 5 single from the album. In addition, an album cut, 'Nothing to Prove', spent one week on the Soft AC/INSPO chart, peaking at No. 16.
Track listing
- "Counting on God" – 3:54
- "From the Inside Out" – 4:48
- "Revelation SongRevelation Song"Revelation Song" is a song written by Jennie Lee Riddle. The song first got national exposure by Gateway Worship, and was also included on Kari Jobe's self-titled album...
" – 5:53 - "The Distance" – 4:13
- "When Grace Walks In" – 4:20
- "Spirit of God Is Here" – 3:56
- "Nothing to Prove" – 4:35
- "Let God Be God" – 4:09
- "Great Are You Lord" – 4:43
- "Name Above All Names" - 3:32
Album
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
46 |
| Billboard Top Christian Albums | 1 |
Singles/Charting Songs
| Year | Song | Peak Chart Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.... |
Soft AC/Inspirational | Christian AC Monitored | ||
| 2009 | "Revelation Song Revelation Song "Revelation Song" is a song written by Jennie Lee Riddle. The song first got national exposure by Gateway Worship, and was also included on Kari Jobe's self-titled album... " |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | "Great Are You Lord" | 19 | 1 | 17 |
| 2011 | "Nothing To Prove" | - | 16 | - |
| 2011 | "From The Inside Out" | 39 | 2 | - |
- 1 Reached #1 on other charts