I Will Praise You
Encyclopedia
I Will Praise You is the ninth studio album by Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James
. The album was released on April 5, 2011 on Reunion
/Beach Street
/Essential Records
. It was announced on January 3, 2011 via St. James' official Facebook page. The album was met with positive critical reception and commercial success. It peaked at number nine on Billboard
s Hot Christian Albums
chart and number one-hundred fifty-three on the Billboard 200
, her highest charting album after 2002's Worship God
. Two singles were spawned from the album: "Shine Your Glory Down" and the title track.
that she had sung a new song titled "Everything" from her upcoming album at church. Later that month, it was announced in an official press release that St. James had parted ways with her label ForeFront Records
after seventeen years. She joined the Provident Label Group
, which harbors Reunion Records
, Beach Street Records
, and Essential Records
. It was also mentioned that the album was produced by Casting Crowns
producer Mark Miller. On February 5, the official tracklist was revealed on Hearitfirst.com
with music clips of each song.
and release a worship album. Eight of the songs are original recordings, while St. James co-wrote five of them. First single, "Shine Your Glory Down", is a pop/rock song with lyrics about worshipping God and encountering his light. She further commented on the development of the song saying, "...in the middle of Hollywood, about 600 young people gather to worship, seeking God passionately, and every week our pastor is encouraging us to be that light in the darkness. So the song also represents what I encounter every week at my church." On February 17, she released an update about two of the new songs, "You Never Let Go" and "I Will Praise You". The former, a cover of the Matt Redman
song, was picked because it inspired St. James not to worry. The title track was inspired by the music of Delirious?
. Lyrically, St. James says, "...the song is about praising God no matter what the circumstances and in the midst of whatever season we are in. All seasons of our lives can be seasons of praise. In the darkest of times when you are sobbing your eyes out, God’s hope is there in the middle of the pain." On February 25, St. James revealed the meaning behind track four, "You Still Amaze Me". She said, "When we began working on it, I could just feel it was meant for me. It’s one of the songs on the album that represents the essence of Christianity. All the major elements of what we believe are here in the lyric. Theologically, it’s very rich, but it’s also very worshipful." "In a Moment" and "The Kindess of Our God" were both co-written by St. James' brother Joel Smallbone. The former is about anticipating the coming of Jesus, while the latter was inspired by St. James' mother. "When the Stars Burn Down" is about the day that someone meets Jesus Christ and realizes He is their Lord. St. James said of the song, "This song has that sense, that ultimate romantic moment with the lover of your soul, the moment you’ve anticipated your whole life, when you are the bride and He is the groom... That moment of knowing is the most beautiful thing ever. Insanely beautiful." St. James explained that "Almighty God" speaks of trusting God; "We all need that reminder to trust, to not rely on our own strength, but to live knowing that God is strong to save." "You Hold Me Now" was originally recorded by Christian music group Hillsong. Rebecca has stated that "You Make Everything Beautiful" is her favorite song. She commented on the meaning saying, "We added 'You Make Everything Beautiful' to the record at the last possible minute, but I couldn’t leave it behind. The song is about that place of surrender where we let God beautify us, let him show us the truly unique person He has called us to be."
gave the album four of five stars and called it "reassuring". She later named "The Kindness of Our God" the best track. Robert Ham of Christianity Today
gave the album three out of five stars saying, "...when the production and performance lock up like puzzle pieces, as it does on her cover of Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go" and the fantastic "The Kindness Of Our God", I Will Praise You is without peer." He also called the two mentioned songs and "You Still Amaze" me the top tracks. Laura Chambers of Christian Music Review gave the album a B+ stating, "A veteran of the Christian media scene, Rebecca St. James delivers with I Will Praise You. The album is laced with hope for the future all the way through. There is no question where Rebecca stands or where she is pointing to; the arms of an unfailing God." Jared Johnson of the Allmusic Guide awarded the album four out of five stars and said, "Though [I Will] Praise [You] may not be her most daring effort, it's another solid album from one of gospel music's most well-known artists." Ewan Jones of Cross Rhythms radio awarded the album eight out of ten stars, saying "In all this is a great collection of songs, well produced, immaculately performed and lyrically a great encouragement. Great to see the talented singer back in the CD racks after a wait of over five years."
s Hot Christian Albums
chart, four places lower than 2005's If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something
. It later peaked at No. 9, which is her highest charting effort since 2002's Worship God
. The album also peaked at No. 153 on the Billboard 200
, which is her first appearance on the chart since 2004's Live Worship: Blessed Be Your Name
peaked at No. 187. It's also her second highest charting effort overall after Worship God, which peaked at No. 94.
, and her official website. The official album cover was released on February 2, 2011 via Provident Label Group
's official website. Two more songs from the album, the title track and "You Never Let Go", were premiered on February 17. Track four, "You Still Amaze Me", was premiered on February 25." Tracks five and six, "In a Moment" and "The Kindness of Our God", were premiered on March 4. "When the Stars Burn Down" and "Almighty God" were premiered on March 11. The final songs, "You Hold Me Now" and "You Make Everything Beautiful", were premiered on March 18. On March 15, RSJames.com offered "Shine Your Glory Down" as a free download. The following day it premiered the album listening party if fans tweeted
or Facebooked
information about the album.
"I Will Praise You" was released as the second single on June 18 in Australia. It has so far peaked at no. 30 on the TRAA Contemporary Top 30 chart.
Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James , is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actor. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993 she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a...
. The album was released on April 5, 2011 on Reunion
Reunion Records
Reunion Records is a Christian music record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee and operating under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 1982 by Dan Harrell and Mike Blanton.-History:...
/Beach Street
Beach Street Records
Beach Street Records is a part of Reunion Records under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 2003 by Mark Miller, lead singer of the country band Sawyer Brown....
/Essential Records
Essential Records (Christian)
Essential Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is a division of a major label, Sony Music Entertainment.-History:...
. It was announced on January 3, 2011 via St. James' official Facebook page. The album was met with positive critical reception and commercial success. It peaked at number nine on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Christian Albums
Hot 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 number one-hundred fifty-three 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...
, her highest charting album after 2002's Worship God
Worship God
Worship God is the seventh studio album by Rebecca St. James, released on February 26, 2002. It is her highest charting album to date, peaking at #94 on the Billboard 200. The album produced the hit singles "Song of Love" and "Breathe"....
. Two singles were spawned from the album: "Shine Your Glory Down" and the title track.
Background and development
On July 22, 2010, after almost five years of musical inactivity, St. James announced that she was writing and recording for a new album due for release in 2011. On September 18, she announced that she had recorded vocals for three songs off the album. In November, she tweetedTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that she had sung a new song titled "Everything" from her upcoming album at church. Later that month, it was announced in an official press release that St. James had parted ways with her label ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
after seventeen years. She joined the Provident Label Group
Provident Label Group
Provident Label Group is a division of Sony Music Entertainment focusing primarily on Christian music in Franklin, Tennessee. The group handles its own physical distribution through its Provident-Integrity Distribution service...
, which harbors Reunion Records
Reunion Records
Reunion Records is a Christian music record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee and operating under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 1982 by Dan Harrell and Mike Blanton.-History:...
, Beach Street Records
Beach Street Records
Beach Street Records is a part of Reunion Records under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 2003 by Mark Miller, lead singer of the country band Sawyer Brown....
, and Essential Records
Essential Records (Christian)
Essential Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is a division of a major label, Sony Music Entertainment.-History:...
. It was also mentioned that the album was produced by Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band. Casting Crowns was started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He now serves as a lead vocalist...
producer Mark Miller. On February 5, the official tracklist was revealed on Hearitfirst.com
Hearitfirst.com
hearitfirst.com is an online listening post for Christian music.Users must create profiles in order to receive newsletters, enter competitions and participate in forums.- History :...
with music clips of each song.
Writing and composition
In November of 2010, St. James mentioned in a press release that she would retreat from the rock sound of If I Had One Chance to Tell You SomethingIf I Had One Chance To Tell You Something
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something is the eighth studio album from Rebecca St. James. This album features a rather significant style variation. Retreating from the Nichole Nordeman or Joy Williams style, St. James has taken on a more rock-driven anthem . However, even in the particularly...
and release a worship album. Eight of the songs are original recordings, while St. James co-wrote five of them. First single, "Shine Your Glory Down", is a pop/rock song with lyrics about worshipping God and encountering his light. She further commented on the development of the song saying, "...in the middle of Hollywood, about 600 young people gather to worship, seeking God passionately, and every week our pastor is encouraging us to be that light in the darkness. So the song also represents what I encounter every week at my church." On February 17, she released an update about two of the new songs, "You Never Let Go" and "I Will Praise You". The former, a cover of the Matt Redman
Matt Redman
Matt Redman is an English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author based in Brighton.He has worked with Newfrontiers, Passion Conferences, Hillsong London, Soul Survivor, is an artist for Sixstepsrecords and is a member of Compassionart a charity founded by Martin Smith.He appeared with...
song, was picked because it inspired St. James not to worry. The title track was inspired by the music of Delirious?
Delirious?
Delirious? were an English Christian rock and worship band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stu G on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Stew Smith on drums and percussion...
. Lyrically, St. James says, "...the song is about praising God no matter what the circumstances and in the midst of whatever season we are in. All seasons of our lives can be seasons of praise. In the darkest of times when you are sobbing your eyes out, God’s hope is there in the middle of the pain." On February 25, St. James revealed the meaning behind track four, "You Still Amaze Me". She said, "When we began working on it, I could just feel it was meant for me. It’s one of the songs on the album that represents the essence of Christianity. All the major elements of what we believe are here in the lyric. Theologically, it’s very rich, but it’s also very worshipful." "In a Moment" and "The Kindess of Our God" were both co-written by St. James' brother Joel Smallbone. The former is about anticipating the coming of Jesus, while the latter was inspired by St. James' mother. "When the Stars Burn Down" is about the day that someone meets Jesus Christ and realizes He is their Lord. St. James said of the song, "This song has that sense, that ultimate romantic moment with the lover of your soul, the moment you’ve anticipated your whole life, when you are the bride and He is the groom... That moment of knowing is the most beautiful thing ever. Insanely beautiful." St. James explained that "Almighty God" speaks of trusting God; "We all need that reminder to trust, to not rely on our own strength, but to live knowing that God is strong to save." "You Hold Me Now" was originally recorded by Christian music group Hillsong. Rebecca has stated that "You Make Everything Beautiful" is her favorite song. She commented on the meaning saying, "We added 'You Make Everything Beautiful' to the record at the last possible minute, but I couldn’t leave it behind. The song is about that place of surrender where we let God beautify us, let him show us the truly unique person He has called us to be."
Critical reception
Critical reception for the album has been positive. Critics mainly commented on the maturity of St. James' new adult contemporary sound. Jesusfreakhideout certified it "pre-order worthy" in its preview of the album. They felt it was a good musical platform for St. James saying, "For fans of Rebecca or modern worship that doesn't entirely adhere to the usual formula, I Will Praise You is looking to be a worthy reintroduction of St. James to the music world... and a worship project to stand out from the pack..." In their official review, they gave the album four out of five stars saying, "Though her sound and voice sound very little like her past work, her abilities have developed suitably and the difference is an advantage more than anything else. It may not be exactly what her fans expected, but I Will Praise You is a glorious return to music for Rebecca St. James." Dave Wood of Louder Than Music gave the album five out of five stars saying, "With this album, Rebecca would hold her own against any of the strong solo female artists of the modern era. There are touches of a young Madonna, and more modern influences from Dido, GaGa and Rhianna. At times you have to pinch yourself to realise you're listening to a worship album - sure the lyrics make it clear what message is being delivered - but musically it's as mainstream-friendly and relevant as any album you're likely to hear this year. A world-class album from Rebecca St. James." He went on to name "In a Moment", "You Never Let Go", and the title track as the album standouts. John Bowen of The Fish radio station praised St. James' musical choices and felt that she has found the perfect genre for her music. Kim Jones of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the album four of five stars and called it "reassuring". She later named "The Kindness of Our God" the best track. Robert Ham of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
gave the album three out of five stars saying, "...when the production and performance lock up like puzzle pieces, as it does on her cover of Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go" and the fantastic "The Kindness Of Our God", I Will Praise You is without peer." He also called the two mentioned songs and "You Still Amaze" me the top tracks. Laura Chambers of Christian Music Review gave the album a B+ stating, "A veteran of the Christian media scene, Rebecca St. James delivers with I Will Praise You. The album is laced with hope for the future all the way through. There is no question where Rebecca stands or where she is pointing to; the arms of an unfailing God." Jared Johnson of the Allmusic Guide awarded the album four out of five stars and said, "Though [I Will] Praise [You] may not be her most daring effort, it's another solid album from one of gospel music's most well-known artists." Ewan Jones of Cross Rhythms radio awarded the album eight out of ten stars, saying "In all this is a great collection of songs, well produced, immaculately performed and lyrically a great encouragement. Great to see the talented singer back in the CD racks after a wait of over five years."
Chart performance
The album debuted at No. 18 on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Christian Albums
Hot 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, four places lower than 2005's If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something is the eighth studio album from Rebecca St. James. This album features a rather significant style variation. Retreating from the Nichole Nordeman or Joy Williams style, St. James has taken on a more rock-driven anthem . However, even in the particularly...
. It later peaked at No. 9, which is her highest charting effort since 2002's Worship God
Worship God
Worship God is the seventh studio album by Rebecca St. James, released on February 26, 2002. It is her highest charting album to date, peaking at #94 on the Billboard 200. The album produced the hit singles "Song of Love" and "Breathe"....
. The album also peaked at No. 153 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...
, which is her first appearance on the chart since 2004's Live Worship: Blessed Be Your Name
Live Worship: Blessed Be Your Name
Live Worship: Blessed Be Your Name is the first live album from Christian pop and rock singer Rebecca St. James.-Track listing:# "Lamb of God" — 5:09# "Blessed Be Your Name" — 4:32# "Quiet You With My Love" — 4:06# "Let My Words Be Few" — 4:38...
peaked at No. 187. It's also her second highest charting effort overall after Worship God, which peaked at No. 94.
Release and promotion
The album's title was unveiled by Rebecca St. James on January 3, 2011 via Twitter, Facebook, MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, and her official website. The official album cover was released on February 2, 2011 via Provident Label Group
Provident Label Group
Provident Label Group is a division of Sony Music Entertainment focusing primarily on Christian music in Franklin, Tennessee. The group handles its own physical distribution through its Provident-Integrity Distribution service...
's official website. Two more songs from the album, the title track and "You Never Let Go", were premiered on February 17. Track four, "You Still Amaze Me", was premiered on February 25." Tracks five and six, "In a Moment" and "The Kindness of Our God", were premiered on March 4. "When the Stars Burn Down" and "Almighty God" were premiered on March 11. The final songs, "You Hold Me Now" and "You Make Everything Beautiful", were premiered on March 18. On March 15, RSJames.com offered "Shine Your Glory Down" as a free download. The following day it premiered the album listening party if fans tweeted
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
or Facebooked
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
information about the album.
Singles
"Shine Your Glory Down" will serve as the lead single from the album. It premiered on January 11, 2011 via St. James's official website. It was released to radio on February 11 and to digital retailers on February 15. So far it has charted only in Australia at no. 9 on the TRAA Contemporary Top 30. A month after the song was solicited to radios, it finally received two adds in America according to Radio and Records' Christian AC monitor."I Will Praise You" was released as the second single on June 18 in Australia. It has so far peaked at no. 30 on the TRAA Contemporary Top 30 chart.
Track listing
Charts
Album| Chart (2011) | 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... |
153 |
| Hot Christian Albums Hot 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:... |
9 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | April 5, 2011 | CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Reunion Records Reunion Records Reunion Records is a Christian music record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee and operating under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 1982 by Dan Harrell and Mike Blanton.-History:... , Beach Street Records Beach Street Records Beach Street Records is a part of Reunion Records under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 2003 by Mark Miller, lead singer of the country band Sawyer Brown.... , Essential Records Essential Records (Christian) Essential Records is a Contemporary Christian record label based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is a division of a major label, Sony Music Entertainment.-History:... |