What If We
Encyclopedia
What If We is the second studio album by contemporary Christian music
ian Brandon Heath
. It was released on August 19, 2008 through Provident Label Group
. The album debuted at #73 on the Billboard 200
. During mid and late 2008, the album's first single "Give Me Your Eyes
" stayed at number 1 on R&R
s Christian CHR
format for thirteen consecutive weeks, and was the second most played song of 2008 for the same format. The album received a Grammy Award
nomination in 2009
for Best Pop Gospel Album.
said that he and producer Dan Muckala worked closely together in the process of deciding the final 11-track list; "I'll always love the ones that got left behind too, and who knows—they may make the next record", he says.
in the United States
. It debuted at #73 on the Billboard 200
, being his first album to chart on the 200. It also debuted at #3 on Nielsen SoundScan
's chart for Christian albums, selling over 7,100 copies in the first week.
The album's first single "Give Me Your Eyes
" was released in July 2008. In its first week of online release the song made nearly 6,000 downloads. By the second week, another 6,700 copies were sold. "Give Me Your Eyes" stayed at number 1 on the iTunes
top Christian songs chart from July through February for 7 consecutive months, achieving more than 70,000 digital downloads by September 2008. In early 2009, "Wait and See" was released as the album's second single. It reached number 5 on Billboards Hot Christian Songs
chart by August 2009.
's musical style, described by Christianity Today
as "joining acoustic pop with a slight hip-hop shuffle", its lyrics being inspired by "people-watching at an airport
– pleading for God
's insight and compassion when viewing others".
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
ian Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath is a contemporary Christian musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released three studio albums: Don't Get Comfortable , What If We and "Leaving Eden" . He is best known for the No. 1 "I'm Not Who I Was" and "Give Me Your Eyes". He was nominated four times at the Dove Awards of...
. It was released on August 19, 2008 through 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...
. The album debuted at #73 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...
. During mid and late 2008, the album's first single "Give Me Your Eyes
Give Me Your Eyes
"Give Me Your Eyes" is a song by contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath from his second album, What If We. It was released in July 2008 as the album's lead single and quickly gained success. It sold nearly 6,000 downloads in the first week, and became 2008's highest-debuting Christian track...
" stayed at number 1 on R&R
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
s Christian CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format for thirteen consecutive weeks, and was the second most played song of 2008 for the same format. The album received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination in 2009
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
for Best Pop Gospel Album.
Background
Before the record's release, there was originally a batch of 40 songs prepared as possible tracks. Brandon HeathBrandon Heath
Brandon Heath is a contemporary Christian musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released three studio albums: Don't Get Comfortable , What If We and "Leaving Eden" . He is best known for the No. 1 "I'm Not Who I Was" and "Give Me Your Eyes". He was nominated four times at the Dove Awards of...
said that he and producer Dan Muckala worked closely together in the process of deciding the final 11-track list; "I'll always love the ones that got left behind too, and who knows—they may make the next record", he says.
Release
What If We was released on August 19, 2008 through the Provident Label GroupProvident 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It debuted at #73 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...
, being his first album to chart on the 200. It also debuted at #3 on Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
's chart for Christian albums, selling over 7,100 copies in the first week.
The album's first single "Give Me Your Eyes
Give Me Your Eyes
"Give Me Your Eyes" is a song by contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath from his second album, What If We. It was released in July 2008 as the album's lead single and quickly gained success. It sold nearly 6,000 downloads in the first week, and became 2008's highest-debuting Christian track...
" was released in July 2008. In its first week of online release the song made nearly 6,000 downloads. By the second week, another 6,700 copies were sold. "Give Me Your Eyes" stayed at number 1 on the iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
top Christian songs chart from July through February for 7 consecutive months, achieving more than 70,000 digital downloads by September 2008. In early 2009, "Wait and See" was released as the album's second single. It reached number 5 on Billboards Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
chart by August 2009.
Music and lyrical themes
The single "Give Me Your Eyes" has been compared to Mat KearneyMat Kearney
Mathew William "Mat" Kearney is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Kearney has received critical acclaim and widespread recognition for his Columbia Records debut, Nothing Left to Lose. So far, he has a total of four top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40...
's musical style, described by 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...
as "joining acoustic pop with a slight hip-hop shuffle", its lyrics being inspired by "people-watching at an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
– pleading for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's insight and compassion when viewing others".
Track listing
| |
Title | Length | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Give Me Your Eyes Give Me Your Eyes "Give Me Your Eyes" is a song by contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath from his second album, What If We. It was released in July 2008 as the album's lead single and quickly gained success. It sold nearly 6,000 downloads in the first week, and became 2008's highest-debuting Christian track... " |
3:52 | Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram |
| 2. | "Wait And See" | 3:48 | Brandon Heath |
| 3. | "Trust You" | 3:51 | Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram, Chad Cates |
| 4. | "London" | 3:34 | Brandon Heath, Chad Cates |
| 5. | "Sunrise" | 4:01 | Brandon Heath, Dan Muckala, Nate Campany |
| 6. | "Sore Eyes (w/ Jars of Clay)" | 3:35 | Brandon Heath, Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason, Matt Odmark |
| 7. | "Love Never Fails" | 3:07 | Brandon Heath, Chad Cates |
| 8. | "Listen Up" | 3:22 | Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram |
| 9. | "Fight Another Day" | 3:47 | Brandon Heath, Jess Cates Jess Cates Jess Cates is a Los Angeles based songwriter who has co-written multi-platinum selling songs such as Nick Lachey's "What’s Left Of Me", and the Backstreet Boys hit of 2006 "Incomplete". In recent years, Cates has worked in a commercially successful songwriting team with Lindy Robbins and Emanuel... , Dan Muckala |
| 10. | "When I'm Alone" | 3:19 | Brandon Heath, Nate Campany |
| 11. | "No Not One" | 3:57 | Brandon Heath, Christy Nockels |