True Beauty (album)
True Beauty is the Grammy-nominated and debut studio album by American Idol contestant Mandisa. The first single, "Only the World", was released on May 22, 2007, and the full album was released on July 31, 2007. The album covers a remake of gospel duo Mary Mary's hit song "Shackles (Praise You)" (which Mandisa covered on American Idol in the top 11).
| True Beauty | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 31, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006-2007 | |||
| Genre | Gospel, CCM, R&B | |||
| Label | Sparrow | |||
| Producer | Jamie Moore | |||
| Mandisa chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | B- link |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  |
| People Magazine | |
| USA Today | |
| Us Magazine | |
The album debuted at number one on the Christian albums chart and number 43 on the Billboard 200 with over 17,000 copies sold in its first week. It broke the Billboard chart record for a female debut in Christian music and is the largest female debut in the history of her label (EMI/Sparrow Records). True Beauty has sold over 219,000 copies as of December 2010.[1] The album spent over a year on Billboard's Christian Albums and Christian and Gospel Albums charts.
Subsequent singles included "God Speaking" and "Voice of a Savior", released to Christian radio in October 2007 and April 2008, respectively.
Awards and nominations
True Beauty received a Grammy Award nomination in December 2007 for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only the World" | Sam Mizell, Matthew West | Shaun Shankel | 3:23 |
| 2. | "True Beauty" | Mandisa, Cindy Morgan, Drew Ramsey | Drew & Shannon | 3:23 |
| 3. | "God Speaking" | Ronnie Freeman | Brown Bannister | 4:55 |
| 4. | "Voice of a Savior" | Mizell, West | Doubledutch | 4:47 |
| 5. | "Love Somebody" (featuring tobyMac & Diverse City) | Cary Barlowe, Mandisa, Toby McKeehan, Jamie Moore, Aaron Rice | Doubledutch | 3:48 |
| 6. | "Unrestrained" | Calvin Nowell, Tony Sutherland | Brown Bannister | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Shackles (Praise You)" | Warryn Campbell | Christopher Stevens | 3:29 |
| 8. | "(Never Gonna) Steal My Joy" | Mizell, West | Doubledutch | 3:14 |
| 9. | "Oh, My Lord" (featuring The Fisk Jubilee Singers) | Justin York | Drew & Shannon | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Only You" | Mandisa, Shaun Shankel | Shaun Shankel | 3:26 |
| 11. | "He Will Come" | Morgan | Brown Bannister | 7:14 |
| Total length: | 45:27 | |||
Singles
- "Only the World"
- "God Speaking"
- "Voice of a Savior"
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200[2] | 43 | 219,000[1] |
| U.S. Billboard Top Christian Albums[2] | 1 | |
| U.S. Billboard Top Catalog Albums[3] | 29 |
References
- "Crystal Bowersox passes Lee DeWyze, 100K sales mark".
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3103045&cdi=10053859&cid=12/06/2008
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=333&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+R%26amp;B/Hip-Hop+Albums&ci=3105597&cdi=10114041&cid=01/24/2009