I Will Praise You
| I Will Praise You | ||||||||
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| Studio album by Rebecca St. James | ||||||||
| Released | 5 April 2011 | |||||||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||||||
| Genre | Praise & worship, CCM | |||||||
| Length | 44:42 | |||||||
| Label | Reunion/Beach Street/Essential | |||||||
| Producer | Mark Miller | |||||||
| Rebecca St. James chronology | ||||||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | |
| Christianity Today | |
| Cross Rhythms |   |
I Will Praise You is the ninth studio album by Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James. The album was released on 5 April 2011 on Reunion/Beach Street/Essential Records. It was announced on 3 January 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.
On 22 July 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 18 September she announced that she had recorded vocals for three songs off the album. In November, she tweeted 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 harbours Reunion Records, Beach Street Records, and Essential Records. It was also mentioned that the album was produced by Casting Crowns producer Mark Miller. On 5 February, the official track list was revealed on Hearitfirst.com with music clips of each song.
In November 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 Something 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 17 February 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 25 February 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 Kindness 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."
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