Inhale (Exhale) (2021)

Inhale (Exhale) is the 12th studio album by the Christian rock band MercyMe, released on April 30, 2021 by Fair Trade Services/Sony Music.

MercyMe returns with their first album of new material in four years and their first album of the 2020s. The band started recording Inhale (Exhale) around 2019 and throughout 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in a MercyMe first, worked with various producers and songwriters. The album features something for everyone with a variety of songs spanning many genre influences; all with a prime focus on giving glory to God and living the life He has given you to the fullest. The opening track “Inhale” acts as a prelude to the closing track “Exhale” which bookend this collection nicely making for a unique listening experience as the songs flow. The words of “Inhale” and “Exhale” are a reminder to hold onto our Savior through every trial.

Inhale (Exhale) was preceded by the first single "Almost Home." It was released to digital and to Christian radio on November 2019 while the band was making the album. The song centers on the ultimate hope of Heaven that we have as believers and that this world is not our final destination. It was MercyMe's 19th number one song overall. Further singles "Hurry Up and Wait" and "Say I Won't" were released in 2020. The final single "On Our Way" was released near the release of Inhale (Exhale) in April 2021 and features guest vocals by Bart Millard's son Sam Millard, going by his first and middle name Sam Wesley. In addition to Sam Wesley, other guest musicians include Gary LeVox of the country music trio Rascal Flatts on "A Little Love" and Grammy Award winning vocalist Gloria Gayner (best known for her signature 1979 disco classic "I Will Survive") on "Brand New." Also included is a demo of a song MercyMe was working on entitled "Then Christ Came." Millard co-wrote the track with David Leonard. The full version of "Then Christ Came," with additional lyrics by Phil Wickham and Jason Ingram, would be on their next release Always Only Jesus. The song was also released as a stand -alone track featuring the band and its co-writer Wickham.

Inhale (Exhale) debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Top Christian Albums and at number 78 on the Billboard 200 Albums charts. In the fall of 2020, "Almost Home" was nominated for a Dove Award for Song of the Year and in the following year, the album was nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. On November 7, 2024, both the singles "Almost Home" and "Say I Won't" were Gold certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) each selling half a million digital downloads.

Track listing

1. Inhale (prelude) (Bart Millard, Mike Scheuchzer) -1:03

2. Blessed (Bart Millard, Mike Scheuchzer, Jordan Mohilowski, Solomon Olds) -3:19

3. On Our Way (Bart Millard, Sam Millard, Dan Read, Micah Kuiper) -3:27

4. So Yesterday (MercyMe, Ryan Tedder, Jordan Mohilowski, Tedd Tjornhom)

-3:03

5. A Little Love (Bart Millard, Jordan Mohilowski, Ethan Hulse, Jess Cates) -3:05

6. Whiplash (MercyMe, Jordan Mohilowski) -2:49

7. Bright Side of Heaven (Bart Millard, Jordan Mohilowski, Andrew Tufano, Jeff

Sojka) -2:59

8. Let Yourself Be Loved (Bart Millard, Christopher Stevens, Tedd Tjornhom) -4:01

9. Hurry Up and Wait (Bart Millard, Christopher Stevens) -3:00

10. Brand New (Bart Millard, Christopher Stevens) -3:51

11. Uh Oh (Here I Go) (MercyMe, Christopher Stevens, Jordan Mohilowski, Joey

Rose, Brown Bannister, Tedd Tjornhom) -3:14

12. The Moment (Bart Millard, Barry Graul, Jordan Mohilowski, Brown Bannister)

-3:07

13. Then Christ Came (demo) (Bart Millard, David Leonard) -0:56

14. Say I Won't (Bart Millard, Jordan Mohilowski) -4:02

15. Almost Home (MercyMe, Ben Glover) -4:06

16. Exhale (Bart Millard, Jordan Mohilowski, Brown Bannister, Tedd Tjornhom)

-2:47

Personnel

MercyMe:

Bart Millard -lead vocals, backing vocals

Barry Graul -guitars, backing vocals

Mike Scheuchzer -guitars, backing vocals, piano on track 1

Nathan Cochran -bass guitar, synthesizer bass, backing vocals

Robby Shaffer -drums, percussion

additional musicians:

Sam Wesley -guest vocals on track track 3

Gary LeVox -guest vocals on track 5

Gloria Gayner -guest vocals on track 10

Bethany Cruz -backing vocals (tracks 8 and 14)

Brandon Michael Collins -string arrangements (tracks 4, 7 and 16)

John Mark Painter -horns (tracks 5, 8 and 11)

Cory Wong -additional guitar on track 10

David Leonard -Hammond B-3 organ on track 5

Christopher Stevens -Hammond B-3 organ on track 2, programming on track 9

Blair Masters -piano on track 7

Ben Glover -programming on track 15

Jordan Mohilowski -guitars, programming

Darius Byers -additional programming on track 8

Tedd T. and Jake Halm -programming

Sam Wesley, Dan Ostebo, Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua -backing vocals (tracks 5

and 8)

string section:

Kevin Bate -cello

Monisa Angell -viola

David Angell and David Davidson -violin

brass section:

Tyler Summers -saxophone

Barry Green -trombone

Keith Everett Smith and Steve Patrick -trumpet

choir on track 2:

Bart Millard, Bethany Cruz, Calvin Nowell, Debi Shelby, Emoni Wilkins, Jason

Eskridge

Production credits

Brown Bannister, Tedd T. and Jordan Mohilowski -producers (tracks 1 -8, 11, 12, 14

and 16)

Christopher Stevens -producer (track 9), co-producer (track 10)

Micah Kuiper -co-producer (track 3)

David Leonard -producer (track 13)

Ben Glover -producer (track 15)

RIAA certifications

"Almost Home" single Gold certified in 2024.

"Say I Won't" single Gold certified in 2024.

Radio singles

2019 -2020 "Almost Home" -#3 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#1 Billboard

Christian Airplay for 3 weeks, -#1 Billboard Christian AC Airplay for 3 weeks

2020 "Hurry Up and Wait" -#30 Billboard Hot Christian Songs

2020 -2021 "Say I Won't" -#4 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#4 Billboard

Christian Airplay, -#3 Billboard Christian AC Airplay

2021 -2022 "On Our Way" featuring Sam Wesley -#14 Billboard Hot Christian

Songs, -#8 Billboard Christian Airplay, -#9 Billboard Christian AC Airplay

Previous release: I Can Only Imagine - The Very Best of MercyMe (2018)

(compilation album)

Next release: Always Only Jesus (2022)

Listen to the album Inhale (Exhale) includes music videos for "On Our Way," "Say I Won't," "Almost Home" and "Hurry Up and Wait" and the lyric video for "A Little Love" :