Welcome to the New (2014)

Welcome to the New is the ninth studio album by the Christian rock band MercyMe, released on April 8, 2014 by Fair Trade Services/Sony Music. The album was produced by David Garcia and Ben Glover. The album was recorded in 2013 around four studios in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Welcome to the New's sound is more upbeat and danceable incorporating some jazz, pop rock, country, R&B and Irish folk. Their sound for this album was influence by the current independent garage rock duo The Black Keys. The title song "Welcome to the New" is an upbeat light pop song with elements of synth

rock, and contains some jazz parts, which has the electric guitar guiding the song with other instruments of forceful drums and guitar riffs. In addition, it is a delectable track "with its bouncy, brassy, pop hook [that] will remind believers that Pharrell Williams' 'Happy' is okay but we can get happiness-plus with joy."

The next three tracks have been referred to as "electro-fueled rock and worship numbers." "Gotta Let It Go" has a mixture of Smash Mouth and U2, the lead single "Shake" is an uptempo dance-esque song and the second single "Greater" is a combination of Irish folk, Americana and country. Highlights on Welcome to the New include their third single "Flawless" which is a piano-centered ballad accompanied by a music video featuring both band members sharing their personal struggles, and real-life fans with varying issues and "Dear Younger Me" is lead singer Bart Millard's life story told through song.

Four singles were released to promote Welcome to the New. It was preceded by "Shake," which was released in the fall of 2013 and made the Top 10 on the Billboard Christian charts. The second single "Greater" was released a week after the album's release. The song peaked at # 2 on the Hot Christian Songs kept off the top spot by Hillsong United's worship hit "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)." However, it hit the top spot on both the Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay charts. "Greater" also charted on the Heatseeker Songs and peaked at number 21 and peaked at number 14 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. "Flawless" was the third single released a year after the success of "Greater." "Flawless" also peaked at # 2 on the Hot Christian Songs and topped on both airplay charts. The final single "Dear Younger Me" released in 2016 made the Top 5 on the Christian radio charts.

Welcome to the New debuted and topped the Billboard Top Christian Albums and at number 4 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It is MercyMe's second highest charting album, after the # 3 peak of their 2010 release The Generous Mr. Lovewell. The album sold 26,000 copies in its first week. As of January 2015, the album has sold 178,000 copies. It was Gold certified in 2016 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 copies.

In 2015, MercyMe picked up Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "Shake" and Best Contemporary

Christian Music Album and were nominated for three Dove Awards for Artist of the Year, Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for "Greater." A year later, their song "Flawless" was nominated for Song of the Year.

Track listing

1. Welcome to the New (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:20

2. Gotta Let It Go (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:00

3. Shake (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:14

4. Greater (MercyMe, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -4:08

5. Finished What He Started (MercyMe, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -4:29

6. Flawless (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -4:16

7. New Lease On Life (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:03

8. Wishful Thinking (MercyMe, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -4:53

9. Burn Baby Burn (MercyMe, Solomon Olds, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:52

10. Dear Younger Me (MercyMe, David Garcia, Ben Glover) -3:27

Personnel

MercyMe:

Bart Millard -lead vocals, gang vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9)

Barry Graul -guitars, gang vocals on track 2

Mike Scheuchzer -guitars, gang vocals on track 2

Nathan Cochran -bass guitar, gang vocals on track 2

Robby Shaffer -drums, gang vocals on track 2

additional musicians:

Ben Glover -acoustic piano, guitars; keyboards, programming and gang vocals

(tracks 1, 6 and 9)

Solomon Olds -keyboards and programming (tracks 1, 3 and 6)

Fred Williams -keyboards and programming (tracks 1, 4 and 5)

David Garcia -Hammond B3 organ, guitars; keyboards and programming

(tracks 2 -5), gang vocals (track 4)

Joe Thibodeau -keyboards and programming (track 6)

Matt Stanfield -keyboards and programming (track 9)

Chris Lacorte -guitars (track 1)

Jerry McPherson -guitars (track 1)

Russ Pahl -pedal steel guitar

Mark Hill – bass (track 1)

Darrell Leonard -brass (track 7)

Eamon McLoughlin – fiddle

Kids choir on track 8:

Charlie Millard, Gracie Millard, Sophie Millard and Elijah's Heart Ministries

RIAA certifications

Gold certified in 2016.

"Greater" single Gold certified in 2017.

"Flawless" single Gold certified in 2018.

Radio singles

2013 -2014 "Shake" -#6 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#9 Billboard Christian

Airplay, -#8 Billboard Christian AC Airplay

2014 "Greater" -#2 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#1 Billboard Christian Airplay

for 16 weeks, -#1 Billboard Christian AC Airplay for 10 weeks, -#21 Billboard

Heatseekers Songs, -#14 Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100

2015 "Flawless" -#2 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#1 Billboard Christian Airplay

for 11 weeks, -#1 Billboard Christian AC Airplay for 17 weeks

2016 "Dear Younger Me" -#6 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#3 Billboard Christian

Airplay, -#2 Billboard Christian AC Airplay

Previous release: The Hurt & The Healer (2012) 

Next release: MercyMe, It's Christmas! (2015)

Listen to the album Welcome to the New including music videos for "Shake,"

"Greater" and "Flawless," plus the lyric video of "Dear Younger Me" :