| Blackout | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 30, 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 57:51 | |||
| Label | Bethel Music | |||
| Producer |
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| Steffany Gretzinger chronology | ||||
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Blackout (stylized in capital letters) is the second studio album from American singer-songwriter Steffany Gretzinger. It was released on March 30, 2018, through Bethel Music. Bobby Strand handled the production of the album. [2]
Bethel Music announced that Steffany Gretzinger will be releasing Blackout, her second studio album, would be released on March 30, 2018. [3] This being her second solo studio effort, Blackout follows the issue of her commercially successful and critically acclaimed debut, The Undoing (2014). The album is said to be revealing the "vulnerable, less-visible side," of Steffany Gretzinger. [4] This collection of songs is described as being created for the "in-between moments in life" which mould a person, they convey the idea that even in the chaotic situations of life, "[the] light that shines from the inside out cannot be dimmed." [5] In a press release published on March 9, 2018, Gretzinger spoke of the album's message, saying:
It's about being able to joyfully dance as tears stream down your face, knowing that life comes through learning to grieve and celebrate at the same time. [6] [7]
On March 9, 2018, Bethel Music announced the beginning of the album's pre-order period, with "Save Me" being released as a promotional single as it was availed for instant download and streaming. [8] [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine |  [10] |
| Hallels |  [11] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [1] |
| Today's Christian Entertainment | 3.4/5 [12] |
The reception of Blackout was largely positive as Gretzinger was lauded by various critics of the CCM and contemporary worship music genres. [13] Bestowing the album a perfect five stars in a CCM Magazine review, Matt Conner describes the album as a "possessing masterwork," declaring that it is "a career achievement if she decided for some reason to walk away tomorrow. " [10] Anna Hockley, reviewing for Eden.co.uk says that Blackout is "not your average praise and worship CD. It's one that digs a little deeper and at times could be mistaken for something you'd hear in the Top 10 charts – and very much in a good way. There are times throughout the album where you can hear her emotion and soul speak right to your heart and others where the musical arrangement behind the lyrics really take on a life of their own." [14] Timothy Yap, rated the album three out of five in a Hallels review, asserting that the album "bears the marks of many singer-songwriter albums where it's personal with equal portions of emotions and intelligence," further describing Gretzinger's work as "coterminously ruminative as well as theological." [11] Jesus Freak Hideout critic Josh Balogh awarded Blackout a four star rating, concludes, "with its powerful, engaging vocals, and catchy pop melodies, Blackout is a worshipful, not-to-be-missed album of 2018 sure to please longtime fans of Bethel musicians, and fans of the pop/worship genre." [1] Hayden Royster of LightWorkers praised the album in his review, saying that Blackout is "something truly remarkable: a worship album that encapsulates both the human condition, the glory of God and everything in-between." [15] In a superbly positive review by Kevin Davis of NewReleaseToday, he states "These moving and reverent recordings are poignant songs of adoration. Every song is completely anointed, Spirit-led and emotionally captivating." [16] At Today's Christian Entertainment, Kelly Meade gave the album a rating of three-point-four stars out of five, saying that the album has "intriguing musical arrangements and encouraging lyrics," and that listeners will "find a song that inspires their Christian walk and bring them closer to the Savior." [12]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| NewReleaseToday | Top 10 Worship Albums of 2018 | 5 | |
| Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | We Love Christian Music Awards | The Encounter Award (Worship Album of the Year) | Nominated | [18] |
In the United States, Blackout debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Christian Albums chart dated April 14, 2018, repeating the feat achieved by Gretzinger's debut album, The Undoing (2014), with 13,000 equivalent album units sold. [19] The release was the best-selling issue on the Independent Albums Chart, [20] the fifth best-selling digital album, [21] and peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard 200 chart. [22]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Save Me" |
| 5:25 |
| 2. | "Dust" |
| 3:40 |
| 3. | "Bright Ones" |
| 5:06 |
| 4. | "Confident" (featuring Bobby Strand) |
| 5:40 |
| 5. | "Sing My Way Back" |
| 3:47 |
| 6. | "All That Lives Forever" |
| 5:11 |
| 7. | "Forever Amen" (Interlude) | Gretzinger | 1:50 |
| 8. | "Tell Me the Truth" |
| 5:25 |
| 9. | "This Is the Sound" |
| 5:19 |
| 10. | "Open Over Us" |
| 4:58 |
| 11. | "Oxygen" |
| 5:02 |
| 12. | "Paradigm" (Interlude) | Strand | 1:16 |
| 13. | "Blackout" |
| 5:11 |
| Total length: | 57:51 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Blackout" (music video) | 5:21 |
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [25] | 98 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [26] | 69 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) [27] | 3 |
| UK Christian & Gospel Albums (OCC) [28] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 [29] | 36 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard) [30] | 2 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [31] | 1 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | March 30, 2018 |
| Bethel Music | [23] [24] |
| United States | Vinyl | [32] |
Bethel Music is an American music label and worship movement from Redding, California, originating out of Bethel Church where they started making music in 2001. Bethel Music has grown from being a local church music ministry to a global outreach made up of a collective of songwriters, artists and musicians. They focus on producing worship songs and albums that are largely written and recorded by members of their Artist Collective.
We Will Not Be Shaken (Live) is the tenth album from California based Bethel Music. The album was released through the group's label, Bethel Music, on January 26, 2015. The album was produced by Bobby Strand, Chris Greely, and Matthew Wilcox, and executively produced by Brian Johnson and Joel Taylor.
Steffany Dawn Gretzinger is an American Christian music singer-songwriter and former ensemble vocalist with Bethel Music, based in Franklin, Tennessee. She released her first solo album, The Undoing, with Bethel Music in 2014. The album was a Billboard magazine breakthrough release, reaching number twenty on the Billboard 200, and also gained top five status among Top Christian and Independent albums in September 2014.
The Undoing is the debut studio album by Steffany Gretzinger. Bethel Music released the album on August 25, 2014. Gretzinger worked with Jeff Schneeweis in the production of this album.
You Make Me Brave: Live at the Civic marks the ninth album from Bethel Music, a worship group based out of Redding, California. The album was released through the group's imprint label, "Bethel Music", on April 21, 2014. The album was produced by Gabriel Wilson and Daniel MacKenzie, and executively produced by Brian Johnson and Joel Taylor.
Have It All is the eighth live album and twelfth album overall by California based Bethel Music. It was released through the group's imprint label, Bethel Music, on March 11, 2016. It was produced by Chris Greely and Bobby Strand, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC.
After All These Years is the first studio album from Brian & Jenn Johnson, and their fourth album overall. The album was released on January 27, 2017, by Bethel Music. The duo worked with Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury in the production of the album.
Starlight is the ninth live album and thirteenth album overall by California-based worship collective Bethel Music. The album was released on April 7, 2017, by the group's imprint label, Bethel Music. Chris Greely and Ran Jackson worked on the production of the album.
"Egypt" is a song by Bethel Music and Cory Asbury, which was released as the third single from Bethel Music's twelfth live album, Revival's in the Air (2020), on April 3, 2020. The song was written by Phil Wickham, Brian Johnson, Cory Asbury, Ethan Hulse, and Lee Cummings. It celebrates God’s faithfulness with reference to the story of the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt to their Promised Land. Brian Johnson also collaborated on the production of the single with Joel Taylor.
"Reckless Love" is a song by Cory Asbury and it was released on October 27, 2017, as the lead single from his second studio album of the same name, Reckless Love (2018), via Bethel Music. The song also appeared on the album Bethel Music en Español (2019). The song was written by Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury and Ran Jackson, with production being handled by Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury.
Moments: Mighty Sound is the tenth live album by California-based worship collective Bethel Music, it is also their fifteenth album overall. On May 11, 2018, the album was released by the collective's imprint label, Bethel Music.
Living With a Fire is the eleventh live album and thirteenth album overall by American worship group Jesus Culture. The album was released on August 31, 2018 by the group's imprint label, Jesus Culture Music alongside Capitol Christian Music Group and Sparrow Records.
Victory is the eleventh live album by California-based worship collective Bethel Music, and their sixteenth full-length release overall. The album was released on through the collective's imprint label, Bethel Music, on January 25, 2019. The album is inspired by the biblical account of King Jehoshaphat's victory over the Moabite alliance in war by sending out a group of worshipers as a vanguard for his army. The featured worship leaders on the album are Josh Baldwin, Cory Asbury, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser, Bethany Wohrle, Sean Feucht, Emmy Rose, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Kalley Heiligenthal, Paul McClure, Hannah McClure and Hunter G K Thompson with Molly Skaggs, Daniel Bashta and Harvest as guests. Ed Cash handled the production of the album.
Bethel Music en Español is the first album in Spanish by California-based worship collective Bethel Music, and their seventeenth album overall. The album was released on February 15, 2019, through its own imprint label, Bethel Music. The featured Bethel Music worship leaders on the album are Josh Baldwin, Cory Asbury, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser, Bethany Wohrle, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Kalley Heiligenthal, Paul McClure, Hunter G K Thompson and Steffany Gretzinger with guest appearances from Christine D'Clario, Edward Rivera, Raquel Vega and Marco Barrientos. Jose Olide and Paul Pineda handled the production of the album.
Forever Amen is the third studio album from American singer and songwriter Steffany Gretzinger. It was released on March 27, 2020, through Provident Label Group. The album features appearances by Chandler Moore, Matt Maher, Amanda Lindsey Cook and Wonder Grace Gretzinger. Jason Ingram handled the production of the album.
House on a Hill is the fifth studio album from Canadian singer and songwriter Amanda Lindsey Cook. It was released on March 29, 2019, via Bethel Music. Cook collaborated with Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury in the production of the album.
Dante Bowe is an American Christian worship singer, and songwriter. He is known as a former member of the Bethel Music collective and Maverick City Music.
Chandler David Moore is an American singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Moore currently partners Maverick City Music, a collective of worshippers working in the contemporary Christian music and Gospel world.
Faith of My Father is the fourth studio album from American singer and songwriter Steffany Gretzinger. It was released on November 5, 2021, through TIM Records. The album features appearances by Melissa Helser and Cassie Campbell. Jason Ingram handled the production of the album.
Pat Barrett is the debut studio album by American contemporary worship musician Pat Barrett, which was released via Bowyer & Bow Capitol Christian Music Group on July 20, 2018. The album features guest appearances by Steffany Gretzinger and Amanda Cook. Ed Cash handled the production of the album.
Fellow Bethel Music member Steffany Gretzinger debuts on Top Christian Albums at No. 2 with her second solo effort, Blackout. The set arrives with 13,000 equivalent album units, 11,000 from traditional album sales.