Jesus Freak (album)
| Jesus Freak | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by DC Talk | ||||
| Released | November 21, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Christian hip hop, CCM, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 57:53 | |||
| Label | ForeFront/Virgin | |||
| Producer | Mark Heimermann, Toby McKeehan, John Mark Painter | |||
| DC Talk chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | |
| Cross Rhythms |  |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+) |
Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the band DC Talk and was released on November 21, 1995 on ForeFront Records. The style was a marked departure from the group's previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time.
The album was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and six of the album's seven singles reached number one across various Christian radio formats. It won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
Jesus Freak is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of Christian music.
After three albums of hip-hop oriented sound, including DC Talk's Grammy award-winning third album, Free at Last, which was based primarily on hip-hop- and pop-oriented songwriting, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.
After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak", was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike.
Michael Tait said, "I was totally into rock and roll at the time [...] I really wanted to make a rock record." The band decided to focus on more rock-oriented music, with touches of rap and pop interwoven into the mix. Tait later explained, "We wanted to write songs that would hopefully touch a generation."
Compared to DC Talk's other albums, Jesus Freak was, stylistically, an experiment. The album was a fusion of various musical genres, including pop,rock, and grunge, all combined with hip hop.
The title track, "Jesus Freak," is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in CCM. The song was even played on some secular stations.
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