Zion (Hillsong United album): Difference between revisions
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| Released = 22 February 2013 |
| Released = 22 February 2013 |
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| Recorded = 2012 |
| Recorded = 2012 |
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| Genre = [[Christian Contemporary music|Contemporary Christian]] |
| Genre = [[Christian Contemporary music|Contemporary Christian]], [[Alternative Rock]] |
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| Label = [[Hillsong Music|Hillsong]] |
| Label = [[Hillsong Music|Hillsong]] |
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[[Sparrow Records|Sparrow]] |
[[Sparrow Records|Sparrow]] |
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Revision as of 02:21, 29 December 2013
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Zion is the third studio album by Australian Contemporary Christian and alternative rock band Hillsong United. Production for the album began in March 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The album was released on February 22, 2013 for Australia[1] and February 26 Internationally. The album is available in standard and Deluxe Edition (CD + DVD) plus digital.
Background
Hillsong United gave an interview to CCM Magazine's Grace Cartwright Aspinwall, and they were asked some of the following questions:
Title
"Why did you choose the title Zion?"[2]
From the outset, I felt like this was going to be a project that spoke simply and decisively of the story of God...of the sense of purpose and mission that comes from realizing where we fit in the picture. I'm convinced that we are not only redeemed, but we are redeemed and called into the story of God with a specific plan and purpose. This is why we undertook this project in the first place; not just to add another worship title to the catalogue, or to fulfill the project quota. In fact, it was the opposite; we did it because we believe that God is wild enough to entrust us with His song and His message, and use us to display it the best that we can to others. That's the call; we are going to answer it to the extent of our ability and a whole lotta faith. This is ZION; the city of God, the people of God...allowing the spirit to breathe His eternal and unshakeable kingdom in and through us as we simply trust and love Him. It's a completely ludicrous thought, but it's the truth, and the revelation of it has filled me with more passion, purpose and confidence than ever. ZION is not a hostage held for the future; it was established at the cross, and the cornerstone (Jesus) was laid down, so that we may triumphantly take our place in establishing the New Jerusalem, the new reality...here and now.
— Joel Houston of Hillsong United, CCM Magazine[2]
Tempo
"Can you tell us about the more aggressive sound on this project?"[2]
I don't know that the sound is more 'aggressive.' Unless by 'aggressive' you mean 'new.' I think we have always set out to write songs and create musical expression that is almost uncomfortable in its uniqueness. Not for the sake of progression, or to keep pace with whatever the trends say, but simply because I feel like it's an essential aspect of what I believe worship is. It's supposed to be costly, it should always cause us to step into a place where our strength is made invisible in the complete pervasiveness of His power in all that we do, and that involves taking risks. With this project, we made a very simple decision not to compromise...not on anything; the lyrics, the sound, the devotion and the story behind each and every song carries and weight and a confession a beauty that comes from KNOWING God is in this! That doesn't mean the album is perfect, but I do believe it represents the true heartbeat of really ordinary people who, in desperate need and passionate response to their Savior, chose to give the best that we could.
— Joel Houston of Hillsong United, CCM Magazine[2]
Songs
"What are your personal favorite songs on the album and why?"[2]
I am so proud, and in the same breath completely humbled, by every song on this album. I'm not one for playing favorites, but with this record I feel like every song has a specific and powerful story, and it would be an injustice to focus squarely on any of it as a part. The album is a story made up of stories. Much like the Kingdom. Much like Zion.
— Joel Houston of Hillsong United, CCM Magazine[2]
Message
"What do you want listeners to take away from the album?"[2]
I think my favorite thing about ZION is that it all points to one thing—the kingdom of God established here on earth and in our lives. So, I want the listener to engage with the lyrics more than anything. We didn't want to just record another album for the sake of it, so everything had to have a reason for being on the album. It's a journey that we want people to experience start to finish, so they can fully immerse themselves in the story and feel what we were feeling when we wrote and recorded this album.
— Matt Crocker of Hillsong United, CCM Magazine[2]
Members
"Are there any different band members on this record, and how did they affect the new sound?"[2]
As far as new members, there really was only one guy. He had never done anything with us before, but got super involved with the recording of ZION. His name is Benjamin Tennikoff, but everyone knows him as 'Tenni.' Tenni has been a part of the team back home in Sydney for years, and is one of the most loyal/faithful guys you'll ever come across. He plays keys and is super creative with sounds, so Mikey Chislett (who produced ZION and several other UNITED albums) thought he'd be an awesome addition to this project, and we flew him over to NYC with us. He came up with a lot of the synth sounds and actually wrote the music that was actually inspiration for the songs 'Heartbeats' and 'Tapestry.' We also had some of the guys from past projects like Joel Hingston and Matt Tennikoff (Ben Tennikoff's older brother) come back in and help record guitar and bass parts for some of the songs.
— Matt Crocker of Hillsong United, CCM Magazine[2]
Reception
Commercial
Zion is Hillsong United's most successful album to date, with 34,100 units being sold in its first week. It sold 25% more than Aftermath, allowing it to debut at number five on the US Billboard 200. The album debuted at number one on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart.[3]
Critical
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| CCM Magazine | [5] |
| Christian Music Zine | [6] |
| Cross Rhythms |  [7] |
| Indie Vision Music | [8] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [9][10] |
| Louder Than the Music | [11] |
| New Release Tuesday | [12] |
| Worship Leader | [13] |
Hillsong United's Zion has achieved "universal acclaim" by the ten reviews and ratings on the album, so far. The album received one perfect five-star review from Louder Than the Music, yet it received one score below four, but still positive and favorable from Christian Music Zine. Jono Davies of Louder Than the Music called the album "Epic, Brilliant and Original."[11] In addition, Davies wrote that "This album is brilliant, using modern sounds to create songs full of the grace of God, leaving the listener with a wonderful sense of worship. Any album that stops you in your tracks like that is doing what it's meant to do."[11]
Zion got three four-and-a-half-star-out-of-five ratings from Jesus Freak Hideout's Ryan Barbee, New Release Tuesday and Worship Leader magazine. Barbee alluded to how "With their latest album, Zion, there is not just change, but a complete overhaul."[9] Barbee surmised that "Simply put, this album is pretty amazing. From beginning to end, if you can't find anything to like then you probably aren't sure what you're looking for in the first place. The production is so well executed that, honestly, you might even question if you purchased the right album because this ain't your old-fashioned Hillsong. If this album is the new standard in 'typical' worship music, or music in general for that fact, then it can only go up from here. Well done, Hillsong United, we tip our hats to your art."[9] New Release Tuesday's Mary Burklin highlighted that "The latest ripple of that impact is Hillsong United's Zion, a richly textured release that manages to achieve an intimate, organic feel despite the band's massive international reach."[12] Burklin closed with noting that "Although this album carries strong traces of the indie and electronic vibes widespread in the current music scene, it by no means loses musical excellence or spiritual intensity. Rather than a contrived attempt at relevance, Zion crafts a soundtrack for God's people that is in every note and word intentional and Heaven-bent. These songs should easily satisfy and encourage longtime Hillsong followers, and they also have the potential to draw in a new audience from segments of Christians who often struggle to connect with worship music. This album is certain to take its place as an important moment in the contemporary Church's conversations with God."[12] Andrea Hunter of Worship Leader magazine found that "Zion may come from what is considered Hillsong’s youth side, but adapt the arrangements to your preferred style, and you’ll find songs across generations and traditions to honor God and transform hearts."[13] As well, Hunter wrote that the positives with the effort are "The grandeur, depth, unabashed awe, hope, emotionally and theologically rich worship at the heart of this album is simply beautiful", but on the other side the negatives are with "The production sometimes becomes the jewel rather than the setting and directs focus away from the content of these truly gorgeous songs."[13] Cross Rhythms' Tony Cummings rate the album a perfect ten-stars, which that was done on the deluxe edition of the album, and found that "after a time away from the gruelling touring, Joel Houston and co have returned with this studio set which is a complete overhaul of their musical approach and in doing so have released a peach of an album which fully deserves the honour of being the first number one on Britain's official Christian & Gospel chart."[7]
Zion got three four-star-out-of-five ratings from CCM Magazine, Indie Vision Music and Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout. Matt Conner of CCM Magazine wrote that "The music industry is awash in the EDM movement, so it's no surprise that synth sounds and laptops are drowning the latest worship releases as well. Hillsong United's latest, Zion, takes the typical high-impact arena anthems and heartfelt acoustic ballads and sets them to bleeps and keys and the effect is quite similar. 'A Million Suns' is a stellar melody that won't let go and 'Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)' is alone worth the price. Another strong United release."[5] Indie Vision Music's Jonathan Andre noted that overall the album "is full of lyrically rich themes and messages against the backdrop of electronic music that presents a unique way of creating worship music, certainly keeping my interest throughout the whole album without it wavering at any point throughout the album. However, despite its ingenuity, it could also be said that for many who have had a less than ideal experience with Hillsong UNITED- either listening to an album that may be forgettable in the grand scheme of things, or feeling like songs are either lyrically similar to others they have written in the past, or having a feeling that the band have had a mismatch of either vocalist, lyrics or music to create a song that is good in one aspect but not in all; the album on the whole may only appeal towards diehard Hillsong UNITED fans (which I don’t necessarily think I am). Nevertheless, this latest album does a great job in bringing in new listeners back into the fold who may have stopped listening somewhere along the line, and even if the album may not compare in terms of sales to other high-profile worship bands like Jesus Culture, Passion or Bethel, Hillsong’s place in the music industry is certainly valid, and if they continue to reinvent themselves like how they have done in this album without compromising on lyrical intensity and poignancy, then their next album, whether studio or live, will be a joy and honour to listen to."[8] Fryberger vowed that "Not only is it the best album United has ever released, it's one of the best mainstream worship albums I've heard in a long time."[10]
Zion got two three-and-a-half-stars-out-of-five from AllMusic and Christian Music Zine. David Jeffries of AllMusic called Zion "a risky expansion of their sound, incorporating many different flavors of pop music" that is "just a touch overstuffed."[4] Christian Music Zine's Emily Kjonaas criticized that "some of the songs on Zion are a bit too long" on the album."[6] Furthermore, Kjonaas wrote that "By the time I got to the end of Zion, I was pretty tired of listening to music. I am a fan of Hillsong UNITED but this got to be a bit long of an album, even without the deluxe tracks."[6] Kjonaas concluded with some praise for the effort, and noted that "Hillsong UNITED fans will not be disappointed with Zion and this is a great worship album that will help you keep your focus on Christ. If you’re someone that likes to listen to great worship music on a long car ride, or even during the day at home, you will enjoy Hillsong UNITED’s newest offering: Zion."[6]
Tracklisting
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Worship Leader | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Relentless" | Matt Crocker & Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | 5:09 |
| 2. | "Up in Arms" | Joel Houston | Joel Houston | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Scandal of Grace" | Matt Crocker & Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" | Matt Crocker, Joel Houston & Salomon Ligthelm | Taya Smith | 8:55 |
| 5. | "Stay and Wait" | Joel Houston | Joel Houston | 5:12 |
| 6. | "Mercy Mercy" | Matt Crocker & Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | 4:41 |
| 7. | "Love Is War" | Joel Houston | Jad Gillies | 7:15 |
| 8. | "Nothing Like Your Love" | Sam Knock | Jad Gillies | 5:51 |
| 9. | "Zion (Interlude)" | Michael Guy Chislett, Sam Knock & Ben Tennikoff | None | 3:31 |
| 10. | "Heartbeats" | Michael Guy Chislett, Matt Crocker, Joel Houston & Ben Tennikoff | Matt Crocker | 3:53 |
| 11. | "A Million Suns" | Scott Ligertwood & Dean Ussher | Taya Smith | 5:05 |
| 12. | "Tapestry" | Michael Guy Chislett, Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Scott Ligertwood & Ben Tennikoff | JD & Taya Smith | 6:42 |
| 13. | "King Of Heaven" | Matt Crocker, Salomon Ligthelm & Ryan Taubert | Matt Crocker | 5:28 |
| Total length: | 70:14 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Worship Leader | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Arise" | Ryan Taubert & Steven Robertson | Joel Houston | 3:14 |
| 15. | "Mountain" | Matt Crocker & Joel Houston | David Ware & Matt Crocker | 7:10 |
| 16. | "Mercy Mercy (Reloaded)" | Matt Crocker & Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | 4:10 |
| 17. | "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) (Reloaded)" | Matt Crocker, Joel Houston & Salomon Ligthelm | Taya Smith | 6:59 |
| 18. | "Stay and Wait (Reloaded)" | Joel Houston | Joel Houston | 5:11 |
| Total length: | 96:58 | |||
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart[14] | 1 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[14] | 152 |
| Danish Albums Chart[14] | 29 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[14] | 39 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart[14] | 8 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[14] | 5 |
| UK Albums Chart[15] | 55 |
| UK Christian & Gospel Albums Chart[16] | 1 |
| UK Independent Albums Chart[17] | 10 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 5 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
References
- ^ "Hillsong United Zion Released In Australia".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Aspinwall, Grace Cartwright (1 March 2013). "Here and Now: Hillsong United and the Kingdom of God at Hand". CCM Magazine. pp. 42–44. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Hillsong United's Album Claims Their Highest Ever Billboard Debut". Jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David (26 February 2013). "Zion - Hillsong United : Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ a b Conner, Matt (1 March 2013). "Hillsong United: Zion (Integrity)". CCM Magazine. p. 46. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d Kjonaas, Emily (26 February 2013). "Hillsong United - Zion (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b Cummings, Tony (15 March 2013). "Review: Zion Deluxe Edition - Hillsong United". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ a b Andre, Jonathan (1 March 2013). "Hillsong UNITED - ZION". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Barbee, Ryan (24 February 2013). "Hillsong United, "Zion" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b Fryberger, Scott (16 February 2013). "Hillsong United, "Zion" Review: Second Staff Opinion". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Davies, Jono (21 December 2012). "Hillsong United - Zion - Review". Louder Than the Music. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Burklin, Mary (26 February 2013). "Songs for the Kingdom". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Hunter, Andrea (26 February 2013). "Zion". Worship Leader. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hillsong United – Zion". Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Official UK Albums Top 100 – 9 March 2013". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Official Christian and Gospel Albums Chart". Official Charts Company.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Top 40 Independent Albums Archive – 9 March 2013". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Hillsong United Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2013. Cite error: The named reference "Billboard Magazine" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).