MercyMe – Spoken For / INO Records Audio CD 2002 / 080688621827

UPC 080688621827

Summary:

Spoken For is the second studio album by Christian rock band MercyMe. Produce by Pete Kipley, the album was released on October 1, 2002, by INO Records. The album's production, which followed the success of "I Can Only Imagine" on Christian radio, was described by lead singer Bart Millard as "nerve-racking"; the album musically represents a shift in the band's musical style, with critics variously identifying it as roots rock, pop rock, or adult contemporary. Lyrically, the album focuses on worship and the concept of Christians as being "spoken for" by God.

Critics praised Spoken For as a progression from Almost There and a more cohesive album overall, with some finding it to be more refined lyrically and musically. The album's stylistic shift was praised, along with Millard's lyrics and vocals. Spoken For was nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year at the 34th GMA Dove Awards, and at the 35th GMA Dove Awards "Word of God Speak" received the awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.

Spoken For sold 23,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 41 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Christian Albums chart. Three singles were released in support of Spoken For; the title track, which peaked at number one on the Radio & Records Christian AC and INSPO charts, "Word of God Speak", which spent a record 23 weeks at the top of the Billboard Christian Songs chart, and "The Change Inside of Me", which peaked at number eight on the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in October 2003 and has sold over 553,000 copies as of May 2004; it ranked as the 46th-best selling Christian album of the 2000s according to Billboard.

Tracklist:

You spend nearly a decade playing praise and worship songs in churches across the country and then, all of a sudden, one of your songs ("I Can Only Imagine") becomes the Song of the Year, a megahit, and your band is Band of the Year. Everything changes? That's what faces Mercy Me and its sophomore release--Spoken For--coming on the heels of the hottest Christian release (Almost There) in the last year. While you won't find anything quite like "Imagine" on this release, Mercy Me still offers an earnest appeal, with trademark slower tracks like "Spoken For" and "Word of God Speak." Lead man Bart Millard and boys can also rock it up a bit with the opener, "The Change Inside Me," and the U2-ish charging anthem "Go." Ironically enough, this second release may not contain a huge hit, but it's much stronger in all phases compared with the band's inconsistent debut. And rest assured, Mercy Me's emphasis is still on praising God and doing so with excellence and sincerity. --Michael Lyttle