Tracy Chapman – New Beginning / Elektra Audio CD 1995 / 7559-61850-2

UPC 075596185028

New Beginning is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). According to Nielsen Soundscan, it is her biggest-selling recording since 1991, with 3.8 million copies sold, and according to the RIAA, it has shipped five million copies in the United States.

The album's sound consists of Chapman's trademark acoustic folk-rock sound and is mainly made up of slow low-key tunes and a few upbeat tracks. One notable exception is the hit "Give Me One Reason", which is a blues piece. The album also featured an extensive use of backup singers, which was very rare in Chapman's earlier works.

The song "Unsung Psalm" was originally written and recorded for this album, but was cut. It was later included on her 2000 album Telling Stories. According to Billboard Magazine, the "New Beginning" single was the first disc to have a sticker printed on the back of the packaging detailing system requirements to play the multi-media footage.

The use of a didgeridoo in the "New Beginning" track was a source of controversy. Chapman was taught to play at the Didgeridoo University in Alice Springs; however, the use of a didgeridoo by women is taboo in many aboriginal nations.