# True Beauty (album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| Entertainment Weekly | B− link |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | link |
| People Magazine | |
| USA Today | link |
| Us Magazine | link |
True Beauty is the Grammy-nominated and debut studio album by American Idol contestant Mandisa. The first single, "Only the World", was released on May 22, 2007, and the full album was released on July 31, 2007. The album covers a remake of gospel duo Mary Mary's hit song "Shackles (Praise You)" (which Mandisa covered on American Idol in the top 11).
Subsequent singles included "God Speaking" and "Voice of a Savior", released to Christian radio in October 2007 and April 2008, respectively.

## Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Christian albums chart and number 43 on the Billboard 200 with over 17,000 copies sold in its first week. It broke the Billboard chart record for a female debut in Christian music and is the largest female debut in the history of her label (EMI/Sparrow Records). True Beauty has sold over 219,000 copies as of December 2010. The album spent over a year on Billboard's Christian Albums and Christian and Gospel Albums charts.

## Awards and nominations

True Beauty received a Grammy Award nomination in December 2007 for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

## Personnel

* Mandisa – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 5, 7-10)
* Shaun Shankel – programming (1, 10)
* Sam Mizell – programming (1, 10), keyboard programming (3), drum programming (3), backing vocals (4)
* Shannon Sanders – keyboards (2, 9), programming (9)
* Blair Masters – keyboards (3, 6, 11), acoustic piano (6, 11)
* Jamie Kenney – keyboards (4, 8), programming (4, 8)
* Josiah Bell – programming (4, 5), additional programming (8)
* Robert Marvin – programming (4, 5), additional programming (8)
* Jamie Moore – programming (5), bass (5)
* Christopher Stevens – keyboards (7), programming (7), guitars (7), bass (7), drums (7), horn arrangements (7)
* Greg Hagan – acoustic guitar (1), electric guitar (1), guitars (10)
* Mike Payne – electric guitar (1)
* Drew Ramsey – guitars (2, 9), bass (2, 9), programming (9), backing vocals (9)
* Scott Denté – acoustic guitar (3, 6)
* Lynn Nichols – guitars (4)
* Cary Barlowe – guitars (5)
* Tim Roseneu – guitars (5)
* Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (6)
* Akil Thompson – bass (1, 8, 10), guitars (8)
* Tony Lucido – bass (4, 8)
* Todde Lawton – bass (5)
* Matt Pierson – bass (6)
* Dan Needham – drums (1-3, 6, 9, 10)
* Lemar Carter – drums (4)
* Brian Haley – drums (5)
* Ben Phillips – drums (8)
* David Davidson – strings (1)
* Carl Marsh – string arrangements (3)
* Prague Orchestra – strings (3)
* DJ Maj – cuts (5)
* Shane Philen – saxophones (7), horn arrangements (7)
* Rodney J. Mills – trombone (7)
* Tommy Vaughan – trumpet (7), horn arrangements (7)
* John Catchings – cello (11)
* Missi Hale – backing vocals (1, 6, 10)
* Cindy Morgan – backing vocals (2, 9)
* Debreca Smith – backing vocals (2, 9)
* Peter Penrose – backing vocals (4)
* TobyMac – rap (5)
* Nirva Dorsaint-Ready – backing vocals (5-7)
* Gabriel Patillo – backing vocals (5)
* Shonlock – backing vocals (5)
* Drew Cline – backing vocals (6)
* Kimberly Mont – backing vocals (6)
* Calvin Nowell – backing vocals (6)
* Debi Selby – backing vocals (6)
* Michelle Swift – backing vocals (6)
* Chance Scoggins – BGV arrangements (6)
* Jason Eskridge – backing vocals (7)
* The Fisk Jubilee Singers – backing vocals (9)
* Paul Kwami – vocal leader (9)
Technical
* Brian Gardner – mastering
* Russ Long – recording (1, 10)
* Sam Mizell – recording (1, 10)
* Joseph Prielonzy – recording (1)
* Shaun Shankel – recording (1, 10), digital editing (1, 10)
* Lee Bridges – digital editing (1, 10)
* Greg Fuqua – recording (2, 9)
* Erik "Keller" Jahner – recording (2, 9), mixing (2, 9)
* Jason Lehning – engineer (4)
* Steve Bishir – recording (3, 6, 11), mixing (11)
* Billy Whittington – digital editing (3, 6), recording (6)
* Joe Baldridge – recording (5), additional editing (5)
* Jamie Moore – recording (5)
* Christopher Stevens – recording (7), mixing (7)
* Scott Velazco – assistant engineer (1, 10)
* Leslie Richter – assistant engineer (4)
* Kevin Powell – assistant engineer (7)
* Josiah Bell – additional recording (4), recording (5, 8)
* Robert Marvin – additional recording (4), mixing (4, 5, 8), recording (5, 8)
* Ben Phillips – additional recording (8)
* Brown Bannister – additional engineer (11)
* Craig Swift – additional engineer (11)
* F. Reid Shippen – mixing (1, 3, 6, 10)
* Buckley Miller – mix assistant (1, 3, 6, 10)
* Andy Selby – mixing (4), digital editing (4, 5, 8), additional editing (5)
* Dave Piechura – additional digital editing assistant (4, 5, 8)
* Joshua Crosby – mix assistant (5)
Additional credits
* Brad O'Donnell – A&R
* Shaun Shankel – vocal co-producer (1)
* Chance Scoggins – vocal co-producer (1, 3, 6, 11)
* Joseph Prielonzy – production coordinator (1, 10)
* Jan Cook – creative director
* Tim Frank – art direction
* Andy Norris Design – design
* Michael Gomez – photography
* Tanzy Clark-Ragion – hair stylist
* Ony Powers – make-up
* Katie Moore – stylist
* Kami Shahid – stylist

### Studios

* Recorded at The Lealand House, Vibe 56, Drew's Groove, Southside Studios, Brownstone Recording, Ocean Way Recording, Dutchland Studios, The Border, Bletchley Park Studios, Townsend Sound Studio and First Avenue Sound (Nashville, Tennessee); Garage Rock Studios and Fabmusic (Franklin, Tennessee); Livehorns.com (Mobile, Alabama).
* Overdubs (Track 3) recorded at Townsend Sound Studio.
* Mixed at Sound Stage Studios, Dutchland Studios, Townsend Sound Studio and First Avenue Sound (Nashville, Tennessee).
* Additional edit assistance at Vintageking.com
* Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).

## Charts

Chart performance for True Beauty :
| Chart (2007–09) | Peak position |
| US Billboard 200 | 43 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard) | 29 |