Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mandisa
“Freedom”

1. My Deliverer
2. How Much
3. He Is With You
4. The Definition Of Me
5. Not Guilty
6. Leave It In the Valley
7. Victorious
8. Broken Hallelujah
9. Freedom Song
10. Dance, Dance, Dance
11. You Wouldn’t Cry

She was Mandisa Hundley when she first appeared on season five of American Idol. The name was soon shortened to Mandisa.

“The first name is enough to deal with, I think,” she told the Idol judges. None of the three were putting up an argument after she blew them away with a rendition of “Fallen.”

She went on to make the finals that year and advanced to the final nine before being eliminated. Since her Idol run, the 32-year-old California native has carved a niche for herself in the world of contemporary Christian music.

Want proof?

Her first album, “True Beauty” (2007), received a Grammy nomination for Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year. This year marks the second in a row in which she’s been nominated as female vocalist of the year at the Dove Awards. This year’s ceremony is April 23; the show will be broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel.

And on Tuesday, Mandisa released her second album, simply titled “Freedom.” The first single off the album, “My Deliverer” came out five weeks ago and hit number 17 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart last week, its highest position yet.

The best songs on the album feature a variety of musical styles — the Christian pop tune “How Much,” the dance-beat driven “The Definition of Me,” the hymn-like “Freedom Song” and the heartfelt “Not Guilty.”

Mandisa shares writing credits on the latter song and two others on the album.

You can listen to all the songs free here. If you haven’t heard from Mandisa since Idol, at least check out “The Definition of Me.” I think you’ll be surprised.