Mandisa
“What If We Were Real”
1. Stronger
2. What If We Were Real
3. These Days
4. The Truth About Me
5. Say Goodbye
6. Good Morning
7. Waiting for Tomorrow
8. Just Cry
9. Temporary Fills
10. Free
11. Lifeline
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Look at Mandisa: She’s lost 100 pounds, a fact I bring up only because she does, repeatedly, as a source of pride.
Listen to Mandisa: She’s learned some new tricks.
Like some autotune on “Temporary Fills” and “What If We Were Real.” the title track off her new album.
Like singing alongside Christian rapper tobyMac on “Good Morning” on her own album rather than his.
Here’s what hasn’t changed between Mandisa’s new album and her first two — “True Beauty” and “Freedom.”
She once again delivers first-rate vocals on an album of hook-laden songs that’s perfectly pleasing, from beginning to end.
Which might explain why she’s the most successful Christian artist to graduate from American Idol, and easily the most acclaimed ninth-place finisher in the show’s history.
My favorite back-to-back tracks on the album: Her beautiful, soaring vocal on the ballad “Just Cry,” followed by the aforementioned “Temporary Fills,” a hard-charging rocker.
“Stronger,” the lead single, is already number three on the Billboard Christian singles chart; the album debuted at number two.
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Download worthy: “Stronger,” “Free,” “Temporary Fills”
Grade: B
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