The Elements (TobyMac album)
2018 studio album by TobyMac
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The Elements is the eighth studio album by Christian hip hop artist TobyMac. It was released on October 12, 2018. It is his fifth album to top the Billboard Christian Albums chart.[1] The album's lead single, "I Just Need U.", peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.[2]
| The Elements | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 12, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
| Length | 40:56 | |||
| Label | ForeFront | |||
| Producers | TobyMac, David Garcia, Brian Fowler | |||
| TobyMac chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Elements | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine |   [3] |
| The Christian Beat | [4] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [5] |
Chris Major of The Christian Beat gave the album a 4.8 out of 5, claiming the album is "TobyMac at his best".[6] Jesus Freak Hideout's Christopher Smith praised TobyMac's ability make his musical influences his own, and called the album a "no-filler" and "more mature" album.[7] Marcos Papadatos from Digital Journal called it TobyMac's "most compelling studio album to date".[8] CCM Magazine's Natalie Gillespie praised TobyMac's ability to "blend" many musical styles into the album.[9]
Commercial performance
The album debuted No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart, selling 22,000 units in its debut week.[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Elements" | Toby McKeehan, Tommee Profitt | Tommee Profitt, Toby McKeehan | 3:52 |
| 2. | "I Just Need U." | Bryan Fowler, McKeehan, Blake Neesmith | Bryan Fowler, McKeehan | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Scars" | Fowler, McKeehan, Cole Walowac | Fowler, Walowac | 4:21 |
| 4. | "Everything" | David Garcia, McKeehan | David Garcia, McKeehan | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Starts with Me" (featuring Aaron Cole) | Aaron Cole, Dave Lubben, McKeehan, Walowac | Dave Lubben, Walowac | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Edge of My Seat" | Fowler, McKeehan | Fowler, McKeehan | 3:43 |
| 7. | "It's You" | Fowler, McKeehan | Fowler, McKeehan | 4:48 |
| 8. | "Horizon (A New Day)" | Ryan Edgar, McKeehan, Tim Myers | Tim Myers, Micah Kuiper | 3:13 |
| 9. | "Hello Future" | Fowler, McKeehan | Fowler, McKeehan | 2:42 |
| 10. | "Overflow" | Shy Carter, McKeehan, Josh Miller | Garcia, McKeehan | 3:16 |
| 11. | "See the Light" | Edgar, Sasha Hamilton, Dave Lubben, McKeehan, Anthony Pasqualone, Emma Weisberg | Lubben, Fowler | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 40:47 | |||
History
The Elements is TobyMac's first album since Welcome to Diverse City in 2004 to not crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and his shortest by duration, at a mere 40 minutes and 42 seconds.
Personnel
- Toby McKeehan – lead vocals and background vocals
- Bryan Fowler – background vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, piano, drums, and programming
- Sean Cook – bass, keyboards, and programming
- Cory Wong – guitars
- David Garcia – keyboards, guitars, programming, and background vocals
- Tim Rosenau – guitars
- Michael "DJ Maj" Allen – DJ cuts
- Tommee Profitt – keyboards and programming
- Cole Walowac – programming, additional drum programming
- Todde "Toddefunk" Lawton – bass
- Micah Kuiper – guitar, bass, programming, and background vocals
- Jon Reddick – upright piano
- Josiah Kreidler – guitars
- Dave Lubben – keyboards, programming and background vocals
- NOMAD – guitars
- Keith Everette Smith – trumpet, horns
- Steve Patrick – trumpet
- Tyler Summers – tenor sax
- Barry Green – trombone
- Terrian – background vocals
- Aaron Cole – vocals on "Starts with Me"
- Ryan Stevenson – background vocals
- Blake NeeSmith – background vocals
- Hollyn – background vocals
- Jackson Nance – background vocals
- Gabe Patillo – background vocals
- Jason Eskridge – background vocals
Accolades
| Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Grammy Award | Best Contemporary Christian Music Album | Nominated | [11] |
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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