''Destiny'' is the fourth studio album from

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely around ...

songstress

Beckah Shae Rebecca Shocklee (born September 1, 1978, née Wilson), known professionally by her stage name Beckah Shae, is an American Contemporary Christian music, Christian-pop-worship singer-songwriter. She is signed to the independent record label Shae ...

. The album released on August 16, 2011, through her independent label Shae Shoc Records. This album was produced by her husband Jack "Shoc" Shocklee (Jonathan Nicholas Shocklee) and herself. The album charted on three ''

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'' charts, and it received a two five star ratings from New Release Tuesday and a perfect ten squares from

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

, yet received a three star review from ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

''.

Background

The album was preceded by 2010's ''Life'', which was her third studio album for her career. On August 16, 2011, Beckah Shae released this album through her independent label Shae Shoc Records, and it was produced by herself with her husband Jack "Shoc" Shocklee.

Critical reception

''Destiny'' garnered critical praise from the ratings and reviews of

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. At Jesus Freak Hideout, Laura Sproull rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, remarking that "Although ''Destiny'' does not surpass the quality of most mainstream hip-hop and R&B acts, it is a positive alternative to those looking for something more than a contagious beat with watered-down words." Lins Honeyman of

rated the album a perfect ten squares, stating that "credit must go to Shae for her powerhouse vocal performance - complete with all the gusto and versatility of divas like

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

and

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...

- plus an incredible writing ability that hits her message home at every turn." At New Release Tuesday, Sarah Fine rated the album a perfect five stars, writing how "from start to finish, is a complete gem." Andy Argyrakis of ''

'' rated the album three stars out of five, saying that even "Though the disc is sometimes dripping with too much production, it keys into today's current dance/pop/R&B trends with relevance and infectiousness." At New Release Tuesday, Kevin McNeese rated the album a perfect five stars, indicating how the release "comes on strong as one of the best overall pop albums of the year" because the artist "pulls no punches and gets to the heart of the matter on many songs." Elise F. of Alpha Omega News graded the album an A, commenting that "With a sound similar to non-Christian artists like

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, Beckah Shae's Destiny provides an uplifting and God-centered alternative to the music and lifestyles the world has to offer." At The Christian Music Review Blog, Jonathan Kemp rated the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, calling the album "so good" because "The beats to her music are really good, her voice is absolutely gorgeous, and her lyrics are amazing once you really read them. I really hope that a lot more people start listening to her music."

Commercial performance

For the ''

'' charting week of September 3, 2011, ''Destiny'' was the No. 32 most sold of the

Christian Albums Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...

, and it was the No. 19 most sold of the Gospel Albums. In addition, it was the No. 35 most sold album in the breaking-and-entry chart of the

Heatseekers Albums Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...

Track listing

Chart performance

References

{{Authority control 2011 albums Beckah Shae albums