''Different Kind of Free'' is the third studio album from Christian girl group

ZOEgirl ZOEgirl was an American contemporary Christian music, Christian teen pop and pop rock band formed in 1999. The group comprised Chrissy Conway-Katina, Alisa Childers and Kristin Swinford-Schweain. They were signed to Sparrow Records from 1999 to ...

. It was released on September 16, 2003 through

Sparrow Records Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group. History Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then artists and repertoire (A&R) director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by Thorn EMI in ...

and was produced by Lynn Nichols, Robert "Aurel M" Marvin, Damon Riley and

Tedd T Tedd T., born Tedd Andrew Tjornhom (CHURN-home), is a music producer, songwriter, arranger, programmer, and engineer. He launched the independent record label Teleprompt Records in 2003 as a joint venture with Word/Warner Music Group. His intere ...

. "You Get Me", "Beautiful Name" and "Feel Alright" were released as radio singles. ''Different Kind of Free'' marks the band's departure from the bubblegum pop music of their two previous albums, in favor of a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

sound.

Background

ZOEgirl's Mix of Life was released on September 24, 2002. This remix album's Trip Rock Mix of "I Believe" foreshadowed the girl group's transition from bubblegum pop music to

music. review on Christianity Today. Retrieved August 28, 2010. During the autumn of 2002, Chrissy Conway-Katina started working on a draft for the lead single " You Get Me" with her future husband James Katina. Its chorus remained the same in the finished version of the song. On February 2, 2003, an animated banner appeared on ZOEgirl's official website, encouraging visitors to "listen to the rip Rockremix" of ZOEgirl's hit single "I Believe". Those who participated in this activity were instructed to listen to the original, pop version of "I Believe". Afterwards, they listened to the Trip Rock remix of "I Believe". Finally, they would comment on the remix, indicating whether or not they enjoyed it. The album's official release date was announced on May 22, 2003 via the group's official website. "You Get Me" was released to radio stations on June 22, 2003. On July 15, 2003, ZOEgirl announced the album's title: ''Different Kind of Free''. The lead single "You Get Me" was released to retail stores on July 24, 2003.

Release

''Different Kind of Free'' peaked on the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 149. It reached No. 9 on ''Billboards Christian Albums chart, and No. 4 on the ''Billboard''

Top Heatseekers 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 ...

Chart.

Reception

Despite the girl group's musical transition, the album received generally favorable reviews among

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 aroun ...

critics. Jesus Freak Hideout stated in their review: "ZOEgirl strips away the electronic sugar and spice to offer up the smoothest transition from pop to pop/rock since Rebecca St. James made the same move in the mid-nineties." ''

CCM Magazine ''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has be ...

'' said that "''No. '' offers plenty of good advice on ways to be different and, in this case, godly kinds of girls.""Different Kind of Free" - Music Review.
Retrieved August 28, 2010.

Track listing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Different Kind of Free 2003 albums ZOEgirl albums Sparrow Records albums