''Help!'' is the third studio album by American

contemporary worship Contemporary worship is a form of Christian worship that emerged within Western evangelical Protestantism in the 20th century. It was originally confined to the charismatic movement, but is now found in a wide range of churches, including many w ...

musician Brandon Lake, released via Tribl Records on May 13, 2022. The album features guest appearances by Judah, Amanda Cook, and

Chandler Moore Chandler David Moore (born March 21, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Moore currently partners Maverick City Music, a collective of worshippers working in the contemporary Christian music and Gospel world. Maverick ...

. ''Help!'' is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

which focuses on mental health, thematically exploring issues such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness among others from a faith-based perspective. The album was supported by the release of the title track as the lead single. The album was a commercial success upon its release, debuting at number 18 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Top 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 ...

chart in the United States.

Background

On April 29, 2022, Brandon Lake announced that he would be releasing a full-length album titled ''Help!'' on May 13, 2022. Lake shared in an interview with K-Love that the album was initially intended to be a hold-people-over

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

of three songs, but it then became a nine-song record, while confirming that "a "proper" long-form follow-up collection is in the works." Lake also shared that his own mental health issues began to come up when he started touring, then went to his counsellor and began writing songs about how he felt and "what God says about it." Lake also revealed the album's title track was the initial catalyst for making the album, after experiencing a panic attack shortly prior into entering a songwriting session with Jacob Sooter, with whom he shared his story and co-wrote the song with.

Music and lyrics

The album has been described as a collection of songs depicting "Lake's heart cry in the battle against depression, anxiety, loneliness, and other mental health struggles--acting as a declarative prayer amidst the processing of his personal emotions." Jasmine Peterson described the sound of the album as containing "flavors" of pop/electronic ("Meant for Good"), R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

("Hard Year"), acoustic ballads ("Don't You Give Up on Me"), and

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

vibes that are comparable to mainstream bands like

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their sing ...

and

OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...

("Help!," "Always Holding On," "Save Me"). The album begins with "Meant For Good" which is "a lyrically simplistic rock melody whereby both vocalists relay to us all that God turns around even the most dire of situations- what the devil intended for bad, God intended for good." The album's title track sonically "feels like a panic attack with an onslaught of chaotic sounds and poetic lyrics." "Pharaoh (Let My People Go)" is a track that "dives deep into the faithfulness of Jesus, and praises God for His steadfastness and His providence throughout every season of our lives" It is followed by "Don’t You Give Up On Me" which is an acoustic guitar ballad sung from God's perspective, reminding us that "God is answering our prayers, our cries, our hopes, and our dreams, all the time." "Always Holding On" is a rock song which "relaying to us all that Jesus is always holding onto us." "Hard Year" is a song that acknowledges "the toll COVID has taken on our collective mental health." "So Close" is a piano ballad featuring Amanda Cook where they declare "that even if Jesus is this close to us, the song reminds us that we need Jesus to be closer to us every day, so that we can evidently see and experience his lavish and unending love and devotion to us all." "

Fear Is Not My Future "Fear Is Not My Future" is a song performed by American contemporary worship collective Maverick City Music and American gospel musician Kirk Franklin featuring American singers Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore. The radio version of the song was ...

" is a track that features

and serves as "a faith-filled declaration of God's power in our lives, which is greater than our past or current circumstances." In "Save Me," Lake admits his own mental health issues, pleading with God and "asking Him to help and to save us all from our own demons and our own vices." The album ends with "Thank You," where Lake is joined by his children "and Jesus is given the glory and honour and praise in a simple yet effective prayer of gratitude and of thanks."

Release and promotion

"Help!" was released on April 29, 2022, as the lead single from the album. Lake dedicated the album's title track to

Mental Health Awareness Month Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as "Mental Health Month") has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. The month is observed with media, local events, and film screenings. Mental Health Awareness Month began in the Unit ...

which is observed in May in the United States.

Critical reception

In a NewReleaseToday review, Jasmine Patterson commended Lake's experimentation with a variety of musical styles and genres, arriving at the conclusion that "''Help!'' is a daring, captivating record with a much-needed message of honesty and hope. It appeals to fans of Rock and Worship and everything in between. And God will use these songs to bring healing to your heart." Joshua Andre in his 365 Days of Inspiring Media review opined that "With the track list being around about 40-odd minutes; a few of the songs drag, but overall the album is quite compelling- in no way was I bored or disinterested. My attention was held all the way, and as we wait and as some of us are in isolation because of COVID-19; let us reflect upon the year and upon the future, and let us listen to Brandon Lake's ''Help!'' while we do ponder life's big questions."

Background

Music and lyrics

Release and promotion

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Track listing

Charts

Release history

References

External links