Testify (Caleb Johnson Album)

''Testify'' is the debut album by ''American Idol'' season thirteen winner, Caleb Johnson. Its first single was released in July 2014 and the album was released on August 12, 2014, by Interscope Records and is produced by Howard Benson.

Background

The album was first announced soon after Johnson won ''American Idol''. Then it was assumed that the album would be self-titled but on June 23, it was revealed that the album would be titled, ''Testify''. Johnson co-wrote six of the ten tracks and worked with musicians such as, Blair Daly, James Michael of Sixx:AM, Sam Hollander, Aloe Blacc, Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons, and Dave Bassett. The album's first single will be released in July 2014 and his ''Idol'' coronation song, " As Long as You Love Me" will serve as a bonus track.

Johnson recorded the album in three weeks in between the ''Idol'' finale and tour. He says, "The week after the show ended, I flew all over the place and did a press run," "Immediately after that, I flew back to L.A. and started working on the record. I wrote 12 or 13 songs. Out of those, we picked eight to put on the record." About the songwriting progress, "We really just bounced off each other and pulled these songs out. Most of these songs we wrote in half a day, because we were going so quickly", says Johnson.

Critical reception

The Knoxville News Sentinel's Chuck Campbell says that Johnson "has a likeable personality and a strong voice. But he's an underdeveloped performer on his undercooked new ''Testify,'' blandly molded to appeal to an overbroad audience, much like ''American Idol'' itself."

Commercial performance

The album debuted on ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 24 with 11,000 copies sold in its debut week, giving him the distinction of having the lowest first week sales and inaugural chart position of any American Idol winner. The album has sold 24,000 copies in the United States as of April 2016. Including album equivalent units, a total of 30,695 units has been sold as of March 2018.

Johnson also has the distinction of being the first American Idol winner to have their Idol coronation song, "As Long as You Love Me," fail to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.

Performers

*All vocals – Caleb Johnson
*Background vocals – Justin Hawkins, Johnny Litten, Lenny Skolnik
*Choir/chorus – Monet Bagneris, Auvrell Christophe, Calvin Dupree, Tommy Leonard

Design

*Photography – Brian Bowen-Smith
*Art direction – Stephanie Hsu, Sean Mosher-Smith
*Design – Sean Mosher-Smith

Musicians

*Baritone saxophone – Cochemea Gastelum
* Bass – Jon Button, Chris Chaney
*Drums – Randy Cooke, Josh Freese, Joe Rickard
*Guitars – Josh Freese, Phil X
*Hammond B3 – Howard Benson
*Horns – The Dap Kings Horns
*Keyboards – Howard Benson, Johnny Litten, Lenny Skolnik
*Tenor saxophone – Neal Sugarman
*Trumpet – Dave Guy

Production

* A&R – Monica Benson, John Ehmann, Marta Navas, Katherine Neil, Marisa Torbet, Jeanne Venton
*Digital editing – Paul DeCarlie
*Drum technician – Jon Nicholson
*Engineer – Wayne Gordon, Mike Plotnikoff
**Assistant engineer – Sean Anders, Anthony Martinez, Muktar Muktar
**Overdub engineer – Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki
**Vocal engineer – Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki
*Management – Ginger Ramsey, Brianne Widaman
*Marketing – Jennifer Bowling
* Mastering – Brian Gardner
* Mixing – Chris Lord
**Mixing assistant – Keith Armstrong, Ismael Barreto, Nik Karpen
* Producer – Howard Benson, Les Scurry
* Programming – Jonny Litten, Lenny Skolnik
*Publicity – Meghan Prophet, Christine Wolff
*String arrangement – Lenny Skolnik
*Voices – Howard Benson

Release history

References

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2014 debut albums
Albums produced by Howard Benson
Interscope Records albums
19 Recordings albums
Caleb Johnson (singer) albums