People (Hillsong United album)

Joel Houston, leader of Hillsong United, stated that part of the message of the album is "accepting that we are flawed – but that God is madly in love with us". Accolades == Writing and production==

Writing for People (Live) was done by various members of the Hillsong United band, such as Joel Houston and Matt Crocker. As Hillsong United is a branch of evangelical church, Hillsong, their writing process involves biblical influences. This requires that, after writing, their lyrics go through extra levels of approval from those within the church and the band to ensure its appropriateness and biblical accuracy. Each of the songs on this album is written in a similar format by a variety of members of the band, crediting a total of twelve individuals as the writers. Hillsong United's music as a whole has a specific role as worship music for the Church. The writing process involves consideration of this role in order to create music that can easily be replicated and can resonate with a wide Christian audience. As Hillsong United is a part of the large branch of Hillsong Church, their album release schedule differs from most conventional bands. Hillsong's various bands release a range of albums each year, following a distinct release schedule. The church typically releases a live album each year, as such, People (Live) was released on 26 April 2019. This album release schedule acts in accordance with the Hillsong Church conferences throughout the year, with an album being released each year following one of their conferences. These include conferences such as their 'Colour Conference,' the women's conference which typically falls within the first three months of the year, and 'Hillsong Conference', which typically falls between June and August. In 2019, People (Live) was released on 26 April following the Hillsong Worship and Creative Conference at the end of 2018. == Musical style and themes ==

Members of Hillsong United have stated that the musical style within People (Live) differs from their previous albums. The targeted audience of this album, and others by Hillsong United, is reflected by the incorporation of contemporary rock into their musical style. In the product description of the album on the Hillsong store, the band states that their slight change in musical style in this album was done to demonstrate, 'the utter reliance on God and the fact that we are called to look at life through an uncomplicated lens of loving people.' == Release and promotion ==

People (Live) was released 26 April 2019 by the Hillsong label and the Capital Christian Music Group label. Following this was the release of Whole Heart (Hold Me Now) on 11 January 2019, then followed by '''As You Find Me' on 9 February 2019'', and finally, the single Another in the Fire released on 15 March 2019. It features footage of the band and the crowd during their tour of the United States. This concert film also includes songs from other Hillsong bands, such as, the Hillsong Worship song 'What a Beautiful Name,' which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song in 2017. == Marketing ==

Hillsong has a designated marketing team for their church that releases promotional content for their upcoming albums. Hillsong and its subsequent bands market their upcoming albums largely through social media. In the lead up to People (Live)'s release, Hillsong United released trailers via social media to promote its release, using the hashtag #UnitedPeople to increase visibility. Merchandise Hillsong sells various items through their 'Hillsong store' including branded clothing, hats, journals, and more. The Hillsong store, in its description for the People (Live) t-shirt, says, 'Spread the message in this fresh white t-shirt.' Artwork and visuals The album cover of People (Live) was designed and created by Nathan Cahyadi, Nick Dellis and Nathanial Redekop. There are additional visuals to each song as a part of the concert film, released after their tour of the United States, featuring footage from their performance at Madison Square Garden, an arena in New York City. ==Commercial performance==

In Australia, People debuted on the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 6. In the United States, People sold 107,000 equivalent album units in its opening week, thus debuting at No. 2 on the mainstream Billboard 200 chart (dated 2 May). Being their third top ten appearance on Billboard 200, the album is the highest ranking appearance for Hillsong United on the chart beating out the No. 5 debuts by Empires (2015) and Zion (2013), while breaking their best sales week record, formerly held by Empires. ==Track listing==

Hillsong United toured the United States in early to mid-2019 to promote the album. Amanda Lindsey Cook and Mack Brock were the opening acts of the tour. The tour performed at venues in 29 U.S. cities, including the Staples Center in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tour was extended, ending at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia for the annual Passion Conferences on 31 December 2019. The album, The People Tour: Live From Madison Square Garden, was released on 29 January 2021. ==Personnel==

Credits from Zendesk. Hillsong United • Michael Guy Chislett – electric guitar • Matt Crocker – vocals, acoustic guitar • Jonathon Douglass – vocals • Jad Gillies – vocals, electric guitar • Joel Houston – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano • Taya Gaukrodger – vocals • Benjamin Hastings – vocals • Simon Kobler – drums, percussion • Jihea Oh – bass guitar • Benjamin Tennikoff – piano, keyboard, synthesizer • Dylan Thomas – electric guitar Additional musicians • Chris Davenport (Hillsong NYC) – vocals • Tulele Faletolu (past Hillsong United musician) – vocals • Brooke Ligertwood (Hillsong Worship / past Hillsong United musician) – vocals • Aodhan King (Hillsong Young & Free) – vocals • Matt Tennikoff (past Hillsong United musician) – bass guitar • Nathan Hughes – keys Additional vocals • Dee Uluirewa (vocal coach) • Alex Epa Iosefa (Hillsong Young & Free) • Renee Sieff (Hillsong Young & Free) • Rachel Helms • Michelle Cook • Ashley-Morgan Alexander • Darian Bass • Darnell Barrett • Tim Nakao ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts == Critical reception ==

The release of People (Live) gained status as Hillsong United's biggest sales week as of its release in 2019. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums, No. 1 on Top Album Sales with the most sales in that week, and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200. Hillsong United received generally positive reviewed from critics for People (Live). Jessica Morris, an internationally published journalist, in a review for 'Others' wrote that the album has a 'superb production value and artistry with an authenticity rarely seen in worship.' Joshua Andre in a review for 365 Days of Inspiring Media rated People a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Josh Balogh, a music reviewer with a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies also rated the album a 4.5, noting, ‘despite their musical direction changing, they have remained accessible,’ in his review for Jesus Freak Hideout. Others in the music field have also commended the album, with the National Music and Media manager of Koorong stating, ‘the thing I love most about People is how the raw energy captured in the live recording transports me back to the early days of UNITED.' Reviews such as this highlight the generally positive feedback from critics surrounding Hillsong United's change in musical style and choice of live production. == Impact and response ==

in California in 2014. People (Live) was first performed as a whole on 18 November 2018 at the time of its recording, prior to its release as it is a live album in 2019. The album was played in its entirety for the first time at the Hillsong Worship and Creative Conference in 2018 and was recorded at this time. On the Hillsong store, along with the CD and vinyl version of the album, they offer the album in the form of a music book for US$25, sheet music for US$20 and the instrumental for US$10. Churches such as Bethel Church are among the many that perform songs from People at their weekly services. The most popular songs on this album are 'Whole Heart' with 96 million streams on Spotify, followed by 'Another in the Fire' and 'Good Grace' with 79 million and 66 million streams respectively as of May 16, 2024. ==References==