This Is Me (Kierra Sheard album)

Overview

Upon announcing the (then) future release, Sheard made the following statement:

I called the album This Is Me because its more of the music me and my friends listen to, says Kiki. I grew up in the church, hearing and singing traditional Gospel, which I still love and will always be a big part of who I am. But when the Clark Sisters, then later, artists like Kirk Franklin, and Mary Mary stepped out and put the Gospel message to a contemporary sound, a lot of people, particularly the young, realized this was music they could relate to, and when they were then willing to give it a listen, the message started getting through as well.

Criticism

This Is Me was met with mixed reaction from Sheard's core gospel fanbase. Where traditional gospel enthusiasts had a few tracks of that style to appease them on Kiki's debut project, her second album adopted an even more slick, contemporary sound. The only place the more trademark traditional "churchy" vocals appear are in the vamp of "No, Never". Nonetheless, scores of younger fans have been introduced to both traditional and contemporary gospel influences through Kiki Sheard's work. The artist herself stated that her goal with this album was to take the gospel message to a younger generation through songs that have a "beat they can associate with."

Chart performance

Upon its release This Is Me debuted at #1 on the Billboard Gospel charts. Other chart peak positions include #3 on the Billboard Top Christian charts.

The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel album in December 2006.

Track listing

1. "You're the Only One" (Fred Jerkins III, Fred Jerkins IV, Lashawn Daniels, Keyetta Jerkins) – 3:42
2. "Yes" (Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, J. Campbell, Erica Campbell) – 2:56
3. "It Is What It Is" (Fred Jerkins III, Lashawn Daniels, Keyetta Jerkins) – 3:36
4. "This Is Me" (Fred Jerkins III, Delisha Thomas) – 4:23
5. "Wrong Things" (James Moss) – 3:58
6. "Faith" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard) – 2:47
7. "Why Me?" (Fred Jerkins III, Rodney Jerkins, Lashawn Daniels, Keyetta Jerkins) – 3:26
8. "Have What You Want" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard) – 4:07
9. "You" (Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, Erica Campbell, Trecina "Tina" Campbell) – 2:49
10. "Change" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, PJ Morton, Tony Sims) – 3:28
11. "No, Never" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard) – 3:44
12. "Hear This" - Intro – 0:28
13. "Hear This" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, Dwayne Wright, Avriele Crandle) – 4:49

1. "Hands Up" (Fred Jerkins III, Kierra "Kiki" Sheard) – 3:47
2. "Always by My Side" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard) – 3:02
3. "Scream" (Paul D. Allen, Wille Wood, Rodney Levens, Brian Bradley, James Moss, Walter Kearney) – 3:55
4. "Here I Am" (PJ Morton) – 3:05
5. "It's Not Over" (Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, Keyon Harrold) – 3:43
6. "This Is Me (Live)" (Fred Jerkins III, Delisha Thomas) – 4:32

Japanese Import

This Is Me (Japanese Edition) (Toshiba-EMI, released June 6, 2006)
This Japanese Edition of This Is Me bears several notable differences to the US version. First, the Japanese version was released several weeks earlier than the US version with markedly different artwork than the domestic version. Though with a radically different track listing, it contains nearly all of songs on the US Special Edition except for "Change", "Always By My Side", "Here I Am", and the live session version of "This Is Me". The Japanese Edition does however include "Get Yours", a song similar in feel to Kierra's first big hit "You Don't Know". The track listing is as follows:

Track listing

1. "Yes" – 2:56
2. "You" – 2:49
3. "You're the Only One" – 3:42
4. "Get Better - It's Not Over" – 3:43
5. "This Is Me" – 4:23
6. "It Is What It Is" – 3:36
7. "Have What You Want" – 4:07
8. "Wrong Things" – 3:58
9. "Why Me?" – 3:26
10. "Faith" – 2:47
11. "Hands Up" – 3:47
12. "Get Yours" – 3:34
13. "Scream" – 3:55
14. "Hear This" – 6:18
15. "No, Never" – 3:44
16. "Rise" – 3:49

Awards

In 2007, the album won a Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.