Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, May 2014: Francesca Battistelli's "If We're Honest" Becomes Her Third Consecutive No. 1 Christian Album

FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI'S IF WE'RE HONEST BECOMES HER THIRD CONSECUTIVE CHRISTIAN NO. 1 ALBUM

Battistelli Performs Lead Single, "Write Your Story," On Fox & Friends;
Song Hits No. 1 On The National Christian Audience Radio Chart This Week

Battistelli Receives ASCAP Award,
Appears For Second Time On Grand Ole Opry Stage May 10

Francesca Battistelli, If We're Honest (Deluxe Edition)

NEWS SOURCE: Hoganson Media
May 6, 2014

GRAMMY®-nominated, "Artist of the Year" Dove Award winner and Christian Music's best-selling new artist in 10 years, Francesca Battistelli released her third studio album, If We're Honest, April 22 from Fervent Records. The album quickly launched to No. 1 amidst wide critical acclaim in its debut week at retail, becoming her third consecutive album to gather the top position on the SoundScan Christian Albums chart.

During the album's first week at retail, Battistelli was tapped by Fox News' "Fox & Friends" to perform her hit single "Write Your Story" from If We're Honest, followed by a performance of the album's "When The Crazy Kicks In" on FOX's "After the Show Show." She also performed the aforementioned songs and more from the new album on a 60-minute SiriusXM "The Message: Delivered Live" special and for over 3,000 people at a KSBJ Radio event in Houston. She further completed interviews with or was featured in USA Today, The Tennessean, CCM Magazine (May 2014 cover), The Christian Post, Breathecast.com, Christian Musician Magazine (May/June 2014 cover), United Stations Radio and numerous other radio outlets, and appeared in a Facebook chat with Family Christian Stores and a Google Hang Out with NewReleaseTuesday.com.

This week, Battistelli received an ASCAP Christian Music Award for "Strangely Dim," a top 10 single from her Hundred More Years Deluxe Edition, while NewReleaseTuesday.com premieres today her first video from If We're Honest, "When The Crazy Kicks In." The compelling video was filmed in Nashville and directed by Evan Kaufman.

Earlier this year Battistelli made her national morning TV debut, performing "Write Your Story" on ABC's "Good Morning America." The song continues to resonate with listeners, topping Billboard's National Christian Audience chart for the first time this week and remaining No. 1 on the AC Indicator radio chart for the sixth consecutive week. The song also claimed No. 1 for two consecutive weeks on Billboard's Hot AC/CHR chart.

Produced by GRAMMY®-nominated and Dove Award-winning producer and her longtime collaborator Ian Eskelin, If We're Honest reveals Battistelli's most intimate and accomplished musical statement yet and showcases her trademark pop and soul-infused sound.

"This album is a really good reflection of where I am right now," said Battistelli. "My family and I moved back to Nashville in May, and I went right to work writing for this album. From my perspective, it felt like the pressure was off after that famously terrifying second album and all that was happening back then. This time around, I really just let go of all that self-imposed pressure. Somehow I felt as though I didn't have to prove as much, even to myself, and I think that allowed me to do my best work."

The 11-track album and 15-track deluxe version of If We're Honest are available everywhere great music is sold, including on iTunes at http://smarturl.it/ifwerehonest.

Taking her new music and concert favorites on the road, Battistelli will perform for her second time at the Grand Ole Opry May 10 along with Carrie Underwood and Charlie Daniels Band, as well as perform at the K-LOVE Fan Awards in Nashville May 31, where she is also nominated for "Female Artist of the Year." This spring/summer she can further be seen throughout the country at numerous fairs and festivals prior to launching a headlining tour in the fall. Recently wrapping up the Word Entertainment / LightWorkers Media (Mark Burnett and Roma Downey) partnership "The Bible: Son of God Tour 2014," in association with 20th Century Fox feature film "Son of God" and epic mini-series "The Bible," all the latest tour dates and more information can be found at www.francescamusic.com.

Since her debut in 2008, Francesca Battistelli has earned a GRAMMY® nomination (Best Gospel Performance), six Dove Awards (including "Artist of the Year" in 2011) and 22 Dove Award nominations. Both her debut album, My Paper Heart (certified Gold in 2012), and her 2011 sophomore release, Hundred More Years, took the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Christian Album chart. With over a million albums sold to date and nearly 2 million single downloads, she is the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past decade. Her music has also been featured on TriStar Picture's "Soul Surfer," Columbia Picture's "Julie and Julia," TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," NBC's "The Biggest Loser," FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance," and several other television and movie outlets. In addition, this past fall she was featured on over three million Diet Pepsi Cans throughout the US.

For more information, please visit, www.francescamusic.com, facebook.com/francescabattistelli and @francescamusic.

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For more info on Francesca Battistelli visit the JFH Artists Database.