Several leading Christian music artists have collaborated on a new CD tribute to Mel Gibson’s blockbuster movie about Christ.
Entitled “Passion of the Christ: Songs,” the project features new original songs that were inspired by the artists’ experiences of seeing the film. It includes music by Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Third Day, Kirk Franklin featuring Yolanda Adams, Charlotte Church, former Creed singer Scott Stapp, Lauryn Hill, P.O.D. and others.
The CD is jointly produced by Gibson’s company, Icon Productions, and Lost Keyword Records. According to a statement, Icon’s proceeds will go to the Malibu Youth Foundation, which was established in the wake of the Columbine High school shootings to provide support services for youth.
Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was released in February and produced over $600 million in box office receipts worldwide.
The filmmaker welcomed the CD.
“My kids think these guys are cool, so they must be,” Gibson jokingly said in the statement. “It means a lot to me that this group of artists dug my film and all wanted to contribute a song. The project came about very organically. Some of the artists on the album saw early screenings of the film and offered to create a song because they had been so moved by it. When we got similar reactions from others, we knew we had something special happening.”
Singer Steven Curtis Chapman said, “As I watched the movie, I began to think about all the different perspectives that people might [have,] not only [looking] at the movie, but at the life of Christ. I saw a martyr, a man laying his life down, a prisoner being unjustly treated. Others might look at it and go, ‘He’s a fool. Why would anybody do this?’ The chorus and idea of the song [recorded with Third Day and MercyMe] is, ‘When I look, what I see is love.'”
The album was released on Aug. 31, the same day the film’s DVD version arrived on the market.
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