Blessings (Laura Story song)
| "Blessings" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Laura Story | ||||
| from the album Blessings | ||||
| Released | February 21, 2011 | |||
| Studio | Berwick Lane Studios[1] | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 4:58 | |||
| Label | INO | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Laura Story | |||
| Producer(s) | Nathan Nockels | |||
| Laura Story singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Blessings" is a song by American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter Laura Story from her 2011 album Blessings.[2] It was released on February 21, 2011, as the lead single.[3] The song became Story's first Hot Christian Songs No. 1, staying there for four weeks.[4] It lasted 34 weeks on the overall chart.[5] The song is played in a B major key, and 116 beats per minute.[6] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[7]
Background
[edit]Laura Story married her partner Martin; two years later he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Story learned that despite his life-threatening illness, they saw how God never intended for people to provide for themselves and that instead of walking alone they would need to rely on Jesus's help.[8] Blessings was written to describe how God will allow things that are not immediately understood to happen, but from a different perspective they are a means of spiritual growth. The song is also about how sometimes material possessions are not what God wants for believers, and it lends the idea about how character, along with what is in someone's heart, is ultimately more important.[9] In an interview with FreeCCM, Story learned that during the writing process she realized there was one choice to judge God based on circumstances not understood, and another based on circumstances for what was held to be true of God's nature, with her choosing to trust God. She explained that Blessings is about finding the answer in "the absence of the thing [...] praying for."[10]
Release
[edit]"Blessings" was released on February 21, 2011, as the lead single from her second studio album, Blessings.[11] The song won multiple awards in 2012, these being: Top Christian Song at the Billboard Music Awards, a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Song, Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year at the Dove Awards.[9]
Track listing
[edit]- CD release[12]
- "Blessings (Performance Track with Background Vocals)" – 4:58
- "Blessings (Performance Track / No Background Vocals)" – 4:57
- "Blessings (Performance Track / High Key / No Background Vocals)" – 4:57
- "Blessings (Performance Track / Low Key / No Background Vocals)" – 4:57
- "Blessings" – 4:57
Awards
[edit]Grammy Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Best Contemporary Christian Music Song ("Blessings") | Won |
GMA Dove Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Blessings") | Won |
| Song of the Year ("Blessings") | Won |
Charts
[edit] Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[21] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Blessings – Laura Story | AllMusic
- ^ "Blessings by Laura Story". April 12, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story, "Blessings"". GannsDeen. February 21, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Chart dates for "Blessings":
- June 25: "Christian Songs (June 25, 2011)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- July 2: "Christian Songs (July 2, 2011)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- July 9: "Christian Songs (July 9, 2011)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- July 16: "Christian Songs (July 16, 2011)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Blessings Chart History". Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Key & BPM for Blessings by Laura Story". TuneBat. April 12, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Certified Gold For Single 'Blessings'". BrioMusic. March 16, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Althoff, Allison J. (December 1, 2013). "Laura Story on the Healing Power of Community". Today's Christian Woman. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Jones, Whitney (July 12, 2012). "Laura Story sees 'Blessings' beyond awards". Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Behind The Album "Blessings" With Laura Story". FreeCCM. March 18, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Blessings – Laura Story". Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Blessings – Performance Track EP". Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian AC Aiplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian AC Indicator)". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian Soft AC)". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Heatseekers Songs)". Billboard. June 11, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
- ^ "Hot Christian Songs – Year-End 2011". Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ "American single certifications – Laura Story – Blessings". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 14, 2020.