A Drummer Boy Christmas became a commercially successful album upon its release, debuting at No. 2 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums Chart in the United States. A Drummer Boy Christmas received nominations for the GMA Dove Award Christmas / Special Event Album of the Year and Recorded Music Packaging of the Year at the 2021 GMA Dove Awards.
Background
In September 2020, For King & Country announced A Drummer Boy Christmas as their first full-length Christmas album,[2] due to be out on 30 October 2020 and availing the album for pre-order. The album was inspired by a concept that originated near the band's beginning, when they Joel and Luke Smallbone were rehearsing for a Christmas tour.[3] The album comprises two original Christmas songs: "Heavenly Hosts" and "The Carol of Joseph (I Believe In You)"; and contains guest appearances from Needtobreathe featuring on the track "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" while the song "Go Tell It On The Mountain" featuring guest vocals from Gabby Barrett.[4]
Release and promotion
Singles
On October 2, 2020, For King & Country announced that "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" featuring Needtobreathe and "Little Drummer Boy" would be serviced to Christian radio in the United States as the official singles from the album,[5] revealing the album's track-listing.[6]
"Heavenly Hosts" was serviced to Christian radio stations in the United States on 3 November 2021, becoming the album's third single.[7]
Promotional singles
On October 2, 2020, For King & Country released "Joy to the World" as the first promotional single from the album, accompanied with a lyric video.[8] On October 16, 2020, For King & Country released "Heavenly Hosts" as the second and final promotional single from the album,[9] accompanied with a lyric video.[10]
Through November and December in the years of 2020–2024, the band toured around the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom in promotion of the album.
Jesus Freak Hideout's John Underdown noted the oddity in following up a successful album (Burn the Ships) with a holiday themed album, but acknowledged the band's success, saying: "Ultimately, what sets this album above its peers is the direction and purpose behind the songs picked and the way they're ordered. This thoughtfulness is felt and allows for deeper layers of reflection where other Christmas records only provide background fluff."[11] In a positive review for NewReleaseToday, JJ Francesco opined that A Drummer Boy Christmas is "a reverent and intimate Christmas pageant of an album."[12]
In the United States, A Drummer Boy Christmas earned 13,000 equivalent album units in its first week of sales, and as a result debuted at No. 2 on the Top Christian Albums Chart dated November 14, 2020, the band's sixth top ten release on the tally.[14] The album concurrently registered on the mainstream Billboard 200 chart at No. 50.[15]
^Clarks, Jessie (2 October 2020). "For KING & COUNTRY Announces Tracklist For First Christmas Album". The Christian Beat. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2020. With their forthcoming album and radio singles "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" (feat. NEEDTOBREATHE) and "Little Drummer Boy," fans will soon be able to start celebrating "the most wonderful time of the year" by listening to for KING & COUNTRY's intimate and powerful interpretations of many Christmas classics.
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