Personnel: Mandisa (background vocals); Tim Rosenau, Lynn Nichols, Cary Barlowe (guitar); Scott Dente, Greg Hagan (acoustic guitar); Jerry McPherson, Mike Payne (electric guitar); John Catchings (cello); Prague Orchestra, David Davidson (strings); Shane Philen (saxophone); Tommy Vaughan (flugelhorn); Rodney J. Mills (trombone); Jamie Kenney, Shannon , Blair Masters (keyboards); Christopher Stevens, Todde Lawton, Drew, Matt Pierson, Tony Lucido, Akil Thompson, Jamie Moore (bass guitar); Brian Haley, Dan Needham, Lamar Carter, Ben Phillips (drums); Shaun Shankel, Robert Marvin, Josiah Bell (programming); DJ Maj (scratches); Cindy Morgan, Missi Hale, Shon Lock, Calvin Nowell, Kimberly Mont, Debreca Smith, Nirva Dorsaint-Ready, Jason Eskridge, Michelle Swift, Peter Penrose, Sam Mizell, Gabriel Patillo, Drew Ramsey, Debi Selby, Drew Cline (background vocals).
Additional personnel: Fisk Jubilee Singers (background vocals); Diverse City, TobyMac.
For her 2007 debut, TRUE BEAUTY, fifth-season AMERICAN IDOL finalist Mandisa presents an engaging album that mixes gospel, R&B, and pop. On this confident set, the emotive singer (whose last name is Hundley) proudly reveals her ties to Christian music--the lightly funky "Shackles (Praise You)" is a Mary Mary cover, and the lively "Love Somebody" was written by CCM hero TobyMac, who also appears on the track. Another highlight of TRUE BEAUTY is the bright, catchy "Only the World," which serves as the record's first single, and typifies Mandisa's exuberant vocal style.