A Drummer Boy Christmas

A Drummer Boy Christmas is the fourth studio album by For King & Country, an Australian Christian pop duo comprising brothers Luke Smallbone and Joel Smallbone, released via Word Entertainment on 30 October 2020.[1] It features appearances by Needtobreathe and Gabby Barrett. The album was produced by Tedd Tjornhom and For King & Country, co-produced by Benjamin Backus, and Matt Hales handling executive production.

A Drummer Boy Christmas
A Drummer Boy Christmas Album Cover
Studio album by
For King & Country
Released30 October 2020 (2020-10-30)
Recorded2020
Genre
Length44:47
LabelWord Entertainment
Producer
For King & Country chronology
Burn the Ships
(2018)		 A Drummer Boy Christmas
(2020)		 What Are We Waiting For?
(2022)
Singles from A Drummer Boy Christmas
  1. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
    Released: 2 October 2020
  2. "Little Drummer Boy"
    Released: 2 October 2020
  3. "Heavenly Hosts"
    Released: 3 November 2021

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]

Touring

On 7 October 2020, For King & Country announced that they will be embarking on A Drummer Boy Drive-In: The Christmas Tour, in support of the album.[11] The tour is partnership with the Salvation Army, for a national toy drive encouraging concertgoers to bring new, packaged toys for collection by local Salvation Army representatives and distribute them to families struggling during the holiday season.[12] The tour spanned 20 dates, launched on 12 November 2020 at the Silver Lake Sports Complex in Norco, California, and concluded on 20 December 2020 at the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.[13]

On 26 July 2021, For King & Country announced that they will be going on A Drummer Boy Christmas Tour, also in support of the album. The tour spanned 14 dates, and launched on 27 November 2021 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and concluded on 19 December 2021 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.[14][15]

On 26 July 2022, For King & Country announced that they will be going back to A Drummer Boy Christmas Tour that winter. The tour spanned 15 dates, in which it launched on 26 November 2022 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and concluded on 19 December 2022 at the Ryman Auditorium for the second consecutive year.[16] The tour saw the Ryman for the third straight year, as well as it returned to Florida after the absence in 2021. The tour included the Estero and Grand Rapids stops for the second time and the Orlando stop for a second time but at a different venue.[17]

List of concerts, showing date, city, state and venue
Date City State Venue
2020 dates
12 November 2020 Norco California Silver Lake Sports Complex
13 November 2020 Roseville Denio's Market
14 November 2020 Tulare International Agri-Center
15 November 2020 Pasadena Rose Bowl
20 November 2020 El Paso Texas El Paso County Coliseum
21 November 2020 Glendale Arizona Gila River Arena
22 November 2020 Tucson Pima County Fairgrounds
28 November 2020[lower-alpha 1] Arlington Texas Globe Life Park
29 November 2020 Nashville Tennessee Ryman Auditorium
3 December 2020 Robstown Texas Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds
4 December 2020 College Station Reed Arena
5 December 2020[lower-alpha 1] Houston The MET Church
6 December 2020[lower-alpha 1] Cedar Park H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
10 December 2020 Dade City Florida Joy-Lan Drive-In
11 December 2020 Lakeland Silver Moon Drive-In
12 December 2020[lower-alpha 1] Ocala Ocala Drive-In
13 December 2020 Estero Hertz Arena
18 December 2020 Orlando Central Florida Fairgounds
19 December 2020 West Palm Beach South Florida Fairgrounds
20 December 2020 Pensacola Five Flags Speedway
2021 dates
27 November 2021 Grand Rapids Michigan Van Andel Arena
28 November 2021 Louisville Kentucky KFC Yum! Center
2 December 2021 Oklahoma City Oklahoma Chesapeake Energy Arena
3 December 2021 Fort Worth Texas Dickies Arena
4 December 2021 Houston Toyota Center
5 December 2021 Cedar Park H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
9 December 2021 Des Moines Iowa Wells Fargo Arena
10 December 2021 Sioux Falls South Dakota Denny Sanford Premier Center
11 December 2021 Minneapolis Minnesota Target Center
12 December 2021 Omaha Nebraska Baxter Arena
16 December 2021 St. Louis Missouri Enterprise Center
17 December 2021 Columbus Ohio Schottenstein Center
18 December 2021 Duluth Georgia Gas South Arena
19 December 2021 Nashville Tennessee Ryman Auditorium
2022 dates
26 November 2022 Kansas City Missouri T-Mobile Center
27 November 2022 Dallas Texas American Airlines Center
1 December 2022 Lowell Massachusetts Tsongas Center
2 December 2022 Baltimore Maryland Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
3 December 2022 Hershey Pennsylvania Giant Center
4 December 2022 Cleveland Ohio Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
8 December 2022 Estero Florida Hertz Arena
9 December 2022 Tampa Amalie Arena
10 December 2022 Orlando Amway Center
11 December 2022 Greensboro North Carolina Greensboro Coliseum
15 December 2022 Indianapolis Indiana Gainbridge Fieldhouse
16 December 2022 Fort Wayne Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
17 December 2022 Grand Rapids Michigan Van Andel Arena
18 December 2022 Nashville Tennessee Ryman Auditorium
19 December 2022
Total number of shows: 48

Reception

Critical response
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Jesus Freak Hideout[18]

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."[18] In a positive review for NewReleaseToday, JJ Francesco opined that A Drummer Boy Christmas is "a reverent and intimate Christmas pageant of an album."[19]

Accolades
Awards
Year Organization Award Result Ref
2021 GMA Dove Awards Christmas / Special Event Album of the Year Won [20]
Recorded Music Packaging of the Year Nominated

Commercial performance

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.[21] The album concurrently registered on the mainstream Billboard 200 chart at No. 50.[22]

Track listing
A Drummer Boy Christmas track listing[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In the Bleak Midwinter" (Prologue)Christina Rossetti1:12
2."Joy to the World"Isaac Watts3:55
3."O Come, O Come Emmanuel" (featuring Needtobreathe)Traditional4:19
4."Won't You Come"
1:32
5."Heavenly Hosts"
3:29
6."Silent Night"
4:49
7."A Christmas Monologue"
  • Backus
  • J. Smallbone
  • L. Smallbone
  • Tjornhom
1:37
8."Little Drummer Boy"
4:48
9."The Carol of Joseph (I Believe in You)"
  • J. Smallbone
  • L. Smallbone
  • Hales
4:02
10."O Come All Ye Faithful"Traditional5:17
11."Go Tell It On The Mountain" (with Gabby Barrett)John Wesley Work Jr. 
12."Angels We Have Heard on High"Traditional4:40
13."In the Bleak Midwinter" (Epilogue)Rossetti1:29
Total length:44:47

Charts

Release history
Release history and formats for A Drummer Boy Christmas
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various 30 October 2020
Word Entertainment [31][32]

Notes
  1. 2 shows.

References
  1. Clarks, Jessie (30 October 2020). "For KING & COUNTRY Premieres 'A Drummer Boy Christmas' Album". The Christian Beat. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. Clarks, Jessie (10 September 2020). "for KING & COUNTRY Announces Its First Ever Full-length Christmas Album, "A Drummer Boy Christmas" | Freeccm.com". Freeccm.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  3. Cluver, Ross (9 September 2020). "for KING & COUNTRY Announces Christmas Album – CCM Magazine". CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  4. "for KING & COUNTRY Reveal First-Ever Christmas Album Track List Including Collabs With Gabby Barrett and NEEDTOBREATHE – Music Mayhem Magazine". Music Mayhem Magazine. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  5. 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.
  6. "for KING & COUNTRY Announces the Track Listing for "A Drummer Boy Christmas" : News : JubileeCast". JubileeCast. 3 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  7. "Curb-Word Promo Team on Instagram: "On the 6th day of Christmas🎄, Curb|Word Entertainment gave to me... 🌟 for KING & COUNTRY "Heavenly Hosts" 🌟 Sara Reeves "Go Tell It On The…"". Instagram. 3 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. "for KING & COUNTRY Drop 'Joy To The World'/Share Album Info – CCM Magazine". CCM Magazine. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  9. Longs, Herb (16 October 2020). "For KING & COUNTRY Premiere Original Christmas Song "Heavenly Hosts"". The Christian Beat. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. Cluver, Ross (19 October 2020). "for KING & COUNTRY Release 'Heavenly Hosts' – CCM Magazine". CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. Longs, Herb (7 October 2020). "for King & Country To Launch Holiday Drive-In Tour In November : Music Row". Music Row. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  12. Cluver, Ross (7 October 2020). "for KING & COUNTRY to Partner with Salvation Army on Christmas Tour – CCM Magazine". CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  13. Clarks, Jessie (7 October 2020). "For KING & COUNTRY Announce Christmas Drive-In Tour". The Christian Beat. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  14. "For King & Country To Launch Christmas Tour This Holiday Season". MusicRow.com. 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  15. Longs, Herb (26 July 2021). "For KING & COUNTRY Announce 2021 'A Drummer Boy Christmas Tour'". TCB. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  16. Clarks, Jessie (26 July 2022). "For KING & COUNTRY Announces 2022 Christmas Tour". TCB. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  17. Cluver, Ross (26 July 2022). "FOR KING + COUNTRY Announces 'A DRUMMER BOY CHRISTMAS | The 2022 TOUR Experience'". CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  18. Underdown, John (21 October 2020). "Jesusfreakhideout.com: for KING & COUNTRY, "A Drummer Boy Christmas" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. Francesco, JJ (29 October 2020). "A Drummer Boy Christmas by for KING & COUNTRY Christian CD Book Reviews | NRTeam Member JJFrancesco_NRT". NewReleaseToday. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  20. Grein, Paul (11 August 2021). "2021 GMA Dove Award Nominees: Full List | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  21. Asker, Jim (11 November 2020). "For King & Country Snare No. 2 Debut on Top Christian Albums Chart With 'A Drummer Boy Christmas' | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  22. "Billboard 200 Chart | Billboard". Billboard. 10 November 2020. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  23. Monger, Timothy. "A Drummer Boy Christmas - for KING & COUNTRY | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  24. "For King & Country Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  25. "For King & Country Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  26. "For King & Country Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
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  29. "Top Christian Albums – Billboard". Billboard. Year-End Chart. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  30. "Top Christian Albums – Billboard". Billboard. Year-End Chart. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
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