Long-absent Christian pop star Stacie Orrico is ready for a comeback, according to a posting on her MySpace page. "I can't wait to share new stories of my life in a more soulful and personal body of work," wrote Orrico about her upcoming album, Beautiful Awakening, due in August. "Stories of love, heartbreak, coming of age, growing pains and the true joy that can be found in the process—in the journey of this thing we call life!" In the meantime, the website has a full stream of album's first single, "I'm Not Missing You."

Despite across-the-board positive reviews of its new album, Coming Up to Breathe, MercyMe apparently didn't impress the New York Times, which criticized the album for "plenty of lowlights" and "hackneyed lyrics." The comments were part of a larger story titled, "Christian Rock and Mainstream Music Move Closer Together." MercyMe is currently on a promotional tour for the new CD..

Steven Curtis Chapman kicked off a 19-city international tour yesterday that will take him and his band to Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, China, and South Korea, where Chapman will perform at a U.S. Army base for troops stationed there. After the tour ends, Chapman and his family will spend a month working in Beijing-area orphanages; the Chapmans have adopted three orphan girls from China. After that, it's back to the States to start work on a new studio project, set to release sometime in 2007.

Former Creed front man Scott Stapp will be a special guest for 29 dates on INXS's North American tour, beginning May 19 in Cleveland, with stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas. It's Stapp's second major tour since his solo debut, The Great Divide, released in November.

The Gospel Music Association and iTunes have made available two audio tracks from key performances at the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards. The first is a tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman featuring Third Day's Mac Powell, Casting Crowns' Mark Hall, Jeremy Camp and David Crowder performing some of SCC's biggest songs; the second is a live rendition of the 2006 Song of the Year "How Great Is Our God," by Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Tomlin. Both tracks are available for $0.99.

The GMA, the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA), and the Christian Music Trade Association (CMTA) are teaming to support a bill that will require satellite services—such as XM Radio and Sirius—to license and copy-protect the content these organizations represent. If passed, the legislation will provide content owners compensation and protection for the music these satellite providers broadcast, thus limiting users' ability to copy and manipulate the copyrighted material.

After a number of delays, upstart label Centricity Records will unveil Uncommon Days, the debut by alternative rock foursome Circleslide. Set to bow on July 11, the album was produced by Tommy Collier and Pete Kipley, as well as by The Choir members Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd.

A Christian Black Eyed Peas? Fervent Records—home to BarlowGirl, By the Tree, and Big Daddy Weave—will release the debut by Group 1 Crew, an urban trio that melds the influences of BEP, The Fugees and Beethoven (huh?). The album, produced by Chris Stevens (Sanctus Real, Paul Wright), drops August 29.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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