Top Christian/Pop Artist Jaci Velasquez Talks About Her Album, Beauty Has Grace

By Dale Kawashima

Jaci Velasquez

Jaci Velasquez has been one of the most acclaimed, best-selling artists in the Christian and Latin genres for the past decade. She has won multiple Dove Awards and Billboard Awards, and she has received several Grammy and American Music Award nominations. In addition, three of her albums have been certified platinum, and she’s had 16, #1 hit singles, on the Christian, AC or Latin charts.

Velasquez has been a prominent artist and performer since she was 14, when she signed her first, label deal. More recently, she has developed her songwriting skills (co-writing most of the songs on her last two albums) and launched an acting career, starring in the 2003 movie, Chasing Papi. Still only 25, Velasquez has recently her latest album, Beauty Has Grace, on Word Records.

The new album was mostly written and recorded in London, England, because Velasquez wanted to collaborate with noted producer/writer Martin Terefe, who is based in London. She was a fan of Terefe’s work with Ron Sexsmith, Leona Naess and Shea Seger, so she was very excited to write with Terefe, and have him produce her album. Velasquez and Terefe ended up collaborating on many songs, seven which made the album.

“I really enjoyed working with Martin,” said Velasquez. “I’ve been wanting to work with him for the past three years. He went over and beyond the call of duty with me. Martin helped make the album more alternative and edgier, both musically and production-wise. It has the programming sound of Flaming Lips, and the upright piano sound of Radiohead and Coldplay. Also, the vocal sound is dryer, with my voice right up in the face of the microphone.”

Lyrically, the songs on Beauty Has Grace reflect Velasquez’s Christian background and positive outlook. “I wrote about my faith, and my love for life,” explained Velasquez. “The songs encompass a lot of things which are meaningful to me. There are songs about my husband, the supernatural, about how God loves us. It’s very non-judgmental. It’s a circular record about what loving God, and His love for us, is all about.”

Beauty Has Grace also includes three songs by other writers, including Chris Eaton and Mark Byrd. One of these songs is called “Something Beautiful,” which was the one cut on the album produced by Velasquez (the other nine were produced by Terefe).

Jaci Velasquez

In addition to the release of this album, Velasquez is also focusing on the new, record label she has recently launched, called Apostrophe Records. “I started this label to sign, and help develop new Christian artists,” said Velasquez. “I wanted to get back to the way the industry started, by having a label which sticks and stays with artists. We’ve signed two new artists, and both have albums which have just been released. One artist is Michael Cook, an acoustic-pop singer/songwriter (whose album is called Imprint), and other is Grand Prize, a male rock band (whose album is called Identity).” Both albums were released this month (January 2005), and are distributed by Word Records.

Velasquez will also devote much of this year to performing live, on several concert tours. She will be traveling to Southeast Asia and Scandinavia for tours, and also in the U.S. for another tour. Notably, last October, she sang at the White House in front of President George W. Bush, at the National Hispanic Heritage Month reception.

“I’m excited about the new album, my new label (Apostrophe Records), and everything else,” said Velasquez. “I’ve come to a point in my life, where I’ve basically done everything I’ve wanted to do. So I’m making a new set of goals. I’m just living and breathing, and being who God wants me to be.”