| Hero | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Kirk Franklin |
| Cover: | Kfranklin_hero.jpg |
| Released: | October 4, 2005 |
| Recorded: | July 2005 |
| Genre: | Urban contemporary gospel |
| Length: | 77:26 |
| Label: | B-Rite, GospoCentric, J Records |
| Producer: | Kirk Franklin, J Moss |
| Prev Title: | A Season of Remixes |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | Songs for the Storm |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
Hero is the eighth album by Kirk Franklin, released October 4, 2005 on GospoCentric Records.
Hero was certified as Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on and Platinum on .[1] it is one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time.
In 2007 Hero won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album and "Imagine Me" won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song.[2]
Produced by Franklin and J. Moss, the album features songs with several urban contemporary gospel and R&B artists including Dorinda Clark-Cole, Tye Tribbett, Marvin Winans (member of the Winans), Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams, and Moss himself.[3]
| Title | Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro (America the Beautiful)" | 0:45 | Vocals by the African Children’s Choir |
| 2. | "Looking for You" | 4:06 | Samples "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen and appears on the soundtrack to "Norbit". |
| 3. | "Hero" (featuring Dorinda Clark Cole) | 5:20 | |
| 4. | "Interlude #1" (featuring Fred Hammond) | 0:55 | |
| 5. | "Let It Go" (featuring Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. and tobyMac) | 4:59 | Samples "Shout" by Tears for Fears |
| 6. | "The Process" | 1:08 | |
| 7. | "Imagine Me" | 5:18 | 2007 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song |
| 8. | "Could've Been" (featuring J Moss and Tye Tribbett) | 6:47 | |
| 9. | "Better" | 4:00 | Produced By Dre & Vidal |
| 10. | "Afterwhile" (featuring Yolanda Adams) | 2:51 | |
| 11. | "Brokenhearted" (featuring Marvin L. Winans) | 6:01 | |
| 12. | "Without You" | 5:02 | |
| 13. | "Keep Your Head" | 4:36 | Samples Keep Your Head to the Sky by Earth, Wind, and Fire |
| 14. | "Why" (featuring Stevie Wonder) | 4:36 | Samples Free by Deniece Williams |
| 15. | "First Love" | 5:52 | |
| 16. | "The Appeal" | 7:21 | |
| 17. | "Brokenhearted (Reprise)" | 1:09 | |
| 18. | "Interlude #2" | 0:30 | |
| 19. | "Sunshine" | 4:59 | Samples "You Bring The Sun Out" by Randy Crawford |
| 20. | "Outro" | 1:11 | Kerrion Franklin |
Hero featured the singles "Looking for You" and "Imagine Me". "Looking for You" was released as a single on September 20, 2005 in the U.S. and was a top-five hit on the Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[4]
Hero peaked at No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart on, [4] It also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[4]
| Chart (2006) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5] | 108 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] | 32 |
In 2006, the album won a Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year at the 37th GMA Dove Awards. The song "Looking for You" also won a Dove Award for Urban Recorded Song of the Year.[8]