River Valley Worship has released their latest project titled Faith In Our Time. The thirteen-track collection dropped last week (June 10). This is the group’s 7th full-length record and it was recorded live in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Faith In Our Time is available now.
It was in 2011 that River Valley Worship began releasing a mix of uplifting studio and live albums exemplifying the unified worship culture within their weekend services.
The music of River Valley Worship is artful and hope-filled while seeking to pioneer new sonic landscapes for the church on the local and global levels.
They are based out of River Valley Church, an inspirational and vibrant church making a global impact with more than 10,000 weekly attendees at campuses spread across the greater Minneapolis, MN area as well as an international campus in Eswatini, Africa.
Third Culture Worship, made up of husband and wife duo Irene and Vaughn Thompson, along with their good friend Randy Johnson, will release their new EP Love Trip on June 17 through Over The Line. Distributed by Bob Franks Distribution, The Orchard / Sony.
The Thompsons lead worship at Cathedral of Faith fellowship, a diverse 8,000 member church in the heart of San Jose. “Writing and singing together inspired us to start Third Culture Worship in 2010. It just seemed like a natural progression that would allow us to lead worship around the world; in person and online,” says Vaughn.
The new EP features three original songs all centering on the concept of Love. “‘Your Love’ is a worship song that has the energy and intensity of ‘We Will Rock You.’ ‘No Greater Love’ is a musical burst of energy to celebrate and contemplate the Greatest Love we could ever know and ‘Never Fail’ reaffirms the belief that what God started in you, He will finish,” says Irene.
With a German dad and Korean mom – a blend of two ethnicities and cultures – Vaughn identifies as “Third Culture,” neither German or Korean but something brand new – a “third culture.” He says he often felt “like a misfit, not fully fitting into any one ethnic or cultural group.” He expands on that expression by calling himself a “mixfit.” He believes in inclusion and because he often felt like an outsider, he’s making sure others who may identify as “third culture” feel included, welcomed and loved.
“Third Culture Worship brings together Korean, American, Latino and African American cultures harmonizing in worship to God. Though our skin may be different shades we are each, at our core, a ‘Hisfit,’” says Vaughn. “That’s what this EP is all about.”
Marvin Sapp is a mainstay in Gospel music in no small part because of his consistency. Today, his 15th album is available, and it is a lyrical and sonic masterpiece that demonstrates the depth and breadth of Marvin Sapp’s musical gifting.
While Substance is Sapp’s 15th offering, it is also a first: the first album released on his newly formed independent label Elev8 Music & Entertainment (distributed through Thirty Tigers), and it is the first album to be recorded in his newly built 2,400 square foot Fort Worth, Texas studio.
“Being the artist and the label was a new experience,” says Sapp. “I’m used to recording the album, turning it in and letting the label do what it does best with administration, marketing and promotions. This time, I was the artist, conceptualizing and creating, and the label head, looking over budgets, production, marketing and promotions. It was a lot, but it was fulfilling. I’ve thought about having my own label for many years and now that I finally do, I embrace the challenge. I’m also grateful for long standing industry relationships that I have been able to call on for assistance and guidance when needed.”
The lead single, “All In Your Hands,” was written by Sapp and frequent collaborator Stan Jones. The luminous track speaks to the anxiety that so many of us continue to experience because of the COVID-19 pandemic and everything else happening in the world. “It speaks directly to the unsurety, the stress and pain and tells us that we do not have to worry about these things because God made us some promises, and we know He keeps His promises. We picked it as the first single because it sets the tone – thematically – for the entire album,” says Sapp. “I wanted to deliver biblically-based lyrical content that would allow listeners to have their faith fortified and be entertained simultaneously.”
The album also features “You Kept Me,” co-written by Jarmone Davis, who penned Sapp’s last #1 single “Thank You For It All.” A track that will serve as a pleasant surprise is “Serve the Lord” featuring the Williams Singers. “This is going to be a Men’s Day favorite,” says Sapp. “I have never done a song like this in my entire career. It is quartet, but it is still current and it is funky. I had a lot of fun recording this and I think people are going to like it even though it is different for me.”
Sapp revisited two of his classics and commissioned a remix of “Not the Time, Not the Place” and “Grace and Mercy.” “This is a 25th anniversary edition of songs that I did early in my career that people still always want to hear. I gave them to a writer to flip and put his stamp on, and I love how it came out. I think people will enjoy it,” says Sapp.
SUBSTANCE boasts 11 reflective and refreshing musical reminders that a life with God at its center should be a life free of worry and stress.
“My hope is that the musicality of SUBSTANCE is so entertaining that people will listen to it over and over again. When something is repetitive, it grabs your spirit. I want to take people on a journey where – when they reach its end – they are better off than when they started, so much so that they want to experience it again. I try to use my God-given gift to create albums with no fillers; you can play any Marvin Sapp album from top to bottom and not want to skip anything. I want people to enjoy listening to my music, and to also have a strong spiritual takeaway.”
Marvin Sapp’s new album, Substance, is available now everywhere digital music is sold.
Today, 10-time GRAMMY nominee Tauren Wells released his new album, Joy In The Morning, a bold 10-song set. From the funky bounce of lead single “Fake It” to the R&B swing of “Breath Away” to the soaring piano ballad “Empty,” he’s redefining his musical lane in real time.
Download / stream Joy In The MorningHERE. It is also available in Wells’ online store along with an exclusive line of Joy in the Morning merchandise.
Wells, who has amassed over one billion combined global streams to date, will celebrate the album’s release with an appearance at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on June 13 – part of “The Drop” series – and a performance during the 8:00 AM hour of “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, June 15. He was recently nominated for a 2022 BET Award for his duet with H.E.R. “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix).” The song was previously honored with GRAMMY and NAACP Image Awards nominations. A celebrated recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Wells has charted six No. 1 radio singles thus far, earning one RIAA Platinum certification and two Gold records in the process.
His fall North American tour will include shows at The Town Hall in New York City (October 17), Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre (November 5), The Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis (November 12) and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (November 15). Special guests Aaron Cole and Lakewood Music will support. Tickets are available HERE. See below for itinerary.
Joy In The Morning is Wells’ third album and first for Capitol Records/CCMG. While the title captures the brightness that comes with the dawn, the songs capture the wide range of human experience. “Throughout the sessions, I was thinking, ‘How many people can I encourage with this album?’” he recalls. “You can consider the pain. Consider the disappointments. Consider the dreams. And now, all of a sudden, you have a soundtrack that helps sooth the wounds or awaken the dreamer,” he adds.
Flaunt Magazine observed in a recent two-page feature, “Coupling raw vulnerability with palpable passion, Wells’ lyrics evoke brave emotions and stark confessions for both himself and his listeners to come to terms with….Wells’ optimism for a better tomorrow demonstrates that music is a common language – an overwhelming sensation of love and infinity in the palm of your hands.” Read the Flaunt feature, which appears in the Rhythm in Retrograde music issue, HERE.
Acclaimed Congolese gospel music sensation Grace Lokwa releases sophomore Album tagged KUMAMA.
Grace happens to be the composer/writer of the hit single “Kumama Papa eh” which means “Yahweh be praised in English”.
Grace Lokwa became popular after Prinx Emmanuel the crooner of “God No Go Shame us” posted a video he titled Kumama Papa Refix on February 8th.
The remix of the song by Prinx Emmanuel was shared by many, including Moses Bliss within Nigeria and Abroad. The song trended to a point many made a collage of their life journey with major throwback thanking God for their life journey so far. This singular act gave Grace Lokwa and the song global attention.
He is signed to Moses Bliss’ Spotlite Entertainment and makes debut with “Kumama”. A 10 track album.
The new album is distributed globally by foremost music distribution company Fortune Wind Digital Services.
IVAV recording artist Steven Malcolm celebrates a career in full bloom with the release of his highly-anticipated third album, Tree, today.
On an album filled with guest stars such as Snoop Dogg, Shaggy, Fisk Jubilee Singers and more, Tree remains grounded in the sharply-written lyrics and eclectic energy of its creator: a musician who has learned to lead by example, funneling his faith into songs that inspire and invigorate. Listen to the album HERE.
“Jamaicans pronounce the number three by saying ‘tree,’” notes Malcolm, the son of a Jamaican man who left the family during Malcolm’s youth. “This being my third studio album, I wanted to focus on the growth and fruit that came from a foundation rooted in truth. I’m a family man now. With me being a present dad in my son’s life, I’m changing the trajectory of my family life. I’m repairing the family tree. My son will know what a man of God and a faithful husband looks like.”
Tree marks Malcolm’s most fully realized blend of hip-hop rhymes and reggae rhythms and the most collaborative record of his career, featuring appearances from an acclaimed roster of guests; the Fisk Jubilee Singers add their world-renowned gospel harmonies to the album’s opening track, “Heavenly Father,” while rap icon Snoop Dogg contributes a verse to the West Coast-inspired single “Summertime,” and Malcolm teams up with Shaggy on “Fuego (R3HAB Remix),” a dancehall anthem that has already earned more than five million digital streams.
He also makes room for nearly a dozen additional collaborators on the album’s remaining tracks, including KB, Jay-Way, Ty Basel, and Social Club Misfits, the bulk of which were written during an inspired weekend in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. A 6x Dove Award nominee with multiple Top 40 hits on the Billboard charts, Malcolm has earned his stripes as a Christian hip-hop icon. Tree finds him stretching skyward, reaching new heights while remaining rooted as a songwriter, husband, father, and Man of God.
“I’m zoning in,” he says proudly. “I’ve stood firm in my faith, and I’m still on the front lines. Through all the highs and lows of my career, I’ve seen fruit be borne from this ministry that God has given me. So what is that, when you’re standing firm, you’re rooted, and you see so much fruit? That’s a tree.”
After a brief pause, he smiles and adds, “Remember that Jesus himself was a carpenter. He touched tree every day.”
Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter and trailblazing worship artist Cheri Keaggy returns with What I Know To Be True today, June 3. Co-produced by Keaggy and GRAMMY, Dove and ASCAP Golden Note Award-winning guitarist/vocalist Phil Keaggy, What I Know To Be True features 15 songs penned by Cheri Keaggy.
“This new album marks the first time I have co-produced with my uncle, Phil Keaggy,” Cheri Keaggy says. “He has been so supportive through the years, playing on a few of my projects and inviting me to perform with him. Because these songs are so personal and close to my heart, Phil was the right person to help bring them to life.”
“This record celebrates life’s joys and sorrows, and the seasons God walks us through,” she continues. “Three-and-a-half years ago I received a call from my sister that my father had taken his life. None of us could have imagined he would make that choice. For a long time, I couldn’t think about writing or recording again. But we grieve not without hope, and my journey has been framed through the lens of the Hope I have in Jesus.”
“This new music is proof of how God heals broken hearts,” Keaggy adds. “A transformation has happened and continues to happen as I place my life in His hands, trusting that He is good. He is writing a bigger story.”
Since the release of her self-titled 1994 Sparrow Records debut, Child of the Father, Cheri Keaggy has been writing and performing songs that have helped listeners around the world give voice to their worship of God. She has released nine albums; garnered nine #1 singles; and was honored with a Dove Award in 1998 for Special Event Album of the Year for God With Us: A Celebration of Christmas Carols and Classics. Her signature songs include “My Faith Will Stay,” “Make My Life An Altar,” “Open My Heart” and “You, Oh Lord, Are My Refuge,” while her “In Remembrance Of Me” and “There Is Joy In The Lord” have been sung in churches around the globe. She has also spoken at women’s events and conferences across the country.
The Porter’s Gate shares new music with their album CLIMATE VIGIL SONGS.
“This project is part of The Climate Vigil movement. All of these new songs are themed on creation care and environmental justice and we hope they can find a home in your worshiping communities. Help us spread the word!” -The Porter’s Gate
The Porter’s Gate was founded in 2017 by Isaac and Megan Wardell with a mission to be a “porter” for the Christian Church – one who looks beyond church doors for guests to welcome.
It started as a group of 50-plus songwriters, musicians, scholars, pastors and music industry professionals from a variety of worship traditions and cultural backgrounds gathered for meaningful conversation about worship and vocation.
The Belonging Co, the fast-growing church based in Nashville, TN, has released their fifth live album, Now. Listen to Now today across all platforms. This album follows their recent, widely received fourth album, Here, which made its debut in March 2022.
The Belonging Co church was founded by Henry and Alex Seeley in 2014 in the basement of their home with only four people in the very first meeting. Now, The Belonging Co sees thousands of people gather each weekend at their Nashville, TN, Columbia, TN and online locations.
A diverse group of worship leaders have made The Belonging Co their home church and are among those who make up The Belonging Co worship team. This album is a reflection of live worship moments that were captured within the church with the hope of bringing listeners into a personal encounter with God.
The Belonging Co premiered the live video of “Just the Mention of His Name” (feat. Andrew Holt and Natalie Grant) today, via YouTube.
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Journey band member Jonathan Cain releases his solo studio album, Arise, Friday (May 27) from Identity Records with The Fuel Music distribution. Resonating with joy and a profound sense of God’s power and grace, the recording offers a wake-up call to the Church and is this iconic artist’s sixth faith-inspired, full-length project since 2016.
Mixing brand new songs with tracks from his acclaimed Oh Lord Lead Us EP, including the American Songwriter, The 700 Club-featured title track that became his biggest solo hit to date, Arise is a call for the Church’s collective voices to be heard.
“Like faith in action, the music of Arise moves to the spirit of revival. God is making his presence felt here on earth, and it’s up to us to wake up, to feel it, feel the revival and just dig in,” encourages Cain, who leads worship at City Of Destiny Church in Apopka, FL where his wife, Paula White-Cain, is pastor. “I hope that this music stirs up and awakens people in a way that they can become a part of what God is doing.”
Encouraging this participation is Arise’s anthemic lead track, “Roar.” “Release the roar, in your praise. Release the sound, call His Name. Use your voice, let it out. Silence the enemy, shout it loud,” belts Cain amidst an uplifting chorus of voices.
“We need to put roar in our praise. We better stand up for our faith,” says Cain. “As Christians, we must not sit by and say, ‘Well, politics and religion don’t matter.’ They surely do. There are a lot of people that just let status quo be, and I’m not one of them…The enemy is at our front door trying to destroy this church. We are soldiers. We wear the armor of God, so be victorious. Stand in the gap with the Holy Spirit and band together.”
Inspired by the feast of Pentecost, which is celebrated by Christians June 5 this year and marks the gift of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus and described in Acts 2, Cain penned “Upper Room” for the new album.
“I think it’s such an important feast,” says Cain, adding, “For the apostles to win 3,000 souls to Jesus that day as nations from around the known world were in Jerusalem, it is almost as extraordinary as the resurrection. And so I thought, ‘This is really crucial for our faith. That’s a cornerstone thing.’ I try to write about the cornerstones. What do we build faith on?”
Come meet our God in the upper room Come feel a sound like the driving wind Tongues of fire fill the upper room Holy Spirit fill our hearts within (From “Upper Room” chorus)
Cain, a Chicago native, has spent decades pouring out his musical gifts in front of huge audiences, but when not touring, he can be found serving his home church and has never been more fulfilled than in his role as worship leader.
“Worship is ‘What do you have for me?’ God wants to know what you’re bringing,” he says. “A lot of times people come to worship thinking that they’re going to get something out of this when really, it’s the exact opposite. You need to lay it down at the altar for God. That’s what worship is.”
Produced by Cain, mixed by David Kalmusky (Justin Bieber, The Fray, Keith Urban), mastered by GRAMMY Award-winning Adam Ayan (Paul McCartney, Carrie Underwood, Foo Fighters), Arise was recorded at Cain’s state-of-the-art Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville with select parts done remotely.
A beautifully crafted, musical invitation to prayer, renewal, commitment and revival, the full Arise track listing follows:
01) Roar 02) Beautiful Thunder 03) Arise 04) Oh Lord Lead Us 05) Upper Room 06) Something Greater 07) No One But You Jesus 08) Pour Myself Out 09) Worship Our Way 10) Pray To The Father 11) Freedom In Your Grace
Along with his solo music, Cain wrote and recorded new music with his band Journey, which will release Freedom July 8. The band’s first album of all new songs in over a decade, Journey’s Cain has a long line of hits that bear this artist’s signature. He has written or co-written such massive radio hits as the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes’ history, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Who’s Crying Now,” “Open Arms,” “Faithfully” and many more.
