This week, Tiffany Hudson releases the NYC Sessions video for “Tears.” The track is featured on her solo debut album, Hidden Here (Elevation Worship Records), which dropped on July 21. The album features special guest appearances from worship leaders Steffany Gretzinger, Mitch Wong, and Joe L Barnes and is produced by Josh Holiday, Bubele Booi, and Jason Ingram.
Hudson is an award-winning songwriter (“Graves Into Gardens,” “Wait On You,” “Never Lost,” among others), a member of the GRAMMY Award-winning group Elevation Worship, and a worship leader at Elevation Church. She will also be leading with Elevation Worship on their Elevation Nights Tour with Pastor Steven Furtick this summer and fall
Today (Aug 21), two-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum-selling artist Lauren Daigle releases the official video for “These Are The Days.” Daigle is poised to debut her full-length self-titled album on September 8th via Atlantic Records/Centricity Music.
The project’s first ten songs arrived in May, with another thirteen songs coming on September 8. All twenty-three tracks showcase the multi-faceted artist’s stunning and powerful voice, rich storytelling, and incredible musicality.
Later this year, Daigle will embark on her highly-anticipated US arena tour – The Kaleidoscope Tour – which kicks off on September
Lauren Daigle “These Are The Days” Music Video
Stream & Enjoy
Since the release of her GRAMMY Award-winning, platinum-certified 2018 album Look Up Child – which includes the breakthrough, newly-6x platinum-certified hit single “You Say” – Daigle has been a mainstay on the Billboard charts.
When Look Up Child debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart, Daigle became the first female artist in history to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Album charts.
She went on to break another record when the LP reached 100 weeks at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, which is the greatest number of weeks that any artist has spent at the top of any individual album chart. Similarly, “You Say” is the longest-running No. 1 to appear on any weekly Billboard chart.
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Daigle is a two-time Grammy, seven-time Billboard Music Award, four-time American Music Award, and ten-time GMA Dove Music Award winner.
Today (Aug 18), soul-inspired pop singer/songwriter, pianist, worship leader, and producer Natalie Layne releases the official music video for “Amen.” This is the title track from Layne’s Centricity Music debut EP which dropped last month (Jul 28). Joy is the common thread woven throughout her introductory recording that speaks to the power of finding the good in moments that don’t necessarily feel good.
Inspired by the simple kindness of a neighbor waving and smiling as they passed in her neighborhood, Layne co-wrote the lead, title track with hit-making songwriters Benji Cowart and David Spencer. “Amen,” as well as the whole album’s sonic direction, is meant to be as welcoming as a friend and as cohesive as that of a seasoned artist, with the messages behind the music stemming from her personal experience.
This week, GRAMMY-nominated band MercyMe releases The Cabin Sessions video for “Always Only Jesus,” which can be viewed below. This song is the title track from the group’s 11th studio project, which dropped last year.
MercyMe has announced the line-up and routing for their fall “Together Again Tour.” Joining the band to hit 16 cities in October are past tourmates Crowder and Andrew Ripp.
Today (Aug 11), singer, songwriter, and performing artist Ryan Ellis shares the official music video for “Next To Me.” The track is from the southern California-based artist’s debut five-song EP titled NITE-N-DAY.
“NITE-N-DAY speaks to my personal journey of transformation and finding love that changed everything,” Ellis shares. “I used to live a life focused solely on myself, going 100 miles an hour on everything in excess, but I still felt empty. Then, I found Jesus.
Ryan Ellis “Next To Me” Music Video
Stream & Enjoy
He showed me I was worthy of love and helped me cope with the anxiety and pain. God brought light to my life, chasing away all the shadows and making everything clearer. It was like night and day, a complete transformation.
I questioned myself and realized that I couldn’t run from love. That’s something I still go through, but writing these songs is a reminder and a reflection of the relationship I have with the Holy Spirit and also the flow of life and relationships and people. God is in it all…NITE-N-DAY.”
Multi-GRAMMY Award winning and RIAA Platinum-selling Curb | Word Entertainment recording artist FOR KING + COUNTRY debutED the official music video for their previously unreleased single and album title track, “What Are We Waiting For? (The Single)” today.
FOR KING + COUNTRY brother duo Joel and Luke Smallbone, wrote the song with Josh Kerr, and Sean Douglas; and it was produced by FOR KING + COUNTRY, Josh Kerr, and Tedd T. The larger-than-life track challenges listeners to be the change they wish to see in the world; as the song hopes to inspire a message of unity, action and optimism.
For KING & COUNTRY “WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?” Music Video
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Says the Smallbones: “So often we deal in statements in life — we make statements about ourselves, about God, about others. And yet if you look at Jesus’ life, He so often dealt in questions. We have found it very relieving and exciting to start writing from that place, and ‘What Are We Waiting For?’ stands as just that. We’re proud to ask these questions alongside you, and we hope that you find your answers as we’ve found ours.”
The expanded 17-track collection will include the duo’s four most recent consecutive #1 singles: the Gold-certified “TOGETHER (feat. Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly),” “RELATE,” “For God Is With Us” and “Love Me Like I Am.” The updated collection includes two brand new originals: the long-awaited title-cut, “What Are We Waiting For?” and “Better Man,” as well as two previously released duets: chart-topping “Love Me Like I Am (feat. Jordin Sparks)” and GRAMMY-nominated “For God Is With Us (feat. Hillary Scott).”
The synth-heavy deluxe album exclusive finds brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone pledging to be the best versions of themselves for their wives, who each inspire them to strive for excellence every day. Acknowledging their faults, the men aspire to greater heights and stronger bonds, tracing a pattern of bold harmonies across more than three minutes of atmospheric rock.
Says the Smallbones: “With a touch of ‘Mad Max,’ we give you the music video/short film for our unexpected title track, ‘What Are We Waiting For? [the single]!’ You may call it this album’s visual finale, and yet we’re back to where the cover concept started… the desert nomads. And as a bonus, we’re announcing the soon-to-be-released ‘+’ deluxe edition, which will be the musical exclamation point of our 4th studio album.”
Track listing for “What Are We Waiting For? +” Deluxe Edition Includes:
1. What Are We Waiting For? (The Single) 2. RELATE 3. Broken Halos 4. Love Me Like I Am (feat. Jordin Sparks) 5. Unity (feat. Dante Bowe) 6. For God Is With Us (feat. Hillary Scott) 7. Hold On Pain Ends 8. Unsung Hero 9. Harmony (feat. Sleeping At Last) 10. Shy 11. Better Man 12. TOGETHER (feat. Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly) 13. Seasons 14. Cheering You On 15. Benediction 16. Love Me Like I Am (Album Version) 17. For God Is With Us (Album Version)
for KING + COUNTRY’s “What Are We Waiting For?” album received a GRAMMY nomination earlier this year for “For God Is With Us” featuring Hillary Scott of Lady A; and was given their first-ever American Music Award win for “Favorite Inspirational Artist,” garnering the hit single feat. Jordin Sparks, “Love Me Like I Am”, which hit the Top 10 on both Billboard and Mediabase’s Adult Contemporary charts.
The duo also recently announced the “A DRUMMER BOY CHRISTMAS | THE 2023 TOUR EXPERIENCE” – their highly-anticipated annual holiday spectacle that features an extraordinary production, blending festive visuals and stunning lighting and staging effects, for a high-octane show that the brother duo have become known for.
With 13 sold-out arena shows in 2022, this year’s Christmas tour will span 16 cities with tickets in high-demand at some of the largest venues across North America and Canada.
A DRUMMER BOY CHRISTMAS | THE 2023 TOUR EXPERIENCE” kicks off on Nov. 25 in Chicago, Ill. and travels coast-to-coast visiting arenas in major markets including Phoenix, Seattle, Houston, Las Vegas, Portland and Minneapolis, among others.
It was also recently announced in The Hollywood Reporter that “Unsung Hero,” Joel Smallbone’s directorial debut film from for KING + COUNTRY Entertainment has been picked up by Lionsgate with a theatrical release date of April 26, 2024. Titled from the duo’s song of the same name that was dedicated to their parents, the biopic follows the Smallbone family’s immigration from Australia to the United States.
Rising CCM artist Ben Fuller releases a visualizer for “If I Got Jesus.” The track was first released as part of Fuller’s 2023 self-titled album and then secondly as a collaboration with formerAmerican Idol finalist Megan Danielle in Apr 2024.
Multi-award-winning Canadian artist and songwriter Jordan St. Cyr releases the official music video for “Rescue” (BEC Recordings).
St. Cyr, who penned the song with Jonathan Gamble and Justin Amundrud, shares, “‘Rescue’ was inspired by a two-week season where it felt like my family and I were being attacked on all sides.
It started with the news of our youngest daughter potentially having eye surgery, our oldest daughter breaking her leg, myself losing a record deal, our youngest daughter battling seizures, our car breaking down twice, and all six of us getting food poisoning.
Life felt impossible but the promise of Jesus held true. When things got chaotic our rescue was His peace. He is the calm in the storm and his faithfulness never left us. Not even once.”
Award-winning singer-songwriter and producer Sarantos has just released a new single and video, “Can’t Sleep”. The single is a dark electronic pop tune, exploring themes of insomnia and anxiety, and is Sarantos’ latest entry in a series of monthly releases which have included songs, lyric videos, music videos, book chapters, and poems.
The song, “Can’t Sleep”, expresses the struggles of insomnia and anxiety as the haunting vocals, sci-fi production and moody lyrics come together to make the perfect blend of darker pop. Drawing on influences from One Direction, Sugarcult and Chainsmokers, Sarantos creates a sound of his own which has been praised by critics and fans alike.
Proceeds from the single will be donated to The Sleep Charity, which provides support to empower people to sleep better, as well as campaigning to increase access to high-quality information, raise awareness of the value of a good night’s sleep and promote understanding around the complexities of sleep.
Sarantos is not only a professional songwriter, producer and poet but also an avid comic book reader, proud nerd, workaholic, one-time owner of the Millenium Falcon, gamer and zombie killer.
He loves sarcasm because it’s funny, and his music and books are 100% certified organic, caffeine independent, gluten free and hypoallergenic. He also hosts the Songwriters Radio Show, which is syndicated on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Spreaker, iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, Alexa & Google Play.
Sarantos has won and been nominated for over 57 awards since 2014 and his songs, instrumentals and cues have had numerous media placements. He has made all of his songs, lyric sheets, videos, books and poems available for free on his website.
Grammy Award-winning rock band Switchfoot drops the official music video for the new version of their hit song “Meant to Live,” featuring singer/songwriter Jon Bellion. The song originally debuted in 2003 on Switchfoot’s The Beautiful Letdown (Deluxe Version).
Switchfoot “Meant To Live (Jon Bellion Version)” Music Video
Years ago Jon Bellion mentioned Switchfoot in a tweet as an inspiration for a song he was working on. I hit Bellion back to tell him that I’ve loved his stuff for years. Fast forward to this year- when we started re-recording The Beautiful Letdown; we had a lot of friends reach out with stories about how that album had impacted their lives- one of those friends was Bellion. He had this wild idea of recreating “Meant to Live”, his own version – using just his voice and strings.
I wrote “Meant To Live” on a loaner guitar, on a borrowed couch, in a tear-down, rented house. Hearing Abbey Road strings playing a John Metcalfe arrangement with Bellion’s voice singing those lyrics was sublime. The moment felt like an arrival. It’s like I’m hearing the song for the first time, and I wonder who wrote it, and where music even comes from.
I hope this song greets you like you like an old friend. I hope this song gives you a deep breath. Maybe your heart rate slows, you close your eyes, and you’re reminded of a bigger story.
