Award winning international Gospel music minister Sammie Okposo is back with his second single for the year 2022. The single titled “Gratitude Song” is coming ahead of the Sammie Okposo Praise Party London (SOPP London).

The song release coincides with Nigerian Independence Day and Sammie Okposo chooses the attitude of gratitude rather than complaint. The nation may be going through its struggles but we are thankful to God for keeping things together.

He also posits that as individuals, we are to focus on what God has done as the pointer to what he is able to do. Therefore, we ought to be thankful. It is the will of God and the key to unlock what we hope for.

Sammie Okposo released the smash hit single “Comot Body” in February of 2022. The single features 2 of Nigerian Afrocentric Gospel giants, Mike Abdul and Bidemi Olaoba. He is currently preparing for the Sammie Okposo Praise Party in London. This will be held on the 30th of October, 2022 at the Light House theatre, Camberwell Road, SE 5 0DP London, by 5pm. The concert will feature Deitrick Haddon, Frank Edwards, Ayo Vincent, Babz Carpenterz, Neon Adejo and lots more. Get tickets at eventbrite.com.

Another edition of the Sammie Okposo Praise Party will also be held in Lagos on the 4th of November, 2022 at Logic Christian Centre 4 oriwu street, by Petrocam Fuelling station, Elf bus-stop, Lekki, Lagos by 7pm.

While we await the SOPP tour, be inspired and let the “Gratitude Song” shape your attitude!

Watch “Gratitude Song – Sammie Okposo” Video Below:

American Idol’s Colton Dixon will host a live YouTube Q&A tomorrow, October 5th, at 11am ET, to premiere the official studio acoustic performance video for his No. 1 hit track “Build A Boat.” Fans who miss the live premier can tune in on Dixon’s YouTube channel to catch it all.

Also coming up, Dixon can’t wait to make his OPRY debut when he hits the famous stage on October 21st. Tickets are available here, or fans can catch the performance live on WSM650AM and WSMONLINE.com.

Build A Boat – Colton Dixon

“Build A Boat” is quickly becoming one of the biggest success stories of Dixon’s career with incredible increases in streams and spins each week. Currently spending its second week at No. 1 on the Billboard’s AC Indicator chart, rising to No. 4 on Billboard’s AC Monitored chart, and jumping three spots to No. 6 on the Billboard National Christian Audience chart, the track is showing no signs of slowing down.

PEOPLE.com exclusively premiered the studio performance video for  “Build A Boat” recently, which also launched Dixon’s partnership with Mercy Ships and the Build A Boat campaign. Designed to raise awareness, support and inspire fans to volunteer abroad with Mercy Ships, fans can go to www.coltondixon.com/buildaboat to watch the story and learn more about how they can “go, send, or share” to make a difference.

Singer-songwriter Katy Weirich will debut her new music video for the single “Blue Jay” on October 4^th.

To launch the new video, there will be an online premiere through Vevo at 2:00 pm ET, with Weirich participating in a chat box with fans as the video goes live for the first time and answering any questions for her viewers. In conjunction with this event, Vevo has added “Blue Jay” at No. 2 on their Praise & Worship playlist.

The “Blue Jay” music video was directed and filmed by Nathan Rocky and assisted by Robby Klein. In the video, Weirich chose to wear a dress from Alice Andrew Designs collection. It’s a dress with a vintage US military parachute skirt that dates back to the 1940’s – 1950s.

Blue Jay – Katy Weirich

The song “Blue Jay” is from her current EP, Out of the Blue, and the song carries a deep message of Weirich’s struggles with severe postpartum depression and anxiety. It was during the recovery of her medical issues, that she began to see blue jays at the times she needed them and it signified to her that it was a hug from God. A tangible reminder that He was right there beside her and He would not leave her.

“This song will forever hold so much depth and meaning for me,” said Weirich. “It’s almost like a musical time capsule because it re-lives some very vulnerable struggles I’ve faced in my life, but also the victory and healing I experienced through the power, love and grace of Jesus Christ. I’m praying for those same victories in the lives of each person who listens to this song, and I hope it serves as a forever reminder to all of us that we are never alone in whatever hardships come our way. He is with us through them all.”

GRAMMY-nominated worship leader Cody Carnes shares the official live video for “Good To Be Loved” featuring Natalie Grant. He released his first-ever live recorded album, God is Good!, last week (Sept 30).

The 12-track album was captured this summer during a special two-night worship event at Belonging Co. in Nashville.

“I am so excited to be releasing my first live album,” shares Cody Carnes. “This night ended up being one of the best nights of my life.. so many of my favorite people worshipping together in one room. These moments are full of the joy and hope of Jesus.. they are a celebration of the goodness of God. I’m praying you also experience that when you listen!”’

Good To Be Loved – Cody Carnes Feat. Natalie Grant

GRAMMY-winning group Elevation Worship recently released a cover of “Father Of Lights.”

The live from the loft performance features Jenna Barrientes. “Father Of Lights” was first released by Chris Tomlin on his 2022 Always album.

Father Of Lights (Live From The Loft) – Elevation Worship

GRAMMY-nominated band MercyMe has announced that their 11th studio project, ALWAYS ONLY JESUS, will be available everywhere on October 21, 2022.  The album can be pre-ordered here.

The 10-song collection is filled with the musically inventive, lyrically substantive songs that have always been the bedrock of MercyMe’s decades-long career. You can preview the upcoming collection with this new pre-release track “To Not Worship You.”

To Not Worship You – MercyMe

GRAMMY® Award-winning Gospel artist Tamela Mann releases the official music video for NAACP® Image Award-winning, Billboard No. 1 Gospel Charting single Help Me (Live) ft. Tim Rogers & The Fellas, from her acclaimed Overcomer: Deluxe Edition album.

The video for the energetic track will premiere today on YouTube at 4:00pm CT and will be available to view here.

“A lot of the songs, like this one, are about what I was dealing with in my personal life. I asked Tim and The Fellas to lend their vocals to the live version of the song. Because we were doing old school, I wanted the quartet sound. They are young, contemporary guys but still have an old school flair and new sound. I thought they would give the song the grit it needed,” said Tamela Mann.

Help Me (Live) – Tamela Mann Ft. Tim Rogers & The Fellas

Marking her sixth studio offering, Overcomer: Deluxe Edition is heralded as some of the superstar’s best work. Propelling upon the original version’s themes of resilience, strength, purpose and the beauty of faith, the deluxe edition features both reimagined renditions of fan favorites and all-new music, including single, “Superheroes Prayer” featuring Yolanda Adams and the new live version of “Finished,” which is currently climbing the Billboard Gospel radio chart. The album features additional special guests including industry heavy-hitters Wyclef Jean, Kirk Franklin, Tim Rogers & The Fellas, and Todd Dulaney. Overcomer: Deluxe Edition is distributed by The Orchard and is available to stream here. The album is also available as a physical CD wherever gospel music is sold.

Tamela was recently named both the Contemporary Female Artist of the Year and the Albertina Walker Female Artist of the Year at the 37^th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards. Tamela was also presented with the Crown Jewel of Excellence at the world-renowned Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame (BMEWOF).

Tamela and her husband, NAACP Image® Award-Winning comedian David Mann, are currently on their “Overcomer Mann Family Tour,” which kicked off this Fall. Featuring David, Tamela, son David Mann Jr, daughters La’Tia Mann and Tiffany Mann, the evening includes music, comedy, and family entertainment. David brings a laugh yourself silly comedy set, and Tamela will be performing her biggest hits and new songs from Overcomer: Deluxe Edition. Tour information, tour dates, cities and tickets, available here.

Tamela and David On Tour
9/30             New Orleans, LA
10/1             Mobile, AL
10/2             Montgomery, AL
10/7             Memphis, TN
10/14           Charlotte, NC
10/15           Columbus, GA
10/16           Macon, GA
10/21           Baton Rouge, LA
10/22           Shreveport, LA
10/28           Nashville, TN
10/29           Atlanta, GA
10/30           Birmingham, AL
11/4             Austin, TX
11/11           San Antonio, TX

Raleigh, NC-based singer / songwriter and worship leader Justin Warren releases his Radiate Music debut single, “All Things Well,” today (Sept. 30) at all major digital and streaming outlets via https://ffm.to/jwatw. The single, which precedes an EP slated to release in early 2023, began with a lot of questions for God during a difficult season for the artist that transitioned into a hopeful declaration.

“I started writing ‘All Things Well’ when one of my best friends’ father was diagnosed with cancer,” shares Warren. “We prayed and prayed for healing, but ultimately the Lord’s plan was to take him to glory. We may not understand why certain things happen on this side of eternity, but one day our faith will be made sight, and we will be able to see in full that God does do all things well.”

Finishing the rough version of the song after being inspired by a sermon his father sent him that was based on Mark 7:37, Warren took “All Things Well” into a songwriting session with labelmate JJ Weeks and veteran songwriter, producer and Radiate Music founder Ian Eskelin.

“The three of us recrafted the song into something I am so excited to share with the world,” says Warren. “In good times and hard times we can praise Him, we can trust Him. He does all things well!”

After announcing his signing to Radiate Music earlier this year, Warren received coverage by numerous media. Outlets that have featured the signing, or are planning upcoming coverage, include the Gospel Music Association, NewReleaseToday.com, Worship Leader Magazine, Jesus Freak Hideout, Alabama Baptist, The Christian Beat, Louder Than The Music, JubileeCast, Breathecast, and more.

Acclaimed singer/songwriter and best-selling author Ellie Holcomb will release her new Christmas EP, Sing: Christmas Songs, on November 1st to accompany her latest children’s book, Sounding Joy, which was released earlier this month. Celebrating the recent release of her holiday book and the forthcoming album, Holcomb debuted the original song “Sounding Joy” today. Watch the live acoustic performance.

“My book and album were inspired by the song ‘Joy to the World,’ and it’s an invitation to sing about the hope we have because God put skin on and moved into the neighborhood,” shares Ellie Holcomb. “I hope these songs will invoke dancing in the kitchen while you bake Christmas cookies and storytelling of the very best kind. I hope it will help kids ponder what joy sounds like and the reason we can have joy no matter what we’re facing.”

The Christmas book explores the question of what joy sounds like as the reader travels through beautiful Christmastime scenes in the board book, which is illustrated by Laura Ramos. Likewise Sing: Christmas Songs is an invitation to sing about the hope of the season and features classic and original Christmas songs. Holcomb’s sweet and lovely celebration of Christmas encourages each reader and listener, young and old, to lift up their voice and repeat the sounding joy!

Holcomb continues, “Joy sounds like the voices of my friends and family in my home while I’m preparing a meal. It sounds like my kids singing happily in their room together or like carols and bells and laughter and water running. It sounds like It’s A Wonderful Life playing in the background and Charlie Brown Christmas and Linus reading the most wonderful of stories that came true in real life… the magic of knowing we are never alone, and of hearing that message ring true over and over again in all the songs we sing at Christmas. We have a reason to sing, a reason to hope. Love gets the final word. Glad tidings of GREAT JOY!”

Click here to get the book and pre-order the upcoming Sing: Christmas Songs.

Christian rock mainstay Kutless has released a fiery statement of faith with their new single “Words of Fire,” available on all major streaming platforms as of September 30. You can find the song at https://kutless.ffm.to/fire.

“The song ‘Words of Fire’ was inspired by the story of the Two Witnesses in Revelation chapter 11,” guitarist James Mead shares. “Around the time I wrote this song, there just seemed to be so many things that were causing tension. In my home city of Portland Oregon, there was a series of riots that lasted for several months. Then the world shut down from a pandemic. We have mourned the losses of several more horrible mass shootings.”

The song was born from Mead’s convicted sense of urgency in how to respond to widespread unrest: “When I read the story of the Two Witnesses, I can just picture a world that wants to stop them from spreading the truth. It’s an anthem for those that will continue to rise up and be bold and share their faith. The dead come back to life.”

“But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.”
— Revelation 11:11 NIV

Sonically, “Words of Fire” blazes a path through the airwaves with an intensity that matches the message. A true return to form for a band that has always been based in rock and roll, the towering guitars and scorching melodies offer Kutless’s heaviest sound yet.

“We really took a hard look at what we wanted Kutless to look like moving forward,” lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall earnestly confesses. “We didn’t want to keep fighting the music industry ‘game.’ We just wanted to make music that we enjoyed. So we really got back to just making music, not worrying about radio or charts, and this brought us back to our rock roots.”

“Words of Fire” is the immediate follow-up to the retrospective EP Twenty, a collection of reimagined versions of three Kutless classics, released in honor of their debut album’s 20 year anniversary. That EP served to remind listeners of Kutless’s foundation, priming them for what’s to come with “Words of Fire” and the songs that will follow after.

“This first song is just a glimpse of what’s still to come,” Sumrall hints. “We are excited for this next chapter as we keep creating new music!”