Today, global entertainment and music streaming platform TIDAL released its 2023 Rising Artists to Watch list highlighting 13 up-and-coming artists spanning across countries and genres. Hand-selected by TIDAL’s global expert editorial leads – who are scouting for new sounds year-round – this year’s list highlights the incredible talent percolating worldwide.

“Every year, we see rich new sounds and convention-breaking formats that grow and evolve the music industry. The 2023 class of Rising Artists to Watch is just a snapshot of the sonic innovation and lyrical creativity coming from the artist community,” said Tony Gervino, EVP & and Editor-In-Chief of Programming and Editorial at TIDAL. “Supporting emerging artists is central to our programming and making sure all types of artists are seen, recognized and discoverable by superfans on TIDAL.”   

Limoblaze is one of the artists named and represents a Gospel and Afrobeats sound. The Nigerian born, UK based award-winning musician, singer songwriter signed with Reach Records near the end of 2022. He is a two-time winner of the African Gospel Music and Media Awards (2018, 2019), Crystal Awards Best International Act Award Winner (2019), and Premier Gospel Awards Best International Act winner.

With several bodies of work over the years including 5 albums; Blind (2016), Before Now (2018), Afrobeats Rap and Jesus(2019), Bridges (2020), and God’s Favourite Baby (2021). Limoblaze has also collaborated with Christian music staples such as Lecrae, Travis Greene, Ada Ehi and, Da Truth.

Shortly after announcing his signing with Reach Records, Limo released Sunday In Lagos, his first commercial body of work with the label. The EP features the previously released singles ‘Jireh Afrobeat Remix’, ‘Desire’, and ‘Gold’ ft. internationally recognised Gospel Music Artist Ada Ehi. New music from the project includes the focus track “Pull Up.” Fans will also be delighted to see a guest appearance from label mate 1KPhew on “I Believe” where both artists trade melodic praise to God and reaffirm their belief in Him. Speaking to his vision for the project and new label partnership, Limo said, “This moment is the beginning of something special. I believe I am uniquely positioned within Christian Music to inspire the world to see the potential in putting God at the centre of their lives and chasing their dreams.”

Motown Gospel (a division of Capitol CMG/Capitol and Universal Music Group) announces the signing of award-winning artist LaTocha to an exclusive license agreement via her own label, Made Girl Music. A multi-hyphenate force in the music industry, LaTocha is best known as a member of the multi-platinum-selling R&B group Xscape, providing leads on some of the group’s biggest songs, including “Who Can I Run To” and “The Arms of the One Who Loves You.”

“It has always been a passion of mine to do inspirational music,” says LaTocha. “It has been my foundation, and that is very evident, even when I sing R&B music. I can’t escape that.”

For the powerhouse songstress, the interplay of music and faith began at Mt. Olive Church of God in Holiness, in her hometown of College Park, GA. She leaned on that foundation even as she became a household name in one of the biggest girl groups in R&B history.

“A hallmark of LaTocha’s successful career has been her love for gospel music and her strong personal connection to the Black church,” shares Monica Coates, Co-Executive Director, Motown Gospel. “I am excited for her fans—long-standing and new—to finally have a body of work that reflects those areas of her passion.”

Adds EJ Gaines, Co-Executive Director of Motown Gospel: “LaTocha has one of the most recognized voices in R&B, but she also has staying power and manages to maintain relevance in a marketplace that doesn’t always allow for that. I can’t wait for her fans to hear what she’s been working on.”

LaTocha is readying her debut inspirational project, slated for release this year.

“Firsts” always hold a special significance, and for 39 stars on the rise, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) today introduces those whose first certifications were earned in 2022*. 41 singles from the #RIAAClassOf 2022 earned coveted Gold & Platinum awards, celebrating major consumption thresholds as fans keep them on repeat and found #LabelsAtWork overtime.

“Whenever a Gold, Platinum or Diamond certification is earned, it represents massive engagement from an artist’s fans, and a remarkable achievement by the artist, their creative teams, and their record label. And when it is your very first RIAA award, it’s even more special. We are so encouraged by the success of this #RIAAClassOf 2022 and are honored to help celebrate their immense talents,” says RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne.

Anne Wilson, the only Christian/Gospel artist, earned Gold certification for “My Jesus.”

Newsboys announce their 2023 Let The Music Speak tour with special guest Adam Agee is adding 8 additional stops. Jeremy Rosado will also appear in select cities.

The 2023 dates will feature a reimagined show and a brand-new setlist. Tickets for these new dates (below) will be available on January 11th with code SPEAK at https://www.newsboys.com/tour/. The full tour itinerary is in the graphic below.

The Christian music band Newsboys has sold more than 10 million units across 23 recordings and garnered boundless accolades, including 1 RIAA Platinum certification and 8 Gold certifications, 33 #1 radio hits, 4 GRAMMY nominations, 2 American Music Award nominations and multiple Dove Awards.

Let The Music Speak — NEW DATES
3.16 Toms River, NJ
3.17 Rochester, NY
3.18 Kingston, NY
3.19 Hamburg, NY
3.23 Odessa, TX
3.24 Corpus Christi, TX
3.25 Beaumont, TX
3.26 Austin, TX

Grammy Award Winning and multi-platinum-selling songwriter and performer Dante Bowe will be making a network TV appearance this week. Bowe has been booked to perform on ABC’s ‘GMA3’ on Friday, January 13, 2023. He’s set to perform his new single “Hide Me” live on the program. Check local listings for air date information.

Known for his distinctive raspy beautiful voice, Dante made history last year as the first artist to have the greatest number of simultaneous Grammy nominations in both Gospel & Christian Genres with 3 solo and 2 group award nominations. He also won his first Dove Award for “Joyful” and became the first artist to have his song chart on both Billboard’s Gospel Airplay and Christian Song Charts, bridging the gap between Gospel and CCM Formats.

Following his exit from Maverick City Music, Dante is now ready to tell his solo story and “Press Play”, which is the title of his forthcoming cross-genre album. With close to 40 million streams, listeners, and fans in 183 countries, Dante’s debut album will raise the level of authenticity in worship and cause cultures, generations, and denominations to unite in a movement by merging all boundaries.

Amanda Danziger and Filipe Michael will release part two of their Seasons EP, titled Seasons Instrumental on Friday, January 20, 2023. The project which initially launched in November was created to emulate cinematic soundscapes, which Danziger describes as devotional worship.

“Devotional worship is a place of listening and stillness,” explains Danziger. “Over the years I have written every song I’ve done with my co-writer Filipe Michael, so I wanted to show that we are a team with our latest project Seasons. Filipe is the sole-composer of this project, while I have written the lyrics and melodies. Seasons Instrumental is going to give the listener a completely different experience — you’ll be able to hear all the nuances and creativity my co-writer put into composing Seasons. I hope listeners go into a quiet place for this experience when it releases.”

The Seasons In Sound

Seasons caps Danziger’s musical journey through the year. Each season she teased listeners with singles included on the album, starting with “Vindicate” for winter, “Prison Walls” for spring and “Refining Fire” for summer. And in the final album release this past November, “Be Still” completed the seasonal journey with fall.

Each song in Seasons begins with a distinctive sound to evoke the season. “Vindicate” starts with the rush of a winter storm. Rain and thunder open spring’s “Prison Walls,” and the crackling of a summer campfire introduces “Refining Fire.” For fall, the sound of walking along a leaf-strewn path in the woods begins “Be Still” (pre-save the Instrumental EP here).

“Each song is approached in a cinematic style that paints a musical picture of the season,” Danziger shares.

With Danziger musically drawing the outline for each song, she relied upon producer and co-writer Filipe Michael to paint in the colors.

“Amanda and I collaborated on this project in a very unique way. Even though we are only separated by a state lines, we worked on this project remotely. Amanda would only provide a vocal track in our sessions and then explain what the song would picture — after that I would take over and compose the project,” explains Mora. “When we would talk on the phone about the project, I told Amanda that I’m ‘painting music.’ This project gave me the fresh air that I needed to think outside the box. Together we created something beautiful.”

Collaborating in His name

Childhood friends who met in church, Danziger and Michael have been collaborating since 2019, seperated by state lines – Danziger in Pennsylvania and Michael in New Jersey. Working remotely with musical sounds as their primary means of communication, they brought the album together.

“Soundscapes are like painting a picture and my part of our collaboration is to bring these visions to life,” Michael says.

Adding spice to the soundscapes they create is that both come from multi-cultural backgrounds. “Filipe will joke with me that my melodies don’t sound mainstream, and that’s because of my upbringing. I’m a first-generation American after my parents moved from Egypt in the late 70s. I grew up listening to Arabic music in my home, so I find myself singing in minor keys and experimenting with the sounds of Egypt.”

Michael grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil though they first connected in an Arabic-speaking church. “We used to lead our peers in worship, and from then on, we’ve always known we would create a very special musical piece one day. Seasons is it,” Danziger believes.

Recognition

After releasing the first song of Seasons with “Vindicate,” Integrity Music recognized the unique contribution that Danziger made in the contemporary worship genre and signed her to a licensing deal through its Integrated Music Rights program. This allowed Danziger to remain an independent artist, but also gain access to a record label infrastructure and opportunities.

“The timing was all in God’s hands. I was so excited for this opportunity because it came right in time for the launch of Seasons,” Danziger states. “Seasons is a journey. It is a walk through of an entire year of thoughts, prayers, and life — and I’m grateful to launch this project with the Integrity team. They’ve encouraged us and helped us navigate throughout the entire process.”

GRAMMY, Billboard Music, Stellar, and Dove Award-winning musician and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard performed “Hymns” on Good Morning America. Tasha Cobbs Leonard unveiled HYMNS in October 2022 via Motown Gospel.

Captured in front of a live audience of more than 3,000 at The Greenwood Oasis on the campus of New Life Southeast in Chicago, the record is a larger-than-life reimagining of classic hymns of love and grace, one that speaks to our modern world even as it reaches far beyond it. The arrangements are sweeping and cinematic, drawing on worship and gospel and even hints of country, pop, and R&B, radiating an undeniable sense of joy and fellowship at every turn. HYMNS touches all corners of gospel greatness, featuring extraordinary guests: Jennifer Hudson, Kierra Sheard, The Walls Group, Ricky Dillard, and even Mary Mary, who haven’t released music in over 5-years!

Jeremy Rosado, NBC’s The Voice finalist and Capitol Christian Music Group artist, will be performing his latest single “Believe You Will” on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week. Check local listings for airtime in your market.

Rosado, 29, quickly became a fan favorite on The Voice as a part of Team Kelly, winning viewers over with his incredible vocal talent and his heartwarming story of adopting his niece when he was just 21.

Growing up in a large Puerto Rican family in the middle of Queens, New York, Rosado got his start singing at neighborhood block parties. At 10 years old, his family moved to Tampa, FL. where he began participating in choir at church and school, later becoming a worship leader and gaining traction in the local music scene. At 21, he was given the opportunity to open for Andrea Bocelli, and finally felt his career taking off, including making it to round 13 and semi-finals on Season 11 of American Idol. It was later that year, however, when he made the biggest decision of his life and decided to take over guardianship of his niece. Rosado spent the next seven years solely focused on being a dad. Once his daughter turned 18 he was ready to get back to music and auditioned for The Voice.

Premier Productions, a leading independent producer of quality live entertainment around the world, has announced the west coast edition of The Blessing Tour featuring Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Martin Smith. GRAMMY nominated Jobe has been a worship leader for nearly two decades and will hit the road with her husband, Carnes. Cody Carnes, 3x GRAMMY nominated artist, released his first-ever live recorded album, God is Good! in September 2022 and recently made his Grand Ole Opry debut, along with Jobe, in October 2022. UK worship artist, Martin Smith, whose album, Dancing in the Fire is out now, rounds out The Blessing Tour kicking off on March 9, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV.

“Fans can’t wait for Kari, Cody, and Martin to hit the road this spring, especially on the West Coast,” said Mallory Willingham, Premier Productions. “They are all staples of the Christian Music world, and it’s an honor to be a part of their growing impact. You won’t want to miss these powerful nights of worship!”

“We are so excited to go back out to the West Coast for the Blessing Tour with our good friend, Martin Smith, this spring,” said Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes. “We cannot wait to worship with you in these beautiful cities and sing some of our favorite songs- old and new. We don’t want you to miss it; come and join us!”

Tickets go on sale to the general public today, Wednesday, January 11^th at 10AM local time on PremierProductions.com.

DATE

CITY

VENUE

Thu, March 9, 2023

Las Vegas, NV

Church LV

Fri, March 10, 2023

San Diego, CA

Faith Chapel

Sat, March 11, 2023

Phoenix, AZ

Dream City Church

Sun, March 12, 2023

Los Angeles, CA

Calvary Community Church Westlake

Tue, March 14, 2023

Castro Valley, CA

Redwood Chapel Community Church

Wed, Mar 15, 2023

Reno, NV

Summit Christian Church

Fri, Mar 17, 2023

Nampa, ID

Nampa First

Sat, Mar 18, 2023

Seattle, WA

Overlake Christian Church Redmond

Sun, Mar 19, 2023

Eugene, OR

FBC Eugene

GRAMMY, Billboard Music, Stellar, and Dove Award-winning musician and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard will be making a network TV appearance this coming week. Leonard has been booked to perform on ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘GMA3’ on Monday, January 9, 2023. Check local listings for air date information.

Tasha Cobbs Leonard unveiled HYMNS in October 2022 via Motown Gospel. Captured in front of a live audience of more than 3,000 at The Greenwood Oasis on the campus of New Life Southeast in Chicago, the record is a larger-than-life reimagining of classic hymns of love and grace, one that speaks to our modern world even as it reaches far beyond it. The arrangements are sweeping and cinematic, drawing on worship and gospel and even hints of country, pop, and R&B, radiating an undeniable sense of joy and fellowship at every turn. HYMNStouches all corners of gospel greatness, featuring extraordinary guests: Jennifer Hudson, Kierra Sheard, The Walls Group, Ricky Dillard, and even Mary Mary, who haven’t released music in over 5-years!