Multi-GRAMMY winning duo and Curb | Word Entertainment recording artist FOR KING + COUNTRY will launch the pre-order of its upcoming new album What Are We Waiting For? (March 11), along with new song release “Unsung Hero,” January 7.  Pre-add, pre-order or pre-save the album here.

FOR KING + COUNTRY’s fourth studio project asks a pivotal question in a pandemic-riddled world.  Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone provide the answer across 13 original tracks that confront relevant issues and confirm the duo’s commitment to community, diversity and family. Set against a sonic backdrop painted by the Platinum-selling group’s lush, vivid pop, the collection features cameos from tour mate Dante Bowe, Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly and includes barrier-breaking single “RELATE,” awe-inspiring “For God Is With Us” and unifying No. 1 hit “TOGETHER.”

“What’s been particularly beautiful about this album is that we were able to be home with our families while making it,” share Luke and Joel Smallbone. “We cannot wait to now take more new songs on the road, to see you out there and make new memories with you all!”

The next song release, “Unsung Hero” is the most personal track on the upcoming album and is lovingly dedicated to the parents of FOR KING + COUNTRY’s Joel and Luke Smallbone. Two of seven siblings, the brothers raise their voices in reverent solidarity for the couple who made them the men they are today.  Ethereal strings invite listeners into the real-life story of the Smallbone family and its journey from Australia to America on the cut written by the duo, Federico Vindver and Seth Mosley, as they recall the sacrifices made and the example set by their mom and dad. The “Unsung Hero” music video will also premiere January 7 at 10AM CT on YouTube.

“Mum and Dad’s sacrificial love and selflessness inspires us to this day,” continue the Smallbone brothers. “It’s hard to put into words what they mean to us, but they are both truly unsung heroes of ours. “Unsung Hero” goes out to every mum and dad, as well as every child who sees a hero in their parents.”

“What Are We Waiting For? – The Tour” will also launch this spring. The 34-city run will take FOR KING + COUNTRY to arenas across the United States, performing brand new songs from its upcoming album for the first time, against the backdrop of an all-new stage design.

The new tour kicks off on March 31 in Southaven, MS traveling through Chicago, IL, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV, and more before wrapping up in Franklin, TN on May 22. Joining FOR KING + COUNTRY on tour will be platinum selling artist Dante Bowe of Maverick City.

In 2021, the duo saw great success with sold-out tour shows at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Toyota Center in Houston, Target Center in Minneapolis, Dickies Arena in Ft. Worth, Gas South Arena in Atlanta and in addition, quickly extended its record for consecutive No. 1 singles to seven with “RELATE” – the lead single from the upcoming What Are We Waiting For? release. Since its release in late 2021, “RELATE” has hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, as well as Mediabase’s Christian AC Airplay chart, marking the 10^th career No. 1 for the Billboard Music Award winners.  “RELATE” is currently No. 45 at Mediabase Hot AC.

During the most recent holiday season, FOR KING + COUNTRY re-entered the mainstream chart with its celebrated rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” hitting No. 13 on Mediabase’s Holiday chart, and No. 21 on the AC chart.  The track also hit No. 14 on Billboard’s AC chart, becoming the duo’s fourth Top 20 mainstream AC hit – the other three being “God Only Knows,” “TOGETHER,” and “Amen.” FOR KING + COUNTRY holds some notable positions on Billboard’s Year-End chart, finishing Top 10 in nine different categories. In total, FOR KING + COUNTRY has 1.8 billion career streams.

As part of the celebration of the album release, FOR KING + COUNTRY has offered an exclusive fan experience in 2022 to bring people closer to the music than ever before. The FOR KING + COUNTRY New Album Weekend Experience takes place across the weekend of March 4 – 6 and offers fans a chance to spend the weekend with Joel and Luke in their home base of Nashville, TN. Perks include a full band concert, exclusive album listening party, meet & greet, and more. Although the weekend offer quickly sold out, for waitlist and more information, click HERE.

Christian singer-songwriter Katy Weirich delivers a passionate introduction to her upcoming debut EP with lead single, “Majestic One,” out January 14th. This cinematic masterpiece is brought to life by more than its all encompassing production; rather, Weirich’s unshakable faith shines through with a moving brilliance from start to finish.

She uses this project as a moment to create a place of exaltation that facilitates worship from a posture of awe and wonder. At its core, “Majestic One” seeks to uplift the name of God to His rightful place. Weirich’s honeyed vocals lead this track from stripped back verses to booming choruses resting atop cascading percussion. Listeners can expect to find themselves swept away in awe as this track blossoms into an epic reminder of who God truly is and who He is not based on the truth of His Word.

“Majestic One” is the first upbeat song in my entire catalogue thus far,” says Weirich, “and I’m excited for my listeners to experience it.” Serving as the introduction to her upcoming EP Out Of The Blue, this track is just a taste of what Weirich has to say.

The worship leader found inspiration for the tracks on the EP in her experience battling postpartum depression and anxiety; the final product is a celebration of God’s faithfulness that, while not always visible, is always constant. That same celebration is woven amongst Weirich’s lyrics in “Majestic One”; the chorus is purposeful in calling out and recounting the divine attributes of God that were also prophesied by Isaiah in the Bible.

Weirich bellows in the chorus, “wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father.” While these lyrics are famously quoted in Handel’s “Messiah” during Christmastime, “Majestic One” is a song for the church to sing throughout the year in an upbeat style that energizes and encourages the saints of God in their time of worship.

Listeners can stream “Majestic One” on all major streaming platforms on January 14th.

For the second year in a row, the GRAMMY Awards have been postponed from their regular January spot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally set to take place on January 31, no new date has been announced.

In a statement, the Recording Academy shared, “After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show.  The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority.  Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks.  We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.” 

Find the list of nominees here.

GRAMMY and Dove Award winner Mandisa is set to release her new book Out of the Dark: My Journey Through The Shadows To Find God’s Joy on March 15, 2022. The personal memoir marks Mandisa’s inaugural title in partnership with K-LOVE Books. The book is now available for pre-order here, and those who purchase directly through K-LOVE Books will receive an additional bonus chapter.

Borrowing the title of her fifth studio album, which features hits “Unfinished” and “Bleed The Same,” Out of the Dark dives deep into the singer’s battle with depression and anxiety. After losing a close friend to cancer—a friend for whom she wrote her award-winning song, “Overcomer”—Mandisa descended into a dark pit of depression, isolating herself from family and friends, and turning to her familiar friend, food, for comfort.

Clinging to the hope of Psalm 40 in her overwhelming darkness, she slowly began to recognize cracks of light where God was at work. “I really believe that this book is just another part of how God is using this chapter in my life of bringing me out of the dark. My favorite part of this passage of Scripture is in verse 3: ‘Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord,’” she explains, referencing Psalm 40. “That’s what I see this book being about—me telling how God lifted me out of the pit, and letting people know He did it for me; He can do it for you.”

With the same warmth and vulnerability she exudes in her songs, in Out of the Dark, Mandisa opens up about her mental health struggles, walking through grief, and the role shame has played in her narrative. The title follows her first book, Idoleyes: My New Perspective on Faith, Fat & Fame, written shortly after her time on American Idol and focusing on her battle with weight, food addiction, and body image. 

Out of the Dark picks up where Idoleyes left off, telling the rest of the story. Across 256 pages, Mandisa invites readers on the journey she’s taken from the time she first fell in love with Jesus, to her rise as an acclaimed recording artist and beyond, as well as the disappointing and challenging moments she’s experienced along the way. Through it all, Mandisa candidly shares the consistent healing she’s found through God’s faithful comfort and presence. With her new book, she hopes her redemption story can provide a piece of redemptive healing in someone else’s story.

Now an advocate for mental health because of what she’s personally experienced, Mandisa also explores the often taboo topic and how to navigate it from a Christian perspective with licensed therapist Laura Williams on AccessMore’s “Out of the Dark” podcast. Listen to the first two seasons here.

Please join us in extending our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers to the family of Jason (Jay) Weaver, who passed away on January 2nd, 2022 from complications related to COVID-19.

“I’m so sorry to bring this news, but I’m also excited to celebrate where he is right now,” Mike Weaver shared in an emotional message posted on social media a few hours after Jay passed away.

Readers may remember that the CCM community has joined together in prayer for Jay’s health and healing a few times over the last few years. In August 2021, Big Daddy Weave’s bass player was hospitalized in the ICU for complications related to dialysis treatments. And in 2016, Jason underwent bilateral foot amputations and numerous procedures to curb a serious leg infection.

Mike Weaver continued, “You guys have seen him walk the uphill battle and you guys have helped carry him through so much…The Lord used him in such a mighty way out on the road for so many years. And anybody who has come into contact with him knows just how real his faith in Jesus was.”

“I believe that although COVID may have taken his last breath, Jesus was right there to catch him,” Mike added. “My heart’s broke[n] for my family here but also for Jay’s family in Florida. But we all just really wanted to thank you for walking with us through so much, you know, for so long.”

Mike concluded, “The prayers for healing can turn into prayers of thanksgiving now that Jay is in God’s presence. We will all deal with the heartache as it comes. There is that broken part in being in this broken place until the day that we are going to step through and see what Jay is seeing.”

Jay is survived by his wife Emily and their three children, Makenzie, Madison and Nathan.

Set to release on January 7, 2022, the widely-acclaimed Gospel music quartet The Ball Brothers bring their lush harmonies and signature style to their soul-stirring rendition of the Gaither-penned classic “I’m Free.”

Since their formation in 2006, The Ball Brothers have rapidly made their mark in Christian music by creating a blend of musical styles—melding together new and old with tight, four-part harmonies. The powerhouse vocal group is globally celebrated for hand-picking and performing Gospel songs of hope and encouragement from a variety of genres, making “I’m Free” both a quintessential and timeless addition to their music catalog. “I’m Free” has been recorded and performed by other beloved Gospel greats including Lynda Randle, the Gaither Vocal Band and the Booth Brothers.

“The very first time we heard ‘I’m Free,’ we fell in love with how the lyrics and harmony blended together to paint a vivid picture of the freedom found in Christ,” says the group’s co-founder and lead singer Daniel Ball. “I didn’t realize when we first learned this song that these words were penned long before I was born. Somehow, it felt as if someone was telling my story. Now, all these years later, we keep going back to this classic song because it means more now than when we first heard it. The message is a timeless truth that can’t be fully understood until you’ve experienced true freedom.”

The song will be featured on the Gaither Music TV YouTube channel (over 2.3M subscribers) and on the Gaither Music Facebook page (over 1.3M followers). It will be available on all digital streaming platforms and will be featured on Gaither playlists including Gaither Classics, Gaither Quartet Favorites, Gaither Good Things and more. “I’m Free” will be heard on Gaither Radio on Pandora and made available on Gaither Radio on Amazon.

The just-concluded Concert Simpli Praise that took place at Muri Okunola Park on Sunday, the 26th of December was a huge success and we are super proud.

The Gospel Concert which was organized by Simpli Mi homes, Her Royal Highness Edna Ubebe, MD/CEO  of the leading real estate company, and produced by Yaw Naija Production had the likes of Gospel Musicians; Tope Alabi, Eben, Beejay Sax, Ada Ehi, Bukola Bekes, Akpororo, and many others performed beautifully and God’s presence was indeed present at the Live Concert.

The Simpli Praise Concert had so many celebrities, families, friends, and people from the general public gathered to praise and worship God for a wonderful and blessed year as it was a free event.

Edna Ubebe is also the founder of the Edna Ubebe Foundation, an organization that works for the social development and integration of underprivileged persons, vulnerable youths, children, widows, and the aged in our communities in Nigeria.

This year she gave grants of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000) to over 200 Widows  that are hardworking and needs support and empowerment to start their individual businesses

Her Royal Highness Edna Ubebe said that the Simpli Praise Concert which started in 2020 with a second edition this year will hold yearly henceforth as it will be a way to worship and praise God for the successful business year.

Also reacting to the success of the concert is the Producer Steve  Onu (YAW) who added that being a Nigerian is stressful enough but we just have to be thanking God.

We look forward to making the concert bigger and better.

Photos From Simpli Concert 2021: 

Off the twelve-track album from Manus Akpanke tagged ‘Jesus Only ‘released in 2021, he shares the official video to track nine-tagged Holy Spirit.

The song has its focus on the promise of the Holy Spirit which has been fulfilled and He is our guide never leaving us.

The official video of the song was shot by Ibozi films and is available below for your streaming pleasure. Don’t forget to share and bless someone out there too.

Watch Video Below; 

Daywind Music Group released 11 full-length projects in 2021 resulting in numerous awards, chart-topping singles, and critical acclaim for its albums, solidifying Daywind’s leading position in Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Gospel music.

Dusty Wells, director of artist and label relations for Daywind, states, “I am so proud of our artists, songwriters, and team, who work closely together to get the music out to a world so desperately needing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its themes of love, peace, strength, and hope. What they have written, recorded, and shared in concerts and through media breathed life into so many hurting folks during a difficult time in our history. I am humbly amazed at God’s faithfulness and goodness. I cannot wait to see what 2022 will bring.”

2021 brought the following accolades for the talented roster of artists and songwriters at Daywind Music Group:

Dove Awards:
Change Is Coming – Joseph Habedank – Southern Gospel Album of the year
“My King Is Known by Love” – Crabb Family – Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
“If God Pulled Back The Curtain” – Nelons – Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year
Songs for the Times – The Isaacs – Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year

GRAMMY Award Nominations:
Songs for the Times – The Isaacs – Best Roots Gospel Album

Singing News #1 Songs (Monthly) of 2021:
“Great God Almighty” – The Sound
“Made Right” – Karen Peck & New River (co-written by Karen Peck-Gooch)
“I’ve Been Washed Clean” – Greater Vision
“Goliath” – Joseph Habedank (co-written by Joseph Habedank and Sue C. Smith)
“Practice What You’re Preaching” – LeFevre Quartet (co-written by Lee Black)
“First Church of Mercy” – The Sound (co-written by Aaron Wilburn and Lee Black)
“I Call It Home” – Tribute Quartet
“Start With Well Done” – Greater Vision
“Religion Isn’t Working” – Joseph Habedank (co-written by Joseph Habedank)
“The 99” – LeFevre Quartet (co-written by Marty Funderburk and Christina DeGazio)

Power 50 #1 Songs (Weekly) of 2021:
“Hallelujah Homecoming” – Wilburn & Wilburn (co-written by Jason Cox)
“The Wilderness” – Isaacs
“Practice What You’re Preaching” – LeFevre Quartet (co-written by Lee Black)
“Goliath” – Joseph Habedank (co-written by Joseph Habedank and Sue C. Smith)
“I Call It Home” – Tribute Quartet
“How Good Does Grace Feel” – Brian Free & Assurance (co-written by Jason Cox and Sue C. Smith)
“What A Day” – Legacy Five
“Messiah Overcame” – Karen Peck & New River (written by Alley Horner)
“My King Is Known By Love” – Crabb Family (co-written by Jason Cox)
“Grace Ain’t Fair” – Nelons (co-written by Jason Clark)
“The 99” – LeFevre Quartet (co-written by Marty Funderburk and Christina DeGazio)
“The Book” – Karen Peck & New River (co-written by Karen Peck-Gooch)
“What the Cross Really Is” – Brian Free & Assurance

Bluegrass Gospel #1s:
“Don’t Tune Him Out” – The Whites
“Hear Jerusalem Calling” – Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
“When He Calls My Name” – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (co-written by Alan Bibey)
“He’s Gettin’ Me Ready” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Other Daywind Music Publishing #1s:
“I Wish I Could Tell You” – Guardians (co-written by John Darin Rowsey)
“The God I Know” – Erwins (co-written by Jason Cox)
“Keep On Keepin’ On” – Ernie Hasse & Signature Sound (co-written by Lee Black and Sue C. Smith)
“How Saved I Am” – Triumphant (co-written by Jason Cox)

If 2021 is any indication of great music and ministry from the Daywind Music Group roster of talent, get ready for a strong 2022, with powerful new music coming from such iconic artists as Karen Peck & New River, Greater Vision, Tribute Quartet, The Sound, LeFevre Quartet, a live DVD from Southbound, and more.

Multi-platinum selling performer and award-winning songwriter Dante Bowe has had arguably the most powerful year of his career and is closing out the season with top ten placements on three different Billboard Year End Charts. He is No. 9 overall for Top Gospel Artist, No. 4 for Top Male Gospel Artist, and No. 4 on Top New Christian Artists.

From the release of his deeply personal sophomore album, circles, via Bethel Music, to sold out performances, KLOVE Nominations, and multiple DOVE Award wins Dante’s incredible year culminates with three GRAMMY Award nominations in the Best Gospel Performance/Song category, a record that no other artist has achieved since the field was created in 2015.

Earlier this year, Dante released his sophomore album and Bethel Music label debut, circles.  The incredibly personal album quickly shot to the top of the charts, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. The lead single, ‘joyful,’ reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Gospel Digital Song Sales and No. 3 on Hot Gospel Songs, making it the highest solo charting position of his career, and earned him a GRAMMY Nomination.

The follow up single, ‘family tree,’ premiered on BET marking his first televised debut. Next spring, Dante will join four-time GRAMMY Award winning duo for KING & COUNTRY on the road for the ‘What Are We Waiting For? – The Tour.” The 33-date trek will make stops in arenas throughout the United States beginning on March 31^st in Southaven, MS before traveling through Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and more then wrapping in Franklin, TN on March 22^nd. More information about the dates and tickets can be found HERE.