RIAA Platinum-selling, Dove Award-winning Katy Nichole announces the Aug. 15 release of her highly anticipated, Centricity Music sophomore album, Honest Conversations. The 12-song album includes today’s (April 18) release of the title track at digital and streaming outlets everywhere plus the lead single, “When I Fall,” which is already a Top 10 and climbing Billboard radio hit.

Nichole’s Honest Conversations was produced by GRAMMY-nominated Jeff Pardo and follows three back-to-back No. 1 hits at radio with singles from her record-breaking debut album, Jesus Changed My Life. Largely inspired by Nichole’s conversations with God, the new album reflects her unabashed honesty and impeccable artistry that has made this 24-year-old one of Christian music’s fastest-rising talents.

“When I wrote ‘Honest Conversations,’ it was me wrestling with my relationship with God,” reveals Nichole, who has shared her struggle with depression and anxiety. “If I’m so loved by God, why do I still have this much pain? I look in the mirror and don’t like who I see, and I’m frustrated by my mental health struggles, and in the same breath, I’d say I’m thankful I’ve gone through what I have because it made me the person I am today.

I don’t want God to take away certain aspects, I just want to know he’s there. And it feels like there are a lot of moments I can’t find him. ‘Honest Conversation’ is asking the question, ‘where are you God?’

“I hope that people find healing in these songs on Honest Conversations, and find peace in whatever storm they are walking in,” continues Nichole. “Life is full of ups and downs, and at the end of the day, we get to find joy in all of these places. It’s hard to do that sometimes, but healing takes time. I have just begun the next chapter of my healing journey, and I hope this record makes people feel like they’re getting a big hug when they’re going through something. Life is messy and complicated, but there is still so much beauty to be found.”

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The first radio single and concept music video revealed from Honest Conversations, “When I Fall,” has already become a soundtrack for millions. To date, clips of the song have been heard more than 200 million times on TikTok alone and shared by over 200 thousand other creators on the social platform.

Nichole has sung “When I Fall” along with her No. 1 singles and fan favorites at packed venues across the country. Continuing to traverse 14 states leading up to the release of Honest Conversations, her itinerary comprises a dozen concerts on the Jesus Music Tour with Cain followed by fairs and festivals this summer, including a “K-LOVE Live in New York” event Aug. 8 with TobyMac and Jeremy Camp and a concert at “The World’s Largest Christian Music Festival at the Ark Encounter” Aug. 23.

GRAMMY-Award winning singer/songwriter Brandon Lake recently announced on social media that he will be making a late-night network television appearance this coming week. Lake has been booked to perform alongside country music superstar/rapper Jelly Roll on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’. Tune in on Thursday, April 24 at 11:35pm ET.

You can also catch Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll performing their hit single “Hard Fought Hallelujah” on ABC’s ‘American Idol’ this Sunday (April 20). The Easter Sunday ‘Idol’ special will feature songs of faith and inspiration.

Jekalyn Carr joins the “Tam Fam” for a special interview and performance of “Don’t Faint.” Carr catches up with Tamron Hall and revisits her initial show debut in 2023.

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Although we are on the eve of Easter weekend, plans have already been unveiled for an epic Christmas 2025 tour. Christian and Gospel music icons Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Cece Winans will join forces for the Christmas Together tour. The limited run kicks off on November 28 in Greensboro, NC and will run through December 8 with a stop in St. Louis, MO. A ticket pre-sale launches April 21 before the April 25 general onsale.

Capitol Christian Music Group’s rising recording artist Jamie MacDonald blends soulful melodies with powerful lyrics that resonate with audiences seeking hope and inspiration. Her music explores themes of faith, redemption, and the strength to keep going, no matter what life throws at you.

Her debut single under CCMG, “A Million Chances,” was released in November 2024, followed by the highly successful “Desperate,” which quickly climbed the charts and generated major buzz in the industry. Just this week, “Desperate” and MacDonald achieved some major career milestones including

 #1 at Mediabase Christian Adult Contemporary
 and #1 at Billboard Christian Adult Contemporary.

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Additionally, MacDonald was recently nominated for CMB (Christian Media Broadcasters) Breakout Artist for Momentum 2025 and will be performing at the KLOVE Fan Awards, both during the Emerging Artist showcase and on the main stage, where she’ll perform “Desperate.”

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FOX News Channel (FNC) will air special programming in celebration of Easter on Sunday, April 20^th. The network will broadcast the Pope’s Easter Sunday Mass from St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City from 4:15-6 AM, and the mass will be immediately followed by the annual Urbi et Orbi blessing to the world.

Additionally, Sunday afternoon from 12-12:30 PM/ET, Franklin Graham will deliver his annual Easter message on FNC. Entitled “Easter from the Ashes,” the special was recorded in Southern California amid the wildfire damage. Graham’s special will feature music from American musician Michael W. Smith and musical artist Charity Gayle.

When XDB’s “When the Love Is Gone” kicks in, it doesn’t whisper its intentions—it roars them. From the first soaring guitar riff to the final cry of lost love, this is a track steeped in the grand tradition of melodic hard rock, but with enough polish and sincerity to feel like more than just a nostalgic callback.

Rob Kane’s vocal delivery is straight out of the classic rock frontman playbook—equal parts grit and grandeur. He navigates the emotional terrain with a kind of wounded swagger, delivering lines like “We can’t fly on broken wings” and “Now we’re left alone to face the truth” with the conviction of someone who’s lived it.

There’s an almost theatrical melancholy to his performance, evoking the heartbreak ballads of Journey or Whitesnake, but with just enough modern edge to cut through the gloss.

Guitarist Xander Demos, no stranger to showmanship, shreds with precision and purpose. His solo doesn’t just fill space—it speaks, adding another emotional layer to the song’s already bleeding heart. His interplay with Brendan Callahan’s keys evokes the grandiose flair of Savatage and the Scandinavian drama of TNT, both name-checked as influences, and for good reason. This isn’t just hard rock. It’s operatic heartbreak in Drop-D tuning.

XDB Brings the Big Hooks and Bigger Heartbreak on “When the Love Is Gone”

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What makes the track stand out isn’t just the technical chops or the genre fidelity—it’s the arrangement. The chorus hits hard, yes, but it’s earned. By the time Kane belts “When the love is gone / And there’s nothing left to believe in,” the band has taken you on a ride through the wreckage of a relationship, not with self-pity but with resolve.

There’s a real earnestness to the production, too. It’s big, it’s bold, but it never crosses into parody. The band knows its lineage—Stryper, Firehouse, Savatage—but they’re not just dressing up in their heroes’ clothes. XDB brings authenticity to the arena-sized melancholy they’re crafting.

“When the Love Is Gone” is a triumph of heart over trend. It’s unapologetically melodic, gloriously over-the-top, and executed with the kind of precision that turns old-school influences into something vital. With this single, XDB doesn’t just remember rock’s glory days—they remind us why they mattered.

–Paul Shandling

The Scripture Hymnal, a landmark volume of more than 100 word-for-word Bible passages set to original music—conceived and created by Randall Goodgame and published last year by Rabbit Room Press—is among the 2025 finalists in the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) prestigious Christian Book Award® program, it was recently announced.

Marking the first-ever ECPA Christian Book Award® nomination for both Goodgame and Rabbit Room Press, the Scripture Hymnal is a finalist in the Ministry Resources category alongside Fighting Shadowsby Jon Tyson and Jefferson Bethke (Thomas Nelson); Forming Faithby Matt Markins, Mike Handler and Sam Luce (Moody Publishers); How Not to Waste a Crisis by Tod Bolsinger (InterVarsity Press); Proclaiming the Word by David J. Jackman (Crossway); and You’re Not Crazy by Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry (Crossway).

The winning title will be announced at the ECPA Awards Celebration to be held later this month in Nashville.

With hand-drawn cover art and interior illustrations from Stephen Crotts, as well as a foreword by W. David O. Taylor, Goodgame’s Scripture Hymnal showcases contributions from a diversity of award-winning songwriters, including Ellie Holcomb, Ginny Owens, Andrew Osenga, Taylor Leonhardt, Dwan Hill and Ben Shive, among others.

“It’s so exciting for the Scripture Hymnal to be honored as a Christian Book Award® finalist because it’s such a joy to help God’s people remember His Word,” says Goodgame, who also created the family favorite Slugs & Bugs series and is an acclaimed singer/songwriter. “The Word is a light to our path, nourishment to our bones, and the sword we wield in battle against the enemy. I pray this recognition ultimately results in more people falling deeper in love with Jesus as they grow in the knowledge of Him through Scripture.”

Goodgame adds, “As I reflect on the long journey of bringing this project to life, I’m overflowing with joy and gratitude for all the hands and hearts that supported and encouraged the Scripture Hymnal, and I’m grateful and humbled to be a servant of the King. God is so good.”

“The Scripture Hymnal project has been a labor of love for the whole production team at Rabbit Room Press, and I’m thrilled to see their good work recognized,” says Pete Peterson, publisher, Rabbit Room Press. “We sing these songs in church all the time, right alongside hymns by Fanny Crosby and Isaac Watts.

Randall has created a body of work in the Scripture Hymnal that has the potential to bless congregations for generations to come. It’s a real gift to the Church, and I think these first 106 songs are just the beginning of what this project will ultimately offer to the Body of Christ.”

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international nonprofit trade organization comprised of member companies engaged in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. For nearly five decades, the ECPA has conducted The Christian Book Award® program, one of the oldest and most prestigious honors in the religious publishing industry.

Recognizing the “best of the year” in 12 categories, with five finalists chosen in each category (unless there is a tie), this year’s Christian Book Award® winners will be announced at the ECPA Awards Celebration held during the organization’s Leadership Summit on April 29 in Nashville.

Worship leader, songwriter, and artist Hope Darst has received her first RIAA Gold Certification for her Top 5 radio hit and GMA Dove Award-nominated song, “Peace Be Still.” The single was released from her debut album on Fair Trade Services and was co-written by Darst, Andrew Holt, and Mia Fieldes and produced by Jonathan Smith.

“Wow, I am truly blown away when I think about how God has used this song to impact so many people,” shares Hope Darst, “What started out as a personal song to fight fear has become a song of faith for people around the world in corporate worship, or mom’s putting their babies to bed, or families in hospital rooms during the highs and lows of life or a prayer for those whose hearts and minds need God’s peace.

It’s a testament to the power of scripture and music working together to remind us of God’s promises and faithfulness. I am so grateful to be a part of this song and hope to sing it for a long time!”

This certification proceeds her brand-new project, In The Mighty Name, which will be released on April 18th. The new album includes 13 live-recorded tracks, featuring the current single, “Mighty Name of Jesus,” which has already inspired over 250k fan-created posts on social media, generating more than 70MM views. This is her first live album, featuring songs and moments dedicated to serving and equipping the believer and local church with corporate and personal praise and worship.

This live worship project reflects Darst’s passion for writing songs for the Church and creating an atmosphere where people can encounter the love and power of Jesus.

Curb Records is excited to welcome Christian music artist Carly Ann Taylor to its artist repertoire.

“I am beyond stoked to be starting my career with the amazing team at Curb Records, the result of a series of events that truly only God could have orchestrated,” shares Taylor. “My prayer is that God will use my music to reconcile hearts back to Him, help people realize safety and rest in the Lord through worship music, and guide others to praise wholeheartedly no matter the season of life they may be in.”

As a life of dysfunction surrounded her, Taylor was introduced to music at a young age, clinging to it as an outlet and developing her own unique style. Moving to San Diego at 15 years old to be taken in by her older brother and his wife, who she now refers to as her mother and father, Taylor experienced the healing power of family, encountering God’s redeeming love.

Accepting Christ into her life, Taylor began singing in the church her family attended, a moment that changed her life’s trajectory. Graduating with a degree in commercial music production from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA, Taylor is the youth worship leader at her home church in Encinitas, CA.

Now, Carly Ann Taylor shares her journey from a life of brokenness to one of redemption, showcasing her voice through a rich combination of experience, faith and conviction. Finding healing, hope, and salvation in Jesus Christ, Taylor’s life calling is to lead people towards an authentic, transformational worship experience.