Emmy Award-winning, Singer/Songwriter and gospel hit-maker Earnest Pugh has a special new release to mark Black History Month. The Amazon best-selling author is set to release his riveting inspirational new single “Keep Hope Alive.” The song is a heart-and-spirit stirring anthem connecting the struggles of African-Americans today with the triumphs of the Civil Rights movement.

It will be released on February 10, 2023, by Shanachie Entertainment, which has just signed a deal with Pugh to release the upcoming The Very Best of Earnest Pugh album which will feature his biggest hits as well as two new tracks.

The Very Best of Earnest Pugh coming to this Spring features such signature hits as “Rain on Us” and “The Great I Am,” as well as two new tracks featuring Zacardi Cortez and Nakitta Foxx respectively. It is a timely reminder of Earnest’s impact and contributions over the past fifteen years.

Shanachie General Manager Shanachie notes, “We are thrilled to welcome Earnest Pugh to the Shanachie family. His extraordinary voice and consistently outstanding songs set a standard of quality that means a lot on the contemporary scene.”

Earnest Pugh launched his gospel recording career 15 years ago and scored a major breakthrough in 2009 with the Billboard #1 gospel hit “Rain On Us.” Pugh, who is a worship leader at The Church Without Walls in Houston, TX, also scored Billboard #1 hits for the songs “I Need Your Glory,” “God Wants To Heal You” and “Thank You So Much.” Dubbed “Gospel’s Leading Man,”

Earnest Pugh has garnered multiple Stellar Award nominations and he is a recipient of the prestigious BMI (Broadcast Music Industry) award for long-standing radio play with his rendition of “ I Need Your Glory.” With a five-octave range, Earnest consistently sets the bar for quality gospel music as a singer, songwriter, producer, label executive, and mentor.

Earnest Pugh Signs With Shanachie & Releases New Song For Black History Month

Multiple award-winning singer/songwriter, Jekalyn Carr, will release her new single, I Believe God, on February 10, 2023. The single will be followed by a music video, premiering later in the month.

Carr has this to share about her latest single, “I BELIEVE GOD is a reminder to ALL that there’s no expiration date on the miraculous power of God. All He asks of us is to believe. The Bible tells us in Mark 16:17, “These signs shall follow them that believe”.

Many times, things that occurred or are occurring can cause many to lose faith because we tend to worry about something that is God’s responsibility, which is to perform.

You bring the belief; He’ll bring the sign. All God wants you to do is believe and He will take it from there. I BELIEVE GOD is a reminder to you that if you have the faith to believe, He’ll answer you with what you need. Take the limits off of God & watch Him perform”.

In 2021, Carr became the first gospel artist to be inducted into the Women’s Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2022, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden.

During the 2022 holiday season, Carr graced the cover of Pandora’s Christmas Spirit mode and was featured on Pandora’s billboard in New York Times Square. Carr also performed in New York City at the famed Carnegie Hall, in a sold-out event titled “Night Of Inspiration,” which was produced by Ray and Vivian Chew of Chew Entertainment.

Carr performed “Mary Don’t You Weep,” with the legendary gospel singer, Shirley Caesar, and took part in a tribute to Richmond Smallwood singing, “Total Praise,” but the highlight of the night was Carr performing an original piece of her own music, “It’s Yours,” with the Carnegie orchestra.

I Believe God – Jekalyn Carr

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Today (Feb 10), Seventh Day Slumber shares a new single titled “Surviving The Wasteland.” The official audio can be heard below. “Surviving The Wasteland” is available now to download/stream.

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Sibling trio CAIN shares the official live video for “Praise Opens Prison Doors.” The recording is from Ocean Way in Nashville, TN. CAIN’s anticipated project Honest Offering, their six-song live worship EP, drops February 24 (Sony Music/Provident Entertainment).

Honest Offering features the writing of award-winning songwriters and artists including Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Ethan Hulse, Micah Kuiper, Nick Schwarz, Jonathan Smith, and Mitch Wong.

Wong also shares his vocals on “Shine On Us” while David Leonard appears on “Blessed Assurance.” 

Touted as their most personal collection of songs yet, the album was produced by Jonathan Smith, Brad King, and David Leonard and was recorded live at Nashville’s legendary Ocean Way Studio.\

Praise Opens Prison Doors – CAIN

Honest Offering is also a project CAIN has been wanting to make since their childhood, especially as teens when the Cain family would host high school Bible studies. “We’d pack so many in our family room and just sing to Jesus,” Madison Cain Johnson shares.

Now singing as their careers, the siblings knew it was time to record some of their favorite worship songs along with sharing a few new ones. 

“Our hearts need this,” Madison says. “It’s something that has been on our hearts to do and I can’t believe we actually got to do it!” Taylor Cain Matz adds, “Everybody’s heart for this is just right. We’re ready!” Logan Cain includes, “This feels different to me than anything we’ve done before. It’s so personal.”

‘Yahweh’ is the new single from Texas-based band LEELAND. After introducing their upcoming album, ‘The City of God’, with four boundary-pushing singles, they now introduce a highly congregational, anthemic, and expansive track.

The song was inspired by Edwin Hatch’s 1878 hymn “Breath Of God”. The simplicity of this sung prayer was one that LEELAND resonated with, “Though having seen and done much in the past 17 years, I still find myself coming back to Jesus and asking for His breath again and again,” frontman Leeland Mooring says.

‘Yahweh’ follows the band’s passion for theologically charged songs and was inspired by their diving deep into the first and oldest name revealing the Lord in the Scriptures: Yahweh. The original spelling shows the words without vowels – YHWH – as a reminder of the utter holiness of our God.

It also mimics breathing, the most basic need for human life, which LEELAND expounds on in a worshipful call to praise the God who sustains our lives. “The very act of breathing is speaking God’s name. The beauty of that is, God breathed into creation so that we could breathe out His name,” Mooring adds.

LEELAND hope their new single becomes a song that inspires the Church to come to the altar again, “To that place of prayer and encounter with the same God who breathed into the dirt and said, ‘it is good’,” Mooring concludes. ‘Yahweh’ is an intricate track, making space for the Church to join their voice and God-breathed worship back unto him.

BEC Recordings’ Hunter Plake releases new music with “More In Love.” The listening video can be found below.

More In Love – Hunter Plake

“More In Love” is available now.

Taking “Center Stage” alongside some of Christian music’s leading artists during this year’s Winter Jam Tour, chart-topping singer/songwriter Sean BE bows his aptly-titled latest single today. A high-energy pop anthem, “Center Stage” has quickly become a fan favorite in concert and is now available on streaming platforms.

Encouraging listeners to give Jesus the spotlight in their lives, “Center Stage” was penned by Sean BE, Kyle Williams and Tony Wood. Produced by Williams, the WieRok Entertainment release proclaims, “Let Your spotlight show/Everywhere I go/Let the way I live/Let the whole world know/You’re center stage/Take center stage.”

“The song was inspired by a conversation I had with a student when I was a youth leader,” Sean BE shares. “The young man said, ‘You didn’t just tell me how to live, you showed me.’ That opened my eyes to realize, whether we know it or not, that people are always watching. Even when they don’t LISTEN, we have an incredible opportunity to SHOW them the love that God shows us.”

“I love performing ‘Center Stage’ live,” he adds. “By the time that first chorus drops, people have their lights in the air listening to and agreeing with the message. It’s such an awesome moment to share with the audience in each city, and it’s my favorite part of my Winter Jam set.”

Recently nominated for “The Next Big Thing” Award in NewReleaseToday.com’s fan-driven “The 11th Annual We Love Christian Music Awards,” Sean BE is currently performing to audiences around the country on Winter Jam. One of Christian music’s biggest annual outings, this year’s 40-city tour is headlined by We The Kingdom, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo and Anne Wilson, among others, with Sean BE, Thrive Worship and Renee leading the tour’s Pre-Jam Party.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be part of Winter Jam,” Sean BE says. “A highlight of the tour for me has been speaking with and praying over youth leaders from each city before the show. That’s been particularly special because I share their hearts for student ministry. I’ve also loved meeting new friends at the end of every concert. When people stop at my table and share their stories, they bring so much excitement.”

“If You Say Go (We Wait For You)”, the second single from the upcoming Vineyard Worship EP, Sing Together – Live from Urbana, is a statement of obedience and faith, and a corporate declaration of trust in the living God.

This brand-new recording of a Vineyard favorite features a fresh new bridge that focuses our attention on the Lord as we choose to follow Him. Recorded live with the congregation at the Vineyard Church of Central Illinois in Urbana, “If You Say Go (We Wait For You)” features Vineyard worship leader, Alexandria Faison (“I Speak Jesus”, “Kyrie Eleison”).

Look for the full “Sing Together – Live from Urbana EP” releasing March 10th.

Vineyard Worship Shares Newest Monthly Single

Following their recently released track “Chariots”, Freedom Church is proud to announce the release of their next live song titled “Purify” available on DREAM Worship.  Last year, the group recorded a live performance album during their men’s worship evening which culminated in an 11-song live recording that is set to release on February 24th. 

“Purify” was produced by George Owen Downes, Dave Thomas, Sam Taylor, and Luke Collins and co-written by George Owen Downes and Dave Thomas.

Purify came out of a private moment between me and God. I know I need more of who He is and less of me so this song was my prayer, my cry for more of that. I shared it with the guys and it resonated as a prayer we all needed and wanted to express. Finishing in a defiant call to live a life worthy of Him, this song captures who we want to be in Jesus”- Dan Callan, Freedom Church

In celebration of today’s release, the group will debut their live video performance on the Dream Label Group YouTube channel today at 10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern.

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Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and his wife, Joanie Perry, a dedicated educator—together known professionally as Alabaster Grace—have unveiled their new single, “Let Your Fire Fall,” today, February 10, 2023, from Westar Media Group.

For the follow-up to their most recent single, “Alleluia, Christ is Born!,” the duo called upon the production talents of Corey Pavlosky, founder of Pipe Dream Studios. Let Your Fire Fallthe three worked diligently to create this acoustic rendering of the song.

“Mixing ‘Let Your Fire Fall’ was a great experience!” says Pavlosky, “Bringing out the rhythmic drive and melodic elements were the primary goals for me in the mixing process. The song speaks for itself with the unique Latin flair and catchy chorus melody.”

Joanie notes that while the song had been in the Alabaster Grace inventory for quite a while, it took on a completely new character once they revisited it.

“‘Let Your Fire Fall’ started out almost like a classic rock song,” she recalls. “But after we pulled it out and worked on it, the whole vibe changed. It is now driven by multiple acoustic guitars arranged and played by Brad. Then, once we added keys and percussion, it took on a ‘guitar orchestra’ feeling.”

“The theme of the song is for God’s people to do His will through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit,” adds Brad. “The lyrics, “Let Your fire fall down in us, we need You,” are a plea to God to fill us with His power and presence. We had a vision of what happened to the disciples when the Holy Spirit came down in tongues of fire. Today, more than ever, we need to rekindle the passion of walking as God’s children so that our world can experience the life-giving power of God.”

“Alabaster Grace combines a great message, vocals and sound, making for another compelling single,” says Kathryn Livingston, Client Services Manager at Westar Media. “This song is a must-hear for this Winter!”

Alabaster Grace’s new single, “Let Your Fire Fall,” can be streamed on Spotify or YouTube.