Jesus Culture shares a recently recorded, powerful live version of the Christmas classic “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song).” The recording, which took place at Jesus Culture San Diego, features Myriah Grubbs.

“This song was actually one of my favorites growing up. Something about its tenderness and vulnerability just always really touched me deeply. When I was a kid, I sang it with a friend at church for a Christmas special, so it feels like a full circle moment to have sung it again, for a Christmas “special”, many many years later, and now have it out in the world.” – Myriah Grubbs

Jesus Culture Covers “Breath Of Heaven (Mary’s Song)” Feat. Myriah Grubbs

Stream & Enjoy

Husband and wife duo Alabaster Grace releases their new Christmas single, “Mary, Did You Know?,” today, Friday, December 13, 2024, from Westar Media.

This gorgeous new arrangement of the beloved classic is the lead single from the duo’s newly-released debut Christmas EP, Christ Is Born, produced by Corey Pavlosky of Pipe Dream Studios.

“‘Mary, Did You Know?’ is the perfect Christmas single to celebrate the season,” says Kathryn Livingston, Director of Client Services at Westar Media Group. “The sound is unique to Alabaster Grace with great vocals and instrumentals. A great song for the season!”

Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and his wife, Joanie Perry, a long-time educator—together known as Alabaster Grace—play to their strengths in this fresh take on the song, which features Joanie’s tender voice backed by Brad’s beautiful guitar arrangement.

“’Mary, Did You Know?’ by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene has been a personal favorite of ours for many years,” says Brad.

“Knowing that this song is a favorite among millions of listeners, we wanted to create an arrangement that would honor the original masterpiece,” Brad continues. “One day, we sat down and just started playing around with it during a music session. Once we got into arranging it, we felt the result was distinct and beautiful.”

“This song is acoustically driven to portray the tender love of a mother for her child—in this case, it is Mary, the mother of Jesus,” says Joanie. “The musicality of the arrangement enhanced the lyrics, capturing the essence of the awe and love Mary must have been feeling at this special time in her life.”

“And yes, we believe that Mary did know,” says Joanie. “The questions in the song put the awesomeness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, into perspective.”

“Mary, Did You Know?” is the centerpiece of the five-song EP, Christ Is Born, a short collection of songs celebrating the birth of the Lord. From familiar anthems and hymns to inspired original songs, this Christmas project is all about worshipping the newborn King!

Another standout on the project is “Away in a Manger/Silent Night Medley.” In this new arrangement by Alabaster Grace, the two traditional carols are intertwined in an intimate and delicately simple arrangement for acoustic guitar and voice, and the resulting song is a sweet lullaby filling listeners with God’s peace and comfort in knowing His love for us.

In addition to “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Away in a Manger/Silent Night Medley,” the songs on Christ Is Born include the contemplative and calming “Alleluia, Christ is Born!,” written by Alabaster Grace; “Emmanuel, Prince of Peace,” a new song by Alabaster Grace that exudes a childlike faith; and “Breath of Heaven (Coming Down),” a new song written by Alabaster Grace which was born during a quiet time of reflection.

Alabaster Grace Releases Gorgeous New Arrangement Of “Mary, Did You Know?”

Stream & Enjoy

“The release of this project has been in the making for a while,” says Joanie. “Our dear friend, Julien Patterson, has been encouraging us to do a Christmas project for a few years, and finally, this year we were able to bring it to life.”

“One of the songs on this project, ‘Alleluia, Christ is Born!,’ was released in 2022. The other Christmas songs in our catalog had been used in concert settings, but never officially recorded,” she continues. “Two songs on the project were not original, but we have used our creative license to render a unique style and arrangement. We hope and pray that as you listen to this project, you will be drawn to the wonder of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Corey Pavlosky, founder of Pipe Dream Studios, served as the producer and recording engineer for Christ Is Born. He worked with Joanie and Brad to create a variety of styles with the music, while still maintaining the wonder of the season. Corey says, “Working with Alabaster Grace on this project brought out the Christmas spirit in an instrumentally and genre-diverse way!”

“It is a blessing indeed, that in this Season of Advent, Alabaster Grace is releasing its much-requested Christmas project, Christ Is Born,” says Julien Patterson, president of Alabaster Grace Ministries. “These five wonderful Spirit-inspired selections tell the Christmas story and present the joy that is this season.”

Integrity Music announced today that Stone Meyer has joined the organization as vice president of music publishing. A graduate of Belmont University, Meyer worked on both the radio and A&R teams at Capitol Christian Music Group before joining The Bridge Church in Spring Hill, Tenn., where he served as executive pastor of worship and creative.

Meyer spent the past eight years at The Bridge overseeing live recordings, leading songwriting camps, and pastoring worship leaders.

In his new role at Integrity Music, Meyer will be responsible for guiding the label’s creative publishing team and growing the company’s song catalog as they further develop their global roster of songwriters.

“Stone is a leader who genuinely loves creatives,” said Blaine Barcus, president of Integrity Music. “I am thrilled for him to join our team and am confident that he will make a significant, positive impact on our staff, as well as on our talented songwriters. His experience as a pastor and worship leader, coupled with his background in radio and A&R, have uniquely equipped him to lead the creative side of our publishing team and build upon Integrity’s amazing legacy.”

In addition to this key hire, Taylor Agan has been promoted to creative director of Integrity’s music publishing team and will report to Meyer. Agan has a bachelor’s degree in music business from Belmont University and is a Dove- and Grammy-nominated songwriter. He joined Integrity as A&R manager in 2022, after serving as worship director alongside Meyer at The Bridge Church. Prior to that, Agan was managing editor of Centric Worship at Centricity Music.

Taylor Brady, who also joined Integrity in 2022, transitioned from business development director to her new role as A&R director. A Nashville native, Brady graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University and, like Meyer, began her career at Capitol Christian Music Group. There, she spent more than four years working with independent artists and songwriters and two years in publishing before joining Integrity to continue supporting artists. She and Meyer will both report to Barcus.

With these recent appointments, Integrity is positioned to ensure artists and songwriters have the resources and support needed to thrive in today’s rapidly changing music industry.

Today, Pandora revealed its highly-anticipated annual list, Artists to Watch 2025: The Pandora Ten. For almost a decade, the streaming platform has identified a group of ten emerging artists across all genres that it believes will break through in the coming year.

Pandora, which continues to redefine the way new artists are discovered and amplified, remains dedicated to supporting artists throughout their journey. With the Pandora Ten, the platform is putting its support behind music’s next generation of rising stars. 

By leveraging a combination of advanced listening data analysis, along with human curation and insight by Pandora programmers, the platform was able to accurately anticipate artists’ launch to stardom and lasting impact.

Over the years, Pandora’s predictions have included Post Malone in 2016; Lizzo and Dua Lipa in 2017; H.E.R. and Ashley McBryde in 2018; Summer Walker and Rauw Alejandro in 2019; Doja Cat, Roddy Ricch, and Tones And I in 2020; The Kid LAROI and Tate McRae in 2021; PinkPantheress in 2022; Kim Petras and Coco Jones in 2023; and Tyla and Reneé Rapp in 2024. 

“Pandora prides itself on being a platform that listeners can turn to for discovering new music, and year after year the platform continues to successfully identify the rising stars across all genres,” said Steve Blatter, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Music Programming at SiriusXM and Pandora.

“With our expert programming team, combined with listening data and insights, we were able to narrow down an extensive list of talented new artists to get our Pandora Ten, the ones we believe will make the biggest impact in 2025 and beyond.”

Along with the Pandora Ten, Pandora highlights emerging artists across various genres such as Country and Latin. 

Megan Woods Named One Of Pandora’s Artists To Watch In 2025

The 2025 Pandora Ten:

Megan Woods: Megan Woods is from Boston, Massachusetts where God planted a love for music in her at a really young age, but she found herself wrestling with her sense of self-worth. Developing her relationship with Christ through her songwriting began her healing process and leaning into God’s love after coming from a place of worthlessness shows up in all the songs she writes. She eventually signed a record deal with Fair Trade Services that’s home to CeCe Winans, MercyMe and Phil Wickham.

Megan has burst onto the scene with a powerful anthem called “The Truth” which has shown great promise on all of the Pandora stations it has been placed on, in addition to SiriusXM’s The Message. She is at the forefront of a new trend towards younger-leaning audiences seeking powerful faith-based music they can relate to.

Alex Warren: From sharing his personal struggles to his current rise to stardom, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter has connected with Pandora listeners through his songwriting and inspiring life story. His success continues to skyrocket across Pandora with support for the breakout singles “Burning Down” and “Carry You Home” across top stations.

Earlier this year, Alex was chosen to be part of SiriusXM and Pandora’s Artist Accelerator program, which develops and breaks new artists by leveraging the massive audience of both SiriusXM and Pandora.

CYRIL: The Aussie-born producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist had his breakthrough in 2023 with “Stumblin’ In,” which soared on across streaming platforms and TikTok, becoming the most-played song across multiple countries.CYRIL’s remix of Teddy Swims’ “The Door” has been #1 on Pandora’s MIXR and airplay many weeks in a row. He has reached 8.2M solo streams on platform since 2023, with “Stumblin’ In,” his most popular electronic/pop crossover hit. 

 Gigi Perez: After finding instant viral success, the rising alternative singer-songwriter released her debut EP, How To Catch A Falling Knife in April 2023 and spent the year performing at various festivals and headline shows. Gigi began to release songs independently, starting with “Normalcy,” her first-ever self-produced track “Please Be Rude,” as well as the hit single, “Sailor Song,” that amassed 500k+ streams on Pandora over the past 90 days and landed her first-ever U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, #1 on the UK singles chart, and continues to climb charts around the world.

She’s hitting the road with girl in red this fall, in addition to her own headline shows – up next for Gigi is new music, and many more live shows.

Kapo: Juan David Loaiza Sepúlveda, known in the music industry as Kapo, is a 26-year-old artist from Colombia who was discovered and signed by Nicky Jam’s La Industria Inc. label. The performer and a composer broke out this summer with the viral success of the single “Ohnana,” followed by “UWAIE”, both of which propelled Kapo to global recognition across Europe and the Americas.

His virality and growth have made him a standout on Pandora’s El Pulso station, with both “Ohnana” and “UWAIE” landing consistently in the top 20 most-thumbed-up tracks on the station during the latter half of the year.

Further cementing his recognition as an Artist to Watch, Kapo’s Pandora streams have grown 500% in the last three months alone, topping 4.3 million during that period. In his short moment in the spotlight, Kapo has already collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Nicky Jam, Farruko, Manuel Turizo, Jhayco and others. 

Leon Thomas: The 30-year-old Brooklyn native, seamlessly bridges the worlds of music, acting, and production. Thomas made a notable debut with his album Electric Dusk(2023), featuring collaborations with Victoria Monét, Benny the Butcher, and Ty Dolla $ign, and his groundbreaking work on SZA’s “Snooze” earned him a Grammy in 2024, highlighting his innovative influence in shaping contemporary R&B.

With his latest album MUTT, Thomas continues to explore the complexities of love and ambition through with the title track rising up the charts and thriving across SiriusXM’s The Heat and Pandora’s Blueprint.

Natalie Jane: Coming off of a headlining EU/UK tour, Natalie Jane continues to break through to Pandora listeners across the platform. The hit single “Somebody to Someone (I Just Wanna Fall in Love)” over indexed on Pandora this year, leading to the adds on major Pandora pop stations including Today’s Hits, Today’s Adult Hits, Pop Space, New Pop, Women in Pop, This Year in Pop.

The Funeral Portrait: Greetings from Suffocate City, The Funeral Portrait’s first full-length album with Better Noise Music, showcases the band’s unique blend of emotionally raw and anthemic rock. The album features collaborations with artists like Bert McCracken of The Used and Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills, mixing mainstream rock appeal with nostalgic nods to the 2000s Warped Tour scene.

On Pandora, the band continues to make waves with over 1.3 million lifetime streams on the platform with more to come in the next year. Frontman Lee Jennings describes the band as a voice for “weirdos and misfits,” a message that resonates with their diverse, inclusive audience.

Veeze: Detroit’s beloved cult artist is proving to be a superstar in the making with his unconventional flow and progressive sound. Since his 2019 debut, Navy Wavy, his buzz has grown nationally with hits like “Law ‘N’ Order” and high-profile collaborations with Lil Yachty, 42 Dugg, and Lil Baby. His 2023 debut album, Ganger, catapulted him further, with standout singles like “Not a Drill” and “GOMD” drawing widespread attention.

Following a sold-out Ganger Tour, Veeze launched his own imprint, Navy Wavy, in partnership with Warner Records—cementing his status as a rising Gen Z rap icon. Pandora continues to spotlight Veeze across stations and he was a performer at SiriusXM and Pandora’s recent HBCU Homecoming Pop Out Concert. 

Zach Top: Top is quickly establishing himself as a preeminent artist to watch following the release of his debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, a sold-out headlining tour and his first CMA nomination for new artist of the year. Pandora has been the leading DSP supporting his album with continuous play across stations and SiriusXM’s The Highway has supported with heavy airplay as well.

Adding to his breakout year, his viral single, “I Never Lie,” debuted on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. Top has also spent much of this year on Lainey Wilson’s “Country’s Cool Again” tour and will be direct support for select Alan Jackson dates in 2025.

On March 1st, 2025, more than 70 Christian leaders from every continent will gather the world together for moments of teaching, prayer, worship and sermons for the world’s first-of its kind international gathering of Christians, Gather25.

The 25-hour event, founded by Jennie Allen, will feature well-known Americans including Priscilla Shirer, Louie Giglio, Sadie Robertson Huff and others, in addition to leaders from the UK, South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Eastern Europe.

See the initial lineup of participants (more to be announced), here: https://www.gather25.com/leaders.

Gather25 will include 7 in-person events across 6 continents, which will be broadcast to every participant across the 25 hours.

In September, several of those involved in Gather25 took over social media to share about how Gather25 will bring together and tell the story of the global church like never before.

More than 5,000 Gather Groups have been registered so far, including groups in the USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Pakistan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Samoa, Australia, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Congo, Côte D’Ivoire, Benin, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Brazil, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and United Arab Emirates. Gather Group registration is open, here: gather25.com/groups.

An event that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, Gather25 marks the first time it has been possible for the global church to gather in this way thanks to AI translation technology, broadcast capabilities and more. Learn more about the event at gather25.com.

Shaun P releases his debut album on Dream titled Live at the Jesus Dome. This live worship experience was recorded in July of 2024 at the Jesus Dome in Durban, South Africa.  The album is a mixture of cover and original songs.  The album is available on all digital retail and streaming service providers.  In addition to the release of the album, the live experience can be seen on Shaun’s YouTube channel 

Shaun P Releases ‘Live At The Jesus Dome’

Stream & Enjoy

Curb Records artist Stars Go Dim launches its next musical chapter with “Mama Don’t Lie (Alright),” out today.

Stars Go Dim celebrates every new day on “Mama Don’t Lie (Alright).” Frontman Chris Cleveland takes his mama at her word when she tells him everything will be OK. Settling into a retro groove, the pop throwback acknowledges both a universal feeling that life is heavy and an inescapable rush of joy that comes in knowing the sun will rise again tomorrow.

The colorful horn-laden original is the lead offering from Stars Go Dim’s forthcoming studio project, set to bow next year. Cleveland self-produced the album’s debut single and penned the selection with a vibey piano assist from Mark Heimermann.

“‘Mama Don’t Lie (Alright)’ is the first song from the new record, and it’s on purpose, because when you put this on, man, it makes you feel something. I’m so excited about this one. It’s the first one I wrote for the record,” Cleveland shares. “The cool part about this song is that the intro — the very first thing you hear — is a voice memo of the first chords of this song.

I took them straight from a text my co-writer, Mark Heimermann, sent me. So, as this song comes on, you’re going to hear the very first thing I heard when I began to write and think about this record. I hope you love ‘Mama Don’t Lie (Alright).’”

The introductory single leads an all-new 11-song LP coming from Stars Go Dim in 2025 and marks a fresh musical era for Cleveland.

Stars Go Dim Launches Next Chapter With “Mama Don’t Lie (Alright)”

Stream & Enjoy

 GMA Dove Award-winning hip hop duo Social Club Misfits partners with GRAMMY- nominated artist Ryan Ellis on a new song. “Pray” is now available to stream.

Social Club Misfits & Ryan Ellis Partner On “Pray”

Stream & Enjoy

Grace Graber shares her cover of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” featuring JSteph. Get in the holiday spirit by listening to this new rendition below.

Grace Graber Shares Her Version Of Christmas Classic

Stream & Enjoy

An intimate, rootsy ballad that brims with nostalgia and quiet beauty.

Cory M. Coons’ “The Morning Drive” isn’t just a song; it’s a window into a moment—an ode to life’s simplest yet most profound connections. Coons, already celebrated for his warm brand of roots-flavored melodic rock, steps further into a stripped-down Americana landscape here, crafting a delicate and emotive ballad that feels like an open letter to both time and love.

Self-produced and performed entirely by Coons himself, the single reflects his decades-long expertise and deep personal artistry, but more importantly, it feels *human*—grounded in the kind of understated beauty you only find when an artist writes from the heart.

Cory M. Coons – “The Morning Drive”

Stream & Enjoy

Lyrically, “The Morning Drive” resonates like a beloved Polaroid pulled from a dusty keepsake box. Coons captures a tender routine—those early morning drives shared with his daughter along Ontario’s St. Lawrence Seaway. Lines like “Her tiny eyes still softly closed” and “The sun will rise / Down the old nine mile” paint images so vivid you can almost feel the cool morning air on your face.

There’s something universal here, a bittersweet familiarity in celebrating fleeting moments of connection before they slip away into memory.

The chorus carries a quietly soaring tenderness: “I treasure every moment / And cherish every mile / The time with you, my little girl / And the morning drive.” Coons refrains from over-sentimentality, instead letting the lyrics breathe with soft-spoken grace, a testament to his maturity as a songwriter.

Musically, “The Morning Drive” finds power in restraint. The acoustic guitar carries the song with a gentle, steady rhythm, complemented by subtle symphonic touches that shimmer like morning light breaking over the horizon. The arrangement, minimal and unhurried, allows Coons’ warm, weathered vocals to take center stage.

It’s here that his roots and Americana influences come into full bloom—think the reflective storytelling of Gordon Lightfoot or James Taylor, but with the kind of homespun charm reminiscent of John Prine. Each note feels intentional, each pause imbued with quiet meaning, mirroring the contemplative pace of the song’s subject matter.

In producing the track himself—playing every instrument, mixing, and mastering—Coons achieves a raw authenticity. This isn’t polished for radio gloss; it’s tender, tactile, and deeply personal, an extension of his craft and a reflection of an artist proud to stand alone in his truth. The song’s intimacy feels as though it was born in that “Summer Kitchen,” written in those same predawn hours, lingering long after the last note fades.

“The Morning Drive” carries a subtle magic—a reminder that beauty lives in life’s small rituals and the roads we travel with those we love. For anyone who has ever cherished a quiet drive, a fleeting morning, or the weight of time’s passage, this song strikes like an emotional ripple.

Cory M. Coons may have over 30 years in the industry, but with tracks like this, it’s clear his music still comes from a place of humble wonder. “The Morning Drive” is a love letter to memory, and in listening, we’re reminded to treasure the moments that define our days, no matter how small.

For Fans Of:
– Gordon Lightfoot
– John Prine
– James Taylor
– Bruce Cockburn

Final Thoughts:
On “The Morning Drive,” Cory M. Coons reminds us that the most beautiful songs don’t need to shout they just need to feel. This is music for quiet mornings and long drives, for those who find magic in simplicity and love in the passing of time. A rootsy gem from an artist who continues to write from the heart.

–Jamie Cutler