Three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Crowder releases new music with Milk And Honey Tour – Austin City Limits Live collection. Crowder debuted the Milk And Honey album in June 2021 and hit the road that fall. A deluxe edition of Milk And Honey was released in March 2022.
Milk And Honey Tour – Austin City Limits Live features live renditions of “God Really Loves Us,” “Good God Almighty,” “He Is,” and more. Preview the new live collection with the official music video for “God Really Loves Us (Austin City Limits Live)” featuring Chidima below. Milk And Honey Tour – Austin City Limits Live is available now. to download/stream.
The relationship between the two artists began when Nichole was invited by Big Daddy Weave to join them on select dates during the band’s spring 2022 tour, which was her first-ever series of tour dates. Shortly thereafter, she shared with Big Daddy Weave her song “God Is In This Story” that was co-written with Grammy® nominated songwriters Ethan Hulse and Jeff Pardo, and asked if the group would record it with her.
The release arrives at a poignant time for both artists, with Nichole’s testimony of physical and mental suffering and subsequent healing reaching 150+ million through the viral phenomenon of her first single and record-breaking multiformat Billboard No. 1 hit, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” and Big Daddy Weave’s mourning the passing of founding member Jay Weaver on January 2, 2022.
Big Daddy Weave lead singer Mike Weaver shares, “It’s been a really difficult season of saying goodbye to my brother and missing him, but also a time of realizing that there’s so much more for us to do. This is a song of hope, a song of encouragement, that God really is present with us in all of the seasons of our lives – the really great ones and the ones that are difficult. God is not giving up on us. He is in the details of our lives. We can trust Him that He is working things together for our good.”
“The one thing that we all have in common is that we all have a story to tell,” adds Nichole. “Looking back on my life, I always thought, ‘Oh, my story is too broken, and no one is going to want to hear about that.’ But what I didn’t know is that people were actually seeing Jesus through my story, because God was turning the broken things into beautiful things. So if you think that your story is too broken, I promise you that it’s not because God is in it.”
Katy Nichole, hit No. 1 for the first time recently with “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” on both Billboard’s Christian Airplay and AC Indicator charts. “Making history, the song reaches the Christian Airplay penthouse in its 12th week, completing the quickest jaunt to No. 1 for a female artist’s first entry in the chart’s 19-year history,” notes Billboard. The viral debut single also continues its sixth week atop the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart while topping the iTunes Christian & Gospel Songs chart for 12 consecutive weeks.
Iconic modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty release a new version of “Christ Our Hope In Life And Death” with GRAMMY Winning, multi-platinum selling and iconic artist Michael W. Smith.
The song was originally released in 2021 on Getty Music’s Sing! Global (Live At The Getty Music Worship Conference) album. The official audio for this new version can be heard below. “Christ Our Hope In Life And Death” ft. Michael W. Smith is available now to download/stream.
“As the title of this year’s Sing! Conference and our upcoming Fall tour, ‘Christ Our Hope in Life and Death’ is the heartbeat behind so much of what we’re doing this year, and reminds us that we can sing with confidence and hope knowing Christ has conquered the grave,” Keith and Kristyn shared on social media.
Ahead of Father’s Day 2022, Matthew West releases sentimental new track “Before You Ask Her” today across all digital streaming platforms.
The heartwarming new song explores a father’s advice he gives to the man who wants to take his daughter out and eventually ask for her hand in marriage. Listen to “Before You Ask Her” HERE.
The touching ode, backed by a sweet melody, was inspired by West’s two daughters and penned by West with chart-topping songwriter AJ Pruis. Directed by Sean Hagwell, the father-daughter relationship is highlighted with the tug at your heartstrings music video which is also out today (6/10).
“I always say that there’s a piece of my girls in every song I write,” shares West. “But some songs hit even closer to home for me. This is one of those songs. God blessed me with two daughters, and while I’m far from a perfect parent, this song represents my heart for my girls and my prayer for the kind of man they deserve in their lives someday. Someone who will, as the song says, “always let her know that her voice matters.”
Additionally, West is announcing his headlining show – “A Night of Worship at the Mother Church with Matthew West and Friends” at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on August 21. Tickets are available for pre-sale starting June 16 and public on-sale June 17.
Last week, West was named the Male Artist of the Year at the K-Love Fan Awards. He also served as co-host of the show for the seventh time. His current single “Me On Your Mind” is quickly climbing the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart – currently at number 9 – and has surpassed 5 million streams across all digital streaming platforms. The track marks West’s 24th top 10 song as an artist.
Dubbed by Billboard as a “well-rounded songwriter,” he’s notched 11 number ones as a songwriter and had 12 number 1 singles as an artist, including his most recent multi-week No. 1 song “What If.” It followed back-to-back No. 1 hits with “The God Who Stays” and “Truth Be Told,” which he later recorded a duet rendition with country superstar Carly Pearce (here).
The genre hitmaker is the reigning ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year, his fourth time with this honor in his career. In addition to his several RIAA Gold-certified and Platinum singles, fans can hear him on “The Matthew West Podcast” which just surpassed an impressive 2 million downloads and drops new episodes weekly under the “That Sounds Fun” network. The five-time Grammy® nominated artist is set to release his sixth book, “The God Who Stays” on September 6. For more information visit thegodwhostays.com. For tour dates and ticket information visit www.matthewwest.com/tour.
Today, 10-time GRAMMY nominee Tauren Wells released his new album, Joy In The Morning, a bold 10-song set. From the funky bounce of lead single “Fake It” to the R&B swing of “Breath Away” to the soaring piano ballad “Empty,” he’s redefining his musical lane in real time.
Download / stream Joy In The MorningHERE. It is also available in Wells’ online store along with an exclusive line of Joy in the Morning merchandise.
Wells, who has amassed over one billion combined global streams to date, will celebrate the album’s release with an appearance at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on June 13 – part of “The Drop” series – and a performance during the 8:00 AM hour of “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, June 15. He was recently nominated for a 2022 BET Award for his duet with H.E.R. “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix).” The song was previously honored with GRAMMY and NAACP Image Awards nominations. A celebrated recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Wells has charted six No. 1 radio singles thus far, earning one RIAA Platinum certification and two Gold records in the process.
His fall North American tour will include shows at The Town Hall in New York City (October 17), Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre (November 5), The Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis (November 12) and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (November 15). Special guests Aaron Cole and Lakewood Music will support. Tickets are available HERE. See below for itinerary.
Joy In The Morning is Wells’ third album and first for Capitol Records/CCMG. While the title captures the brightness that comes with the dawn, the songs capture the wide range of human experience. “Throughout the sessions, I was thinking, ‘How many people can I encourage with this album?’” he recalls. “You can consider the pain. Consider the disappointments. Consider the dreams. And now, all of a sudden, you have a soundtrack that helps sooth the wounds or awaken the dreamer,” he adds.
Flaunt Magazine observed in a recent two-page feature, “Coupling raw vulnerability with palpable passion, Wells’ lyrics evoke brave emotions and stark confessions for both himself and his listeners to come to terms with….Wells’ optimism for a better tomorrow demonstrates that music is a common language – an overwhelming sensation of love and infinity in the palm of your hands.” Read the Flaunt feature, which appears in the Rhythm in Retrograde music issue, HERE.
The fight for survival when trying to overcome a serious illness is an intensely personal one, but it can be an almost equally intense fight on the part of caregivers and loved ones. Canadian Christian artist Ileen Laura paints a sonic watercolor of this mutual fight for life in her sad and hopeful new single, “Fight Left In Me” — available now.
A heartfelt piano ballad with Ileen’s signature crystal-clear, soaring, and inspirational voice, “Fight Left In Me” is based on the real-life battle Ileen’s father is currently fighting against the rare, lung-attacking disease, Systemic Scleroderma.
“When my dad first discovered that something was wrong, he went for multiple tests to try to diagnose what he actually had,” Ileen says. “After what seemed like forever, his rheumatologist finally discovered that he had Scleroderma — an autoimmune disease that has left him breathless due to the hardening of his lungs.”
The song’s raw emotion is every feeling Ileen — and, no doubt, her father — has felt since his diagnosis. “It’s a ballad that evokes raw emotion with descriptive lyrics to give the listener a window into the daily struggle of those living with this horrible disease,” Ileen shares. “‘Is this the part where they say sorry, but I’m afraid’ are words that any person who is living with Scleroderma has heard before.”
Can you hear me? I’m not done thinking about all the fighting I’ve got to do Can you see me? I’m not done thinking about all the things that I’d like to do ‘Cause there is still a fight left in me
The release of “Fight Left In Me” comes at just the right time, with Scleroderma Canada calling on Canadians to do their part and “Make A Move” for Scleroderma with their June Awareness campaign.
The song’s cover art appropriately features a set of lungs being swarmed by butterflies, representing the involvement of the lungs, hardening due to the overproduction of collagen due to Scleroderma. The music video for “Fight Left In Me” was filmed by Amir Soleimani, and choreographed by Tara Pilon and dancers Kelly Shaw and Tyler Gledhill, to beautifully convey the fight that anyone struggling with Scleroderma can relate to. The music, artwork, contemporary dance, and video are all a tribute to all who suffer silently and will hopefully bring awareness to the disease.
Dove Award-winning Worship Leader, Songwriter, Author and Producer of hundreds of songs sung around the world that make Jesus loud, Yancy offers her newest worship resource, Out of This World, available now at digital and streaming outlets via https://sc.lnk.to/YPotw-lp as well as at numerous retail stores. Written by Yancy and produced by Stephen Leiweke, the release is the latest music offering for young children from her popular Yancy and Friends, Little Praise Party series, which won her a 2021 “Children’s Album of the Year” GMA Dove Award for Ready Set Go.
Described as a “super-sized” worship resource for home and church, Out of This World features eight all-new songs from Yancy and was created with preschool and early elementary age children in mind. The songs may be previewed below or streamed via Apple Music, Spotify and more.
“It’s time to blast off into space and celebrate the ‘out of this world’ love of God!” exclaims Yancy, as she talks about leading children in worship with this new resource. “We can look around us at the world God made and see some really amazing things, but even more than that, I want to tell kids that ‘God loves this world, but He’s crazy about you!’”
Known for skillfully creating music filled with the right bite-size piece of lyric, melody and repetition for kids, Yancy is a passionate advocate of raising young disciples to worship, planting ‘big truths’ based on scripture on the hearts of all who listen and sing along.
Oh, Oh, Oh, God made me Oh, Oh, Oh, God made you God loves this world, But He’s crazy ‘bout you!
God’s love is big, Outrageous It’s out of this world, Amazing! (2xs) It’s OUT OF THIS WORLD God’s love is big (Lyrics from “Out of This World”)
From the catchy, upbeat title cut to the thoughtful “Coat of Many Colors,” which talks about the Biblical story of Joseph, Out of This World and the Yancy and Friends, Little Praise Party is about inviting young hearts to a relationship with Jesus by beginning a foundation of theology through the discipline of worship. Yancy wrote these songs and crafted the arrangements with an intentional focus to this phase of life, creating songs that kids love and adults value.
“I love writing songs that have an educational element to them,” shares Yancy. “For example, I am super excited about ‘The Opposite Song’ that talks about various things that are all opposites of each other. It’s such a fun song that I know your kids are gonna love and learn from. The chorus talks about the opposite way of life that Jesus invited us to. I truly believe there is one way, and it is God’s way. His way is the best way. This song is a party. I hope that you play it and sing along over and over again!”
The full Out of This World track listing follows:
Out of This World
Choosing Happy
Don’t Monkey Around With the Devil
Even When
The Opposite Song
Thunder
All the Things
Coat of Many Colors
Along with the new music, the “Out Of This World” Church Resource Bundle offers game-changing worship solutions for church leaders and includes all eight new songs for year round worship plus singalong tracks complete with background vocals. The USB and DVD Bundle also offers cartoon music videos with lyric lines and audio in three formats (full mix, sound track and split track files), lyric sheets, coloring pages, motion tutorials, worship leader trainings, group viewing permission and more.
GRAMMY-nominated band MercyMe has released their next highly-anticipated single, “Then Christ Came.” The award-winning group launched the new song across all streaming platforms on Friday (6/3), alongside an official lyric video — watch HERE.
Radio friends were the first to hear the track when the band debuted it live at the annual Christian Music Broadcasters’ Momentum Conference in Orlando last week. “Then Christ Came” is set to impact radio July 8.
Two years in the making, “Then Christ Came” was originally slated for MercyMe’s tenth studio album, inhale (exhale). However, frontman Bart Millard and his co-writer, David Leonard, didn’t finish the track in time. Yet, knowing it was already a special song, the band included a brief, incomplete demo of the chorus on their latest project. Recently, Millard revisited the lyrics and finished the song with friends Jason Ingram and Phil Wickham.
“We are just so excited with how it turned out,” Millard shares of the hard-fought offering. “Sometimes we over-complicate things trying to come up with new, creative ways to sing about Jesus. But the message of this song is simple in that it’s about who I was before, and then Jesus showed up, and now everything has changed. We love how it turned out and hope you like it, too!”
MercyMe is set to share new music, as well as plenty of fan favorites and chart-topping hits, when they return to Red Rocks for one night only, Oct. 17, 2022. The engagement will mark the band’s second time to headline the iconic venue.
Listen to “Then Christ Came” across all platforms HERE.
“Made You Too,” a song by We The Least, a band comprised of singer/songwriters, goes for adds to Christian AC-formatted radio outlets today. The song is from “Sundae Best,” We The Least’s second album and currently is available on all streaming platforms. A video for “Made You Too,” which was written by band member Michaela DeLong and produced by Nathaniel Dulski, is available on YouTube.
Michaela DeLong, who sings and plays keyboards, says the song was inspired by a friend’s Instagram post.
“The post basically talked about how we, as humans, look in awe at the things God has created: oceans, mountains, sunsets. Then the next second,” DeLong points out, “we turn and look at ourselves in disappointment. The Instagram quote ended with the phrase, ‘as if He didn’t create both.’ I instantly knew God had specifically allowed me to see that post.”
DeLong shares that she personally related to the message.
“I can sit and watch sunsets for hours, absolutely amazed by the colors God paints in the sky. I can hardly breathe looking at the most spectacular view at the top of a mountain. I truly connect with God through His creation. God has made a world that is indescribable. But we constantly forget that ‘He made us too!’ He made me. He made you.”
DeLong worked on “Made You Too” for three years as she processed the idea that, “just as the stars have a purpose, and the sun and the moon, each of us has a purpose too,” she says.
“The day I finished the chorus, I bawled my eyes out,” she shares, “because I truly believe God gave me the lyrics to encourage other people and to encourage myself.”
We The Least, comprised of Michaela DeLong, Nathanael DeLong, Noah DeLong and Dell May, took the 19th Annual Songwriter of the Year honors in a competition by ChristianSongwriting.com. The group released its first album in 2019, titled, “Screw It Up.”
The band members describe their music as ‘indie country Christian’ because they write in a variety of musical and lyrical styles, and are known for their creative use of three-part harmony. The band recently relocated from their hometown of Mendota, Illinois, to Nashville, Tennessee, to continue pursuing their music careers.
