‘Vem Quebra As Barreiras/Come And Tear Down The Walls’ is a prayer unto God that has been resonating with both the REVERE message and the international community of worship leaders. American-born Brazilian singer Julia Vitoria heard the song from REVERE’s live album and started singing it as a prayer, growing to truly love and believe in the song.
When the chance to lead ‘Vem Quebra As Barreiras/Come And Tear Down The Walls’ during the REVERE Unscripted night of worship came up, the powerhouse vocalist interpreted it in both Portuguese and English.
There are so many barriers that we construct in our lives; between ourselves and others who don’t look like us or share the same perspective, but ultimately, barriers between us and God. ‘Vem Quebra As Barreiras/Come And Tear Down The Walls’ is a humble call to God-inspired change.
The new single is built around the vocals, with a grand piano and cello as a stripped-back sound bed. The new REVERE release is a breath-taking presentation of an open-handed worship experience.
“Vem Quebra As Barreiras/Come Tear Down The Walls” is available now.
JJ Heller releases I Dream Of You: Joy. She shares about the release:
Please welcome the newest addition to my I Dream of You series! Think of it as a Christmas album you can listen to all year long.
I Dream of You: JOY is a collection of 16 of the most hopeful and joy-filled songs I could think of.
Each track is meant to be played during the daytime whenever you need a little dose of sunshine. They’re for impromptu dance parties, getting ready for school, road trips, baking goodies and maybe just smiling in general.
Landry Cantrell releases his new song “Source” available at all digital service providers (DREAM Records). Co-written by Cantrell and Jonathan Gamble, this pop infused mix of both modern uptempo and 80s sounds is extremely fun to listen to.
It’s lyrics provides a fun spin on the meaning of life and what really matters. The song was produced by Ben Thompson of All Creatures & Neon Feather. Landry shares more about the song below.
“A tree’s roots are always looking for water, a flower is always looking for sunlight. All living things have this inherent need to seek their source of life and the same is true for our souls. Every moment we are longing to be close to Jesus who is our source of life. In John 6:35 Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. If you are looking for peace, hope or joy why not go directly to the source of it all: Jesus!” – Landry Cantrell
Motown Gospel (a division of Capitol CMG/Capitol and Universal Music Group) announces the pre-release track titled “Satisfied” featuring Dante Bowe. This track is from the highly anticipated full-length album from, “The Four: Battle for Stardom on FOX,” season one winner, Evvie McKinney. McKinney’s debut album Love, Evvie McKinney, is available for pre-order here.
Influenced by the fabled and fertile Memphis music scene, Evvie McKinney’s unique merging of good ol’ gospel vibes, current pop sensibility, and deep-rooted soul has her perfectly positioned for international acclaim.
In 2018, she competed and won in the inaugural season of The Four: Battle for Stardom on FOX. In 2022, she co-hosted the 37th Stellar Gospel Music Awards pre-show alongside Pastor Mike Jr. The 37th Stellar Gospel Music Awards is currently running in broadcast syndication and online. Part one of the 37th Stellar Gospel Music Awards is available for viewing now at TheStellarAwards.com.
One of the most popular Catholic/Christian recording artists, Josh Blakesley, will release his latest single “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” on September 16, 2022. This marks the third single released by Blakesley for his upcoming new album Outpoured that will be available in early 2023. The first single was “Come to the Banquet,” and the second song was “Jesus, I Trust in You.” The series of new singles will culminate with Blakesley’s seventh album and Outpoured Tour in 2023.
“Alleluia! Sing to Jesus,” may be one of the most recognized hymns in the Catholic Church, said Blakesley. “It is not simply a song of the resurrection of Jesus, but an intimate profession of the hope we find in Him. It reminds me that every new day gives us reason to honor our Creator and Savior King. My hope for this new arrangement is that it will bring renewal to all who pray with it.”
Blakesley’s music talent and his strong faith has led to him becoming a major contemporary Catholic/Christian artist, while appearing with his band at faith events around the country. He believes that he has a calling to make music that will move people into prayer and action. At the same time as a Christian songwriter, he wants to create songs that honor traditions while still speaking to the modern Church.
Blakesley stays on an active tour schedule with his music that consists of appearances at concerts, youth rallies and worship retreats. He will also be one of the hosts for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April 2023, and additional information about the trip is available at https://bit.ly/3CPt5VJ.
In response to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, charities LICC and Bible Society are releasing ‘Tears and Celebration’, a new hymn featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, written by Andy Flannagan with Sam Hargreaves. ‘Tears and Celebration’ is a new hymn for the UK and Commonwealth. It is a song of remembrance, assurance, and repentance, giving voice to the hearts and minds of people all over the world. An abridged version was broadcast on BBC1’s Songs of Praise on Sunday 11 September.
The words were written by Andy Flannagan, aided by Sam Hargreaves, to the well-known tune of ‘Dim Ond Iesu’, best known as the melody to ‘Here is Love Vast as the Ocean’. They offer words to help people give thanks for the Queen’s example and faith: “As he takes her to his promise of an audience with the King, we remember all she gave us, wreaths of gratitude we bring.” They also speak of the Queen’s powerful example of discipleship: “Humble, kind and fair, swift to pray and slow to anger, choosing faith and not despair.” And they pray each of us will be able to make a difference through Christ in the same way: “May we know that same anointing, move in royal authority, then speak liberty and healing to a world in need of peace.”
These lyrics quickly captured many hearts and minds, and on 9 September, Katherine was asked to record the song and music video with pianist and producer Mark Edwards providing the arrangement and film-maker Andy Hutchison directing the video.
“For any of us, the death of a loved one often ushers in a time of questioning and instability,” said Andy Flannagan. “I felt this would be the same for our nation following the Queen’s passing, so wanted to write something to help folks process and pray. As I sat at my piano, the beautiful old tune of the Welsh revival merged with new words for this moment that just seemed to flood out – words that invite us to participate, not just commentate. I hope they’re useful.”
The song is available on all streaming services, and a music video recorded at beautiful Wiston House Chapel in Sussex can be viewed above.
Legendary, heavy metal band Stryper released their latest single “Transgressor” today (September 15th) off their forthcoming album The Final Battle that is set for release on October 21st, 2022. “Transgressor” follows the successful release of first single “Rise To The Call,” and second single “See No Evil, Hear No Evil,” both of which have received praise from press and fans alike in the buildup of the groups forthcoming album.
This new album was produced by front man Michael Sweet, and firmly continues the trend established over the band’s last few albums, even somehow managing to beat its immediate predecessors, No More Hell To Pay (2013), Fallen (2015), God Damn Evil (2018), and Even The Devil Believes (2020), continuing the band’s unprecedented latest career streak of releasing arguably the best albums of their multi-decade career.
The Final Battle sees the band growing heavier while also maintaining their trademark melodies, virtuoso guitar playing, and air tight rhythms. Fans can pre-order The Final Battle HERE. The Final Battle will be released on CD, 2xLP, and Digital formats, with multiple limited edition color variants of the LP available, along with exclusive merch drops on both Stryper’s and The Frontier’s websites.
The Final Battle was crafted during the most challenging time of the band’s career. But rather than let the adversity get them down, the band accepted these challenges and channeled it into writing some of the greatest songs of their storied career. One of those great songs is the band’s latest single “Transgressor” off of The Final Battle. When asked about this new single Stryper front man Michael Sweet said, “Transgressor is a ride like no other. You take off at 100 MPH and it doesn’t let up until the very last note. It’s definitely one of our heaviest songs yet we wanted to incorporate melody and structure. We’re really excited about this one and we can’t wait to perform it live!”
When it comes to groundbreaking bands in the metal genre, Stryper is renowned for their distinctive brand of “heavenly metal,” extraordinary crossover success, and venerable endurance. The group ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40 hits like “Calling on You,” “Honestly,” and “Always There for You” and has maintained a global fan base since. Stryper’s career album sales exceed 10 million worldwide, including 1986’s multi-platinum release To Hell with the Devil. The band also made history when it notched two songs simultaneously on MTV’s Top 10 with videos “Free” and “Honestly.” While Stryper is known for their Christian faith, their decades plus career in heavy metal has made them much more than just a ‘Christian metal’ band. Sure, that is part of who they are, but at the end of the day, they are simply a long-running and well respected heavy metal band with a late-career rebirth that has proved their enduring talent and musical skills are well intact.
GRAMMY-nominated worship leader Cody Carnes releases “Forever & Amen.” The track is from his upcoming first-ever live recorded album God is Good!, due later this month (Sept 30).
The album features 12 recorded songs including the recently released “Good (Can’t Be Anything Else)” and the new radio single available today, “Ain’t Nobody.” Today the live video for “Forever & Amen” is premiering and can be viewed below.
The upcoming album, God is Good!, was captured this summer during a special two-night worship event at Belonging Co. in Nashville. Special guests Kari Jobe, Natalie Grant, and Benjamin William Hastings join Carnes for the new album. See below for the complete track listing of the live album.
Since his GRAMMY-nominated studio album, Run To The Father, he has released several songs that have resonated deeply with the church such as “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” and most recently “Be Glad.” He is also the co-writer on the global hit, “The Blessing,” which was nominated for a GRAMMY as well as won the 2021 GMA Dove Award for “Song of the Year” and 2020 “Worship Song of the Year.”
This fall Carnes and his wife Kari Jobe will debut at the Grand Ole Opry on October 1st for a two-show night. Tickets can be found here.
God is Good! Track Listing:
1. Good (Can’t Be Anything Else) (Live) 2. Take You At Your Word (with Benjamin William Hastings) (Live) 3. Ain’t Nobody (Live) 4. Simple Kingdom (Live) 5. Good To Be Loved (with Natalie Grant) (Live) 6. Too Good To Not Believe (Live) 7. Our God Reigns (Psalm 47) (Live) 8. Forever & Amen (with Kari Jobe) (Live) 9. I’ll Follow (Live) 10. How Precious Is The Blood (Live) 11. The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power (Live) 12. Ain’t Nobody (Radio Version)
Grammy, Billboard Music, Stellar, and Dove Award-winning musician and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard shares “Jesus Lover Of My Soul” featuring The Walls Group, the third single from her forthcoming album HYMNS, out October 7 via Motown Gospel.
The new LP finds Cobbs Leonard going bigger and bolder than ever before, reimagining classic hymns of love and grace with a series of sweeping, ambitious arrangements that draw on everything from worship and gospel to country, pop, and R&B. HYMNS was captured in front of a live audience of more than 3,000 at The Greenwood Oasis on the campus of New Life Southeast in Chicago and features a number of guests, including Jennifer Hudson, Kierra Sheard, Mary Mary, The Walls Group, and more.
Watch Video & Download “Jesus Lover Of My Soul” Below
In celebration of the new album, Tasha Cobbs Leonard is taking to the road with performances of the new work. She will be performing at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 26 and will be performing at Tabernacle in Atlanta on the eve of Hymns release. More dates to follow. Information on tickets here http://www.tashacobbsleonard.com/.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard recently garnered two Dove Award nominations for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for her strength and perseverance anthem “Gotta Believe” and Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for “Lift Every Voice.” She originally recorded “Gotta Believe” as part of NPR Morning Edition’s Song Project, a series launched during lockdown to provide an outlet for artists to write and perform an original song as a way to reflect the times. In an interview about the song’s origins, Tasha opened up about some of her personal struggles, including losing family and friends to the COVID pandemic.
