American Idol favorite Colton Dixon is releasing his first new music of the year today, with the pop anthem, “Build a Boat” (Atlantic). Written by Dixon along with co-writers and producers Pete Becker, Mikey Gormley, Johan Lindbrant and Seth Mosley, the track, along with a lyric video, is available at all DSPs today and will impact Christian radio on June 10.
“’Build a Boat’ is an anthem for anyone willing to stand up or step out for what they believe in,” Dixon says. “Just as Noah stepped out to construct an ark in the middle of a drought, faith can look a little crazy sometimes. I hope this song encourages you to go beyond what’s comfortable to experience the reward waiting on the other side of crazy faith.”
“Build a Boat” is Dixon’s latest single since signing with Atlantic records in 2020 and releasing his self-titled EP containing the No. 1 hits “Miracles,” “Devil Is A Liar,” and his 2021 single, “Made To Fly.”
How Far, the long-awaited full-length debut from one of Christian music’s leading female artists, Tasha Layton, is set for release May 13 from BEC Recordings. Produced by GRAMMY and Dove Award winner Keith Everette Smith, the definitive 10-song set brims with soaring ballads and bright pop gems, putting Layton’s signature vocals front and center to extol themes of Hope and encouragement.
Anchored by Layton’s #1 single “Look What You’ve Done” and her 2020 breakout hit “Into the Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK),” How Far showcases four newly recorded selections, including the debut single and title-cut set to impact radio today, April 29. A victorious anthem of assurance that God’s grace cannot be outrun, “How Far” proclaims: “A million miles of my mistakes still couldn’t keep Your love away/However far away I am from home/that’s how far Your love will go.”
“The whole album is summed up in the message of the title track, ‘How Far,’” Layton shares. “It’s about how God continues to reach out and pursue us even when we run from Him. It was God’s love for us that propelled Him to give His life on the cross. Arms stretched open wide—that’s how far He will go.” Layton co-wrote nine of the project’s 10 tracks, and How Far also features songwriting contributions from such names as Matthew West, We Are Messengers’ Darren Mulligan, Matt Hammitt, Aaron Shust, Ethan Hulse and Andrew Bergthold (We The Kingdom), among others.
Additional highlights of How Far include the shimmering synth-pop opener “Help Me Let Go”; “Catch My Breath,” a plea for respite amidst the stress of life; and a new rendition of the worship anthem “Joy Comes In The Morning,” which Layton originally recorded with Franklin, Tennessee’s Church of the City worship team.
“I didn’t shy away from any hard emotions with these songs, and I really tried to lean in and hear what God had to say about each of them,” Layton says of How Far. “My hope is that listeners feel a sense of freedom in this album, understanding that God meets us even in the darkest of hours. The album speaks to God’s intimate involvement in our lives, from the mundane to the biggest moments, throughout each and every season. God is in all of those things with us. He cares; He’s kind; and He’s working all things out for our good.”
Layton’s 2021 smash hit “Look What You’ve Done” reached the pinnacle of Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart and earned her recognition as one of the publication’s Top 5 female Christian artists of the year. She has been featured on ABC’s GMA3: What You Need To Know, discussing how past struggles have shaped her life and inspired her music; and Layton served as co-host of the 52nd GMA Dove Awards Pre-Telecast last year. Her six-song holiday EP This Is Christmas bowed in October and her guided prayer journal, “Boundless: Moving Freedom From Your Head To Your Heart,” also released last fall.
In 2020 Layton was first named one of Billboard’s Top 5 female Christian artists of the year on the heels of her breakthrough single “Into The Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK),” which was among the biggest hits at Christian radio that year. Prior to her solo career, Layton appeared on Season 9 of American Idol and spent four years as a back-up vocalist for pop superstar Katy Perry. A South Carolina native, her voice has been heard in productions for Disneyland and Cirque du Soleil; she has served as an instructor at the National Praise and Worship Institute at Nashville’s Trevecca Nazarene University; and Layton is featured in pro-audio company TC Helicon’s book, “The Ultimate Guide to Singing.”
‘Infinito Amor’ (Portuguese for “Everlasting Love”) was penned by Peve, Steph McLeod, and Lucy Grimble during a writing camp with worship leaders from Brazil, the United States, and the United Kingdom hosted on Zoom in 2020. On that day, Scottish singer-songwriter and worship leader Steph Macleod was told that his son had been involved in a work place accident, and due to lockdown rules, Steph and his wife could not attend to their son in the hospital.
All that Steph was left with was surrender, worship, thanksgiving, and through a translator, the sharing of this difficult moment with his co-writers. The song was birthed out of that moment, speaking about the living God who dwells within us; and that whatever comes our way, we can endlessly declare and sing of His goodness.
‘Infinito Amor’ features Brazil’s Central 3’s Peve and bandmate and collaborator Gabriela Maganete. You will soon also be able to hear the English version, Everlasting Love, sung by Steph Macleod and Lucy Grimble.
This beautiful sing-a-long five minute plus worship song is shaped around the chorus’ filling the listeners ears with “Holy Holy Holy are you God” and “Worthy Worthy Worthy are you God.” The song was produced by Michael Monroe, Steve Fee, Andy Soemo, Stephen Pelatzky, David Neuman and written by Michael Monroe, Koby Orr, Brandon Coker, Clay Finnesand.
“This song came from a desire to set our hearts on the Throne Room. We were at a writing retreat and someone asked the question ‘what should we write today.’ I played this simple chorus I had written: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy are you God. Worthy, Worthy, Worthy are you God.’ Everyone got on the same page from there. It’s so easy to get caught up in the temporary and lose focus on the eternal. My prayer for this song is that anyone who hears it will be able to take their eyes off of the temporary and place them on the eternal—on the promise that we will one day stand before the Lord worshipping together in one voice. What a day that will be.” – Michael Monroe, Canyon Hills Worship
Worship Artist, Manny Benton, has released his third single “Your Love Endures Forever (YLEF).” Stream “Your Love Endures Forever (YLEF)” on Spotify.
Benton released his debut single, “I Look To You” in 2017 and the rocker, “Strength and Shield” in 2019. “Your Love Endures Forever (YLEF)” is Manny Benton’s latest offering that packs powerful lyrics inspired by Lamentations 3.
“I wrote this song a little over a year after my grandfather passed away,” said Benton. “It took a while for me to deal with the grief of losing the most influential person in my life. I felt afflicted. I felt heavy. But when I read Lamentations 3 the Lord began to show me how in our pain and affliction we must remind ourselves that we have a hope. Not only that, but we must put our hope in Him. For surely His love endures forever and His faithfulness is great!”
Manny Benton is from Fort Washington, MD and he comes from a family full of pastors (including his late grandfather, Dr. Harrison E. Benton Jr.). At the age of 16, he sang at an open mic church service for the first time. “Most of the people who watched me grow up in the church never heard me sing,” said Benton. “It was kind of nerve wracking to do an original while letting people hear me sing for the first time.” Soon, he was leading the worship team with his own compositions at his grandfather’s church, New Creation AME.
Eventually, Benton hit the studio with Sean Hill who produced Christian Pop stars such as Jamie Grace and Landry Cantrell. The result is now his third single, “Your Love Endures Forever (YLEF),” which is now available.
GRAMMY Award-winning artist and songwriter Brandon Lake shares new music with his latest single titled “HELP!”.
Lake recently announced his fall headlining tour. Known for many of his collaborations with Maverick City Music and others, Brandon Lake will visit 12 cities this fall with special guests Blessing Offor and Joshua Silverberg.
Don’t miss this Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY Award-winning worship leader bringing together different communities for these special evenings. Tickets can be purchased now here.10/7/22 Bayside Church | Granite Bay Roseville, CA 10/8/22 Rock Church | San Diego, CA 10/9/22 Seacoast Grace Church | Orange County (Cypress), CA 10/14/22 Gateway Community Church | Houston (Webster), TX 10/15/22 Oak Hills Church -Crownridge Campus | San Antonio, TX 10/16/22 College Park Center | Dallas (Arlington), TX 11/4/22 Reardon Auditorium – Anderson University | Anderson, IN 11/5/22 The Naz Church | Columbus (Grove City), OH 11/6/22 Calvary Church | Naperville, IL 11/18/22 Bell Shoals Church | Tampa (Brandon), FL 11/19/22 Christ’s Church | Jacksonville, FL 11/20/22 Seacoast Church | Charleston (Mount Pleasant), SC
Today (Apr 29), MOBO-nominated Gospel artist and worship leader Sarah Téibo releases new music with her Christian Amapiano single featuring Canadian singer Kojo Dave and UK Producer DJ Shunz – ‘Belongs to You’ (Amapiano Remix).
Featuring Canadian singer Kojo Dave and produced by foremost UK Female DJ – DJ Shunz, this is the second track from a multi-genre Remix pack of Sarah Téibo’s Afrobeats single ‘Belongs to You’ set for release in Summer 2022.
On this unique remix project, Sarah reinterprets the original Afrobeats song through collaborations with producers and artists from around the world. The first remix was released in February in the EDM style, featuring Brazilian singer Paola Carla and with Nigerian Sigag Lauren on production.
Worship singer/songwriter Anna Golden is the flagship artist on the imprint label of GRAMMY®-winning worship artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard, TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel.
With 20M+ global streams LTD, Golden is also featured on the 2022 breakout worship hit from Passion, “What He’s Done,” as well as on Leonard’s workshop project, Sanctuary, among others. Her album, Peace: The Album, was released to much acclaim in 2021.
Golden debuts her latest single, “Take It To Jesus,” on April 29, an embracing track offering encouragement and hope when life hits its hardest. With its bellowing cellos and intimate vocals, “Take It To Jesus” highlights Golden’s talents as a vocalist and songwriter and showcases her lead in the charge of a new wave of artists that are redefining the sound and style of worship music, both inside and outside of the church.
Currently leading worship in Dallas, Texas, the 24-year-old St. Louis, MO native shares, “I believe that music is a beautiful translator to anything that the Lord wants to say to someone. My mission when I’m leading worship is to extend what has been extended to me—the power that’s in worship, the warfare that’s in worship, the peace.”
The phrase “It’s Over” can convey countless emotions. The speaker can say it with reluctant resignation, fed-up frustration, or even Vince Carter-level confidence. And if you’re anything like Eddy Puyol, you’ve probably experienced all three at some point.
On his latest single the artist revisits times in his life when he’s had to say “It’s Over” out loud. The energetic pop anthem reinterprets lyrics from his 2017 track “Shut It Down” and embodies a longstanding family mantra: “Finish what you start. And if you start something, then leave it better than you found it.”
Stream or download at your favorite digital platform.
