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Lauren Daigleâs âThank God I Doâ reaches its 20th week atop Billboardâs streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart (dated Sept. 30). With its latest week at the summit, Daigle becomes the first soloist with two No. 1s to have reigned for at least 20 weeks each; her crossover smash âYou Sayâ dominated for a record 132 frames beginning in July 2018.
Daigleâs current No. 1 becomes one of seven hits to have led Hot Christian Songs for at least 20 weeks since the list launched in June 2003.
Longest-leading Hot Christian Songs No. 1s:
132 weeks, âYou Say,â Lauren Daigle, beginning in July 2018
61 weeks, âOceans (Where Feet May Fail),â Hillsong United, beginning in June 2013
37 weeks, âWhat a Beautiful Name,â Hillsong Worship, beginning in February 2017
26 weeks, âSomething in the Water,â Carrie Underwood, beginning in October 2014
24 weeks, âIn Jesusâ Name (God of Possible),â Katy Nichole, beginning in March 2022)
23 weeks, âWord of God Speak,â MercyMe, beginning in August 2003
20 weeks (to date), âThank God I Do,â Lauren Daigle, beginning in May 2023
Notably, six of the seven longest-leading Hot Christian Songs No. 1s feature female lead singers. In addition to Daigle, Underwood and Nicholeâs titles, Hillsong Unitedâs âOceansâ sports lead vocals by Taya Smith and Brooke Ligertwood is out front on sister act Hillsong Worshipâs âWhat a Beautiful Name.â
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âThank God I Doâ awarded Daigle her sixth Hot Christian Songs No. 1, the most among women. (Overall, MercyMe leads with 13 No. 1s.)
The song tallied 5.3 million in all-format airplay audience, 2.2 million official streams and 1,000 downloads sold Sept. 15-21, according to Luminate. It dominated Christian Digital Song Sales for 23 weeks, Christian Streaming Songs for 10 weeks and Christian Airplay for one frame.
Daigle co-authored the piano ballad with Jason Ingram, while Jeff Bhasker, P!nk and Nate Ruess are also credited as writers, as the song contains elements of P!nkâs âJust Give Me a Reason,â featuring Ruess (which the three co-penned), a three-week No. 1 on the all-genre multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 in 2013.
Cortez Crowns Gospel
On Gospel Airplay, Zacardi Cortez rolls up his sixth No. 1 with âLord Do It for Me (Live in Memphis).â The song, which he co-wrote, increased by 6% in plays during the latest tracking week.
Cortez, based in Houston, last led the chart with âYouâve Been Good to Meâ for three weeks starting in November 2022. He first reigned as featured, with Shawn McLemore, on James Fortune & FIYAâs 19-week No. 1 âI Believeâ in 2010-11.
Cortez ties for the sixth-most No. 1s on Gospel Airplay, which began in 2005. Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann lead with 10 apiece.
ASCAP will honor contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West with the Golden Note Award during ASCAPâs Christian Music Awards celebration on Oct. 2 in Nashville. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The invitation-only event celebrates the writers and publishers of ASCAPâs most-performed songs in Christian music over the […]
Nearly a decade after earning a 10-week No. 1 run atop Billboardâs Christian Airplay chart with âThis Is Amazing Grace,â California native and worship leader Phil Wickham has been enjoying a solid run of radio hits over the past few years.
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In 2021, he had two multi-week chart toppers, with âHouse of the Lordâ and âBattle Belongsâ each spending four weeks at the chartâs pinnacle. This year he returned to the Christian Airplay chartâs pole position for two weeks with âThis Is Our God,â from his forthcoming 10th studio album, I Believe, out Friday (Aug. 18 on Fair Trade/Columbia).
He recently made a strong showing when the GMA Dove Awards nominations were announced, earning four nominations including the coveted artist of the year category, as well as a song of the year nod for his role in writing the Casting Crowns hit âThen Christ Came,â and a worship song of the year nod for âThis Is Our God.â
âItâs an honor,â says Wickham, who last year picked up two GMA Dove Awards trophies. âItâs just Godâs grace. It feels like God taking some loaves and fishes and multiplying it to a place where someone would say, âThis is worth recognizing,â which is crazy.â
Wickham has become a standout in a new generation of worship leaders in the Contemporary Christian Music space, though his roots in the genre are familial and deep, as the son of members of the 1970s Christian band Parable.
âThereâs a service and a thoughtfulness to the listener in worship music,â he says. âIâm not writing this just to share my story. Iâm writing in a way that this is everybodyâs story, and to give them a new prayer to sing back to God, this is something for us to do together.â
I Believe finds Wickham delving deeper into songwriting and collaboration, alongside his frequent collaborator Jonathan Smith, who is the sole producer on the entire project â an increasing rarity these days.
âIt was such a partnership, from choosing songs to getting hyped about the vision for the album,â Wickham says. âWe worked on the album on and off for over a year. He wrote on âI Believe,â âSunday is Comingâ and âThe Jesus Way. Iâm kind of sporadic when it comes to making albums and I want to hear every option before I decide on something, musically, which is a producerâs worst nightmare, in a lot of ways. But I love working with him so much because heâs the same wayâhe wants all the options in front of him.â
Nearly two years ago, Wickham, Smith and others visited the Charlotte, North Carolina campus of the multi-site megachurch Elevation Church, known for the hit worship ensemble Elevation Worship. Wickham and company met for a two-day writing retreat with fellow singer-songwriter Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship pastor/songwriter Steven Furtick. They made the most of the short duration, writing for over 12 hours each day.
âI donât think we even left to eat,â he says. Numerous songs on the 14-track album came from those sessions, including âThis Is Our God,â âPraise the Lord,â and âRelationship.â
âSteven is a writer on so many songs that have just blanketed church music across the world. He understands how to dig deeper to find new ways of phrasing things. But a lot of the songs end up coming from an initial seed of an idea that I have. I just donât want to go into a session and be like, âGimme your best ideas.â Like with âThe Jesus Way,â I had all the verses and the chorus and was like, âI need a bridge.ââ
âThe Jesus Wayâ originated in 2020, as a poem that would come to serve as both reminder and self-challenge to live his life with love, grace and forgiveness. âJesus met people where they are at. He met the poor, visited with sick people that no one else wanted to be around,â Wickham says. âFor years, I thought the poem was just for me, but earlier this year, I just felt like people should hear it.
He was so moved by the songâs challenge that he hesitated to record it. âI was reading the lyrics and realizing how far I was from that being the reality of my life,â Wickham says. âI can be selfish and quick to be impatient with people. Iâll think, âGodâs been so gracious to me and Iâm not showing grace right now.â I hesitated to record it because itâs like, I know how much I fall short of it. But it was written and it felt right, but it was a three-year process to write that song.â
As collaborative in the recording process as he is the writing room, Wickham features two women performers on the album: Tiffany Hudson on âPsalm 23â and Naomi Raine on âHoly Moment.â âPsalm 23â takes the biblical chapter and sets it to music and melody and originated from a plan for a project that would incorporate as many phrases directly from the Psalms as possible.
âI thought it would be fun to put out a Psalms project, making the music feel non-traditional and more singer-songwriter, moodier. I wrote like four or five Psalms, and the project just didnât happen.â Wickham later came across some of his old voice memos and realized the song would make a perfect fit for his project, a moment of âbeauty, and sincerity and sweetness,â he says, âand I knew Tiffanyâs voice would sound perfect.â
His collaboration with Naomi Raine on âHoly Momentâ came by way of an inspired moment, after the two musicians had been on the same tour. âI wanted another moment on the album where you hear more than just my voice and I thought if I could have anyone on the album, it would be Naomi,â he says.
He didnât even have a song written at the time he asked her to record with him, but when they looked at their calendars, by happenstance, they both had the same evening open in Nashville (âIt was crazy because neither of us are from Nashville,â said Wickham, who still resides in California).
They set up shop in a studio and a conversation about holiness evolved into singing and Wickham estimates they had the song written within an hour or so. âWe had no title for it, we didnât know what we would end up creating, but it became such a song in itself, a holy moment in the studio, we had to call it âHoly Moment.ââ Wickham says.
Wickham, who is repped by WME, is incorporating several of the albumâs songs while on the road on his recently-launched Summer Worship Nights Tour, co-headlined by Lake, with KB offering direct support. Wickham and Lake met years ago, when a mutual friend recommended Lakeâs music to Wickham. The two began co-writing together and formed a fast friendship. They now share the same management home, Breit Group.
âWe share a lot of the same team members and we wanted to go on the road together and throw a praise party, with as many people as possible,â Wickham says.
Cochren & Co. earns its first No. 1 on Billboardâs Christian Airplay chart as âRunning Homeâ ascends to the top of the list dated June 10. The single increased by 4% to 6.4 million audience impressions in the week ending June 1, according to Luminate. âRunning Homeâ was penned by group leader Michael Cochren, Matthew […]
Phil Wickham rolls up his fourth No. 1 on Billboardâs Christian Airplay chart (dated June 3) with âThis Is Our God.â In the tracking week ending May 25, the song increased by 5% to 6.4 million impressions, according to Luminate.
The 39-year-old singer-songwriter, from San Diego, co-penned the song with Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick and Brandon Lake. It was produced by Jonathan Smith and will be included on Wickhamâs album due this fall.
ââThis Is Our Godâ is my favorite song to sing and lead right now,â Wickham tells Billboard. âThis song is a declaration of who Jesus is and what Heâs done for us. There is so much faith, hope and truth in it. Itâs been incredible hearing the church lift it up and sing it out in the past few months since its release. Thanks to everyone who has been listening to, singing and sharing this one!â
Wickhamâs fourth Christian Airplay leader completes his fastest trip to the summit: 19 weeks. His âHouse of the Lord,â which dominated for four weeks starting in October 2021, took 20 weeks to reach the apex. âBattle Belongs,â which likewise reigned for four frames, beginning in April 2021, needed 25 weeks, and his first No. 1, âThis Is Amazing Grace,â ruled for 10 frames starting in March 2014, wrapping a 27-week climb.
Wickhamâs new Christian Airplay No. 1 follows his duet with Anne Wilson, âBehold,â which hit No. 2 in December 2022. He has notched 10 top 10s, starting with âSafe,â which hit No. 4 in April 2010.
Jonesâ First Gospel Airplay No. 1
On Billboardâs Gospel Airplay chart, Brent Jones earns his first No. 1, as âNothing Else Matters (Instead of Complaining, Praise Him),â which he wrote solely, lifts to the top, up 9% in plays.
The Los Angeles native follows âOpen Your Mouth and Say Something,â which reached No. 9 in March 2019, and first entry âHe Roseâ (No. 17, January 2015).
Jones, who is also the Minister of Music at the Friendship Baptist Church in the Los Angeles area, launched his music career as leader of Brent Jones & The T.P. Mobb in the 1990s. The act posted three entries on Top Gospel Albums: 1999âs self-titled LP peaked at No. 4, followed by beautiful (No. 7, 2002); and The Ultimate Weekend (No. 14, 2008).
Jones has charted two solo albums on the survey: Joy Cominâ (No. 6, 2014) and Open Your Mouth and Say Somethinâ (No. 3, 2018).
On May 12, singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle released her new 10-song self-titled album. Ten more tracks are due later this year, rounding out its bonus edition.
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The set launches at No. 1 on Billboardâs Top Christian Albums chart (dated May 27) with 25,000 equivalent album units, including 20,000 in album sales, in the United States May 12-18, according to Luminate. It becomes Daigleâs fourth leader on the list. The project bows at No. 21 on the Billboard 200.
The album, which pairs Daigle with new producer Mike Elizondo, is also her first with Atlantic Records. She signed with the pop label in January in a partnership with her longtime label, Centricity Music.
The LPâs lead single, âThank God I Do,â tops the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart for a second week, having become Daigleâs sixth No. 1. It is No. 13 and climbing on the Adult Contemporary chart.Â
Daigleâs new set marks her first new music since Look Up Child, which opened at the Top Christian Albums summit in September 2018 and proceeded to ring up a record 102 frames at the summit. It was bolstered by the crossover smash âYou Say,â which dominated Hot Christian Songs for an also unprecedented 132 weeks starting in July 2018.
On Christian Airplay, âYou Sayâ reigned for 18 weeks. It also crossed over, crowning Adult Contemporary for two weeks.
Billboard caught up with Daigle at her managementâs offices in Nashville about her new album and some of its recent achievements.
Congratulations on the new album. With 10 songs now and another 10 later this year, is it finished, and why did you decide to release it this way?
Yes, itâs mastered and completed, and weâll definitely get it out there this year. As far as why, I was in a listening session with some of my team and we heard all 20 songs top to bottom ⌠and itâs a long session! One of them says, âOK, itâs your baby and itâs like asking Van Gogh to cut [The] Starry Night in half, but would you be open to splitting this into two releases?â At first, I was like, âWhat? ⌠no.â But then thinking about it more and more, I didnât want listeners forced to skim, say, tracks 14 to 20, because theyâre fatigued. So, thatâs why.
Youâre a big believer in the album format as a cohesive piece of work, arenât you?
Yeah, itâs a streaming-driven world right now, but Iâm an album purist at heart. I love getting in the car, jumping on a road trip and listening to records from start to finish. And something else that makes this fun: Iâve not released an album in five years, so for loyal longtime fans they can get excited about two albums instead of one.
Itâs your fourth studio album, yet itâs self-titled. Why did you make that choice?Â
First of all, working with Mike Elizondo was a dream, and a dream I didnât know I had until we started recording together. Heâs so collaborative, so I was able to speak into a lot of the creative elements like melodies that I may have held back on before.
Do you mean in the actual recording process?
Yes. We did this old-school, all the musicians on the floor at the same time. I was in the room with the whole band and we all tracked together. Plus, we did as much in one take that we could possibly get. Donât get me wrong â thereâs some overdubs and things like that, but itâs cohesive for the most part. Thatâs what made the process liberating. It made me feel like I was part of a method that for the most part doesnât exist anymore.
You have a new label involved in Atlantic, and there has to be some pressure to have a hit as big as âYou Say.â How do you not let that consume you?
So, whenever [youâre] creating under rules of comparison to something youâve done previously, then youâre not really creating from a blank canvas. Essentially, when those questions come up, itâs noise. I have to block out the noise. That way I can stay in the present. If I am going to compare to an earlier song, like âYou Say,â it inhibits me from going forward.
Listening to your album as a fan, or even as a former program director, there are many options for hit singles. Why did you come with a ballad as your first single, âThank God I Do.â
As I push forward, I also donât want to leave people behind. Thatâs really imperative. Iâm talking about the fans that have been here the entire time. With âThank God I Do,â to a degree thereâs familiarity. Leading with that might feel a little like home.
I was talking to a young fan of yours recently â sheâs about 20, a student â and when she started explaining how much âYou Sayâ meant to her, she started tearing up. How do you talk to people like that? Theyâre not in the record industry; theyâre fans and it seems like theyâre the most important component.
Youâre right, they are the most significant. As an artist, when you have all of these different voices coming at you, these folks have to be the loudest voice. With so many people vying for attention â contracts, appearances, interviews, etc., which is just part of the process, thatâs all fine â as long as those fans maintain the loudest voice. I think maintaining that helps keep you grounded.
When I hear about one of these stories, maybe itâs about grief. I try to internalize it, write about it, and in effect, give language and voice to their story that maybe theyâve always longed to say but just didnât know how. That exchange is the greatest gift that I can ever be a part of.
When we talk about not leaving people behind, does that also include Christian radio? Some of those programmers have been with you since the beginning.Â
Christian radio is really vital, and thatâs where we launched âThank God I Do.â As I had my first success in the mainstream, a lot of Christian programmers celebrated that, even cheering me on. That was really beautiful. Another thing that weâre really conscious about is that just because pop stations may be supporting my music, that does not mean weâre leaving any of our early supporters behind. Plus, with streaming such a big part of the puzzle, itâs better for radio in general if they stay united.
Finally, what do you want fans both old and new to take from this album?
I love carrying messages of hope. Thatâs what inspires me. Itâs the thing that motivates me to get up every morning. You never know the moment when someone needs a message or a song to be lifted up. I truly hope that people gain new elements of encouragement from this album. I found myself coming alive making this record, after all that we have been through during the pandemic. I hope that my listeners feel that, too. If theyâve been overwhelmed, overcome, this album is something they too can find strength in.
Singer-songwriter Lena Byrd Miles notches her first leader on Billboardâs Gospel Airplay chart as âWOW (Walk on Water)â climbs to No. 1 on the survey dated May 6. The song increased by 7% in plays in the tracking week ending April 27, according to Luminate.
Miles, who grew up in San Leandro, Calif., and was raised in Oakland, co-authored the song with Warryn Campbell (who also produced it) and Eric Dawkins.
âWow unto âWOW,ââ marveled Miles after hearing the news of her first leader on any Billboard chart. âIâm just tickled pink that itâs No. 1, and over-the-moon happy about it. God has blown my mind once again. I just have to say âthank youâ to all of my supporters.â
âWOWâ is from Milesâ rookie album, Brand New, which was released last October.
âWOWâ is Milesâ third Gospel Airplay entry. It follows âThis Is the Day,â which reached No. 23 in September 2019, and her featured turn on Jason McGee & The Choirâs âPromises,â which climbed to No. 11 that February.
Prior to launching her solo career, Miles worked with other gospel artists such as Tye Tribbett, Lalah Hathaway, Deitrick Haddon and Dorinda.
Winansâ âWorthyâ in Top 10
On Billboardâs streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart, CeCe Winansâ âWorthy of It Allâ ascends 11-10. The song becomes her sixth solo top 10 on the tally, with four earned this decade. (She also boasts two top 10s, logged in 2009-10, as a duo partner with brother CeCe Winans.)
tobyMac Within One of Record
On Billboardâs multi-metric Hot Christian Songs chart, tobyMac adds his 28th top 10 as âCornerstone,â featuring Zach Williams, jumps 14-8. The song also leaps 9-5 on Christian Airplay (4.7 million in audience, up 14%).
tobyMac moves to within one of the record for the most top 10s since Hot Christian Songs began in 2003. Casting Crowns, MercyMe and Chris Tomlin have tallied 29 each.
Williams, meanwhile, adds his eighth top 10 on the chart.
Provident Entertainment has signed five-time Grammy winner Brandon Lake to its artist roster.
Lakeâs song âGratitudeâ is in its 11th week atop Billboardâs Hot Christian Songs chart and previously reached No. 1 on the Christian Airplay chart (where it currently resides at No. 3).
âI couldnât be more excited to partner with Provident and for whatâs to come,â Lake said via a statement. âWith their team, I feel a genuine friendship and partnership, and know that there is a united goal of wanting to serve. This isnât just about success, or trying to get the next #1; itâs about people, and serving people well.â
Lakeâs most recent album, Help!, draws awareness to mental health and includes the Christian Airplay top 20 hit âFear Is Not My Future (featuring Chandler Moore) and âDonât Give Up on Me.â In addition to his solo music, Lake is known for his collaborations with Elevation Worship, Bethel Music and Maverick City Music. He is currently on the road on the 26-city Miracle Nights Tour with guest Benjamin Williams Hastings, and this fall, Lake will co-headline arenas on the Summer Worship Nights Tour with Phil Wickham.
âVery rarely do you get to come alongside an artist like Brandon whose songs, music, and ministry are already having such a significant impact around the world,â said Holly Zabka, president of Provident Entertainment, via a statement. âHis passion for the Gospel and desire for teamwork has been evident each time we met about this new partnership. We are thrilled to welcome Brandon, his family, and the entire Brandon Lake team as new members of the Provident Entertainment family.â
âWeâre thrilled to announce that Brandon Lake has signed with Provident Entertainment,â added Lakeâs manager, Brandon Breitenbach. âBrandon is an exceptional artist whose music has already touched countless lives, offering a message of hope and redemption that have the power to transform hearts and minds. With Providentâs support, Iâm confident that Brandon will continue to make a meaningful impact in the world. Weâre excited to witness this next chapter in Brandonâs career and look forward to supporting him every step of the way.â
At this yearâs Grammy Awards, Lake was honored for his work on a few songs, including âFear is Not My Future,â which won best contemporary christian music performance/song, while his work with Maverick City Music on the 2022 EP Breathe garnered a best contemporary christian music album Grammy.
Lake previously told Billboard that he is working on a new album.
âI have a ton of songs and we are figuring out which ones will land on the new album and we are getting into pre-production,â he said. âWe also have some songs on the next Elevation Worship record that are coming out, so collaboration is not slowing down.â
Singer-songwriter and producer Fred Jerkinsâ âI Believe,â featuring Bishop Paul S. Morton, reaches No. 1 on Billboardâs Gospel Airplay chart (dated April 15).
The song, Jerkinsâ third Gospel Airplay leader and Mortonâs first, increased by 1% in plays March 31-April 6, according to Luminate.
The song was solely written and produced by Jerkins, who hails from Galloway, N.J.
âIt feels so amazing to have achieved my third No. 1 as an artist on Billboardâs chart,â says Jerkins. âAlso, being able to share this with a legend like Bishop Paul Morton makes it extra special for me.â
Jerkins previously topped Gospel Airplay with âPatiently Praising,â for a week in January 2021, and âVictory,â featuring Last Call, for two frames in April 2019.
Mortonâs first Gospel Airplay leader is among 11 appearances, starting in 2005. His lone additional top 10 is âYour Best Days Yet,â which reached No. 4 in 2013. (Also among his history on the chart: âSeasons Change,â with legend Aretha Franklin, hit No. 40 in 2005.)
In addition to his career in music, Morton is the founding bishop of Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International in Atlanta, as well as overseer of Greater St. Stephen Ministries in New Orleans.
Notably, with âI Believeâ reaching the Gospel Airplay pinnacle in its 47th week, it completes the longest trip to No. 1 since the chart started in March 2005. It passes two songs that each took 46 weeks to the top: Jonathan McReynoldsâ âMake Roomâ led for a week in December 2019 and Donnie McClurkinâs âI Need Youâ reigned for a week in April 2017.
Maherâs Fourth Leader
On Billboardâs Christian AC Airplay chart, Matt Maher scores his fourth No. 1 with âThe Lordâs Prayerâ (up 9% in plays).
Maher previously ruled with âAlive & Breathing,â featuring Elle Limebear, for two weeks in July 2020; âGlory (Let There Be Peace),â for a week in January 2017; and âBecause He Lives (Amen),â for four frames beginning in April 2015.
As Amy Grant prepares to release her first new music in 10 years while in the midst of a 70-city headlining tour, the Christian-pop icon compares herself to a recently restored vehicle returning to the road. âI feel like an old car that got taken to the shop banged up and theyâve put in a new engine and a great paint job,â says Grant. âI feel like a classic.â
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In the last three years, Grant, 62, has dealt with a series of medical issues and mishaps. In June 2020 she underwent open heart surgery to repair a rare congenital heart condition, then last summer she hit a pothole while riding her bike and sustained a serious head injury. In January, she had surgery to remove a cyst in her throat.
âThere were so many hidden gifts,â she says of the bike wreck, explaining the trauma caused a pre-existing thyroglossal cyst to grow more rapidly â prompting its immediate removal. Following a five-hour surgery, she says âit was like somebody gave me my voice back.â
As a result, the poignant single âTrees Weâll Never See,â out Friday (March 24) via Capitol Christian Music Group, is a welcome return for the artist know for her distinctive voice and thoughtful lyrics. For decades, Grant â who launched her multi-platinum career as an earnest Nashville teen â has left listeners inspired while becoming the face of the Christian-pop crossover movement with such enduring hits as âBaby, Babyâ and âHeart in Motion.âÂ
Today, Grant is healthy, happy and excited about making new music. She returned to the studio in February to work with songwriter and producer Marshall Altman â who produced her last studio album, 2013âs How Mercy Looks From Here, which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 â on a yet-to-be-released feature for Cory Asbury. She says she was so moved by the experience that she and Altman began playing songs for each other theyâd written, one of which was âTrees Weâll Never Seeâ (which he co-wrote with Michael White).Â
âMarshall wrote that song five years ago. I get choked up thinking about it,â says Grant. âIt just felt like I could have written it. Itâs so much how I see life ⌠Everybody assumes I wrote it because itâs the mantra I have lived by.â
The songâs lyrics reflect Grantâs world view: âWeâre all sons and daughters/Just ripples on the water/Trying to make it matter/Until our time to leave/One day theyâll carve your name in stone/Then send your soul on home/âTill then itâs praying for rain. And pulling up the weeds/Planting trees weâll never see.â
Amy Grant
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Grant, a six-time Grammy winner and recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022, says she now sees her life in its fourth quarter. âI was thinking about my mom and how she died at 80. If weâre lucky we have four 20-year spans, I think the gift of fourth quarter is the perspective and awareness and the appreciation of all of it.â
âThe first half of life youâre so worried about measuring up,â she continues. ââTheyâve got a better voice. I hope my songs donât sound stupidâ â and then by the end, if youâve opened up your own heart and mind to how loved everyone is, even people you donât care for, thatâs the gift of the last quarter.â
Grantâs heightened awareness of mortality has been fueled by the recent deaths of Bobby Caldwell, who co-wrote her chart-topping duet with Peter Cetera âThe Next Time I Fallâ; legendary bass player Michael Rhodes and friend Beth Nielsen Chapmanâs husband Bob Sherman. âSo much of your younger life is saying, âNow whatâs that going to do? How does that play out? What am I going to see from this investment? In the fourth quarter we donât have that luxury of time,â Grant says. âIâm passing the baton on and not because I donât still have life to live, but I want to empower people who are coming behind me.â
Grant admits not everyone can appreciate her perspective, including her own children. âMy kids â the ones Iâve birthed â are all in the second quarter. They donât want to hear this crap,â she says with a laugh. Â
Following âTrees,â Grant plans to release another single in April. Co-written with Natalie Hemby and Barry Dean, she played the song for Altman the same day he shared âTrees.â He immediately booked musicians and they recorded both songs within 10 days. (The new song was written after Grant attended a therapy session with one of her grown children, saying she and husband Vince Gill âgave the gift of therapy to our family.â)
The return to music has helped Grant put the last three years behind her â though sheâs still adjusting in some ways. She used to take her bicycle on tour and ride 30 miles before a show, but now takes it a little easier. âI started building my stamina back by going to the Y probably every other day and I felt like I was swimming kind of slow. Now I feel like Iâm starting to get my rhythm back,â she says. âItâs still hard for me to balance if I have my eyes closed, [which is] typical for a head injury. But if nothing else changed, I would be fine . . .I feel like my mind has never felt so vibrant and active during a show.â
Perhaps the biggest change, Grant says, is that she doesnât take anything for granted. âWhen Iâm on stage, Iâm just flooded with gratitude. It feels so good to have shared a journey for decades with an audience. I have a sense of humor about myself in my own songs. Itâs not like weâre curing cancer here. Itâs music, but music is something that we can share and participate in simultaneously. You donât have to agree with their politics, spirituality or anything. Somebody buys a ticket and sings along and thereâs a feeling of unity. Thatâs beautiful.â  Â