Artists On The Bubble
We already discussed the Superstars of CCM last post but there is a group of artists right behind the big guys that are quickly rising in the ranks within the Christian Music community. These young artists are fresh and relevant to the next generation of CCM consumers and could very well find themselves within the Star list after their next album release, if they play there cards right, of course. So here's our list of the Top 10 Artists On The Bubble in Christian Music. These are the artists who have exploded onto the scene in the last couple of years in a big way and are becoming fixtures at radio retail and the tour circuit as well as within the hearts and ears of the Christian Music fan. We'll see which of these guys rise and which ones fall into obscurity in the next few years. Check out my suggestions on how they can remain relevant and push themselves into the Star category.
1. Mandisa- This former American Idol finalist has really blown up in the last two years after the release of her career-defining album What If We Were Real. Since her debut back in 2007, Mandisa has steadily built a reputation for herself with top 10 hits ("Only the World", "My Deliverer" & "He Is With You") 100K-selling albums, well received tours, Grammy and Dove nominations and strategic guest performances (TobyMac's "Lose My Soul", Michael W. Smith's "Christmas Day" and Matthew West's "Christmas Makes Me Cry") but Disa's always been sort of overlooked when it came to the majority of the CCM community. This changed drastically with the release of her #1 hit "Stronger" last year which showcased her more modern sound (both production-wise and vocally), a slimmer figure and an incredibly honest and relate-able approach to her ministry. More hit singles ("Waiting on Tomorrow", "Good Morning"), Grammy noms (three consecutive nominations for Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album), and sold out tours (not just concerts but entire tours have been sold out) have followed in 2012 and Mandisa seems to be a lock to win Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2013 Doves. No other artist in CCM, except for TobyMac, has had as much mainstream press exposure in the last few years due to her American Idol story line, impressive weight loss and novelty hit "Good Morning" (featuring none other than Mr. TobyMac). Fans petitioned to have "Good Morning" performed as the theme song to Good Morning America and their wish was granted. Mandisa & TobyMac sang the song on national television and GMA has since continued to use the song on their morning shows as have multiple CCM radio stations across the country. The song has remained in the top 10 on the Christian iTunes charts for the greater part of this year and continues to be a big seller (as has her signature song "Stronger") Furthermore, Mandisa is the only American Idol contestant to sell more copies of her third album than her debut CD. Not even Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood can claim that! With the re-release of her Christmas album It's Christmas featuring a surefire Christmas classic in the making, "Somebody's Angel" (tied in with a Hallmark-esque made for TV Christmas movie) Mandisa's star can only rise. What Mandisa must make sure of is that her next album (due early 2013) is just as good if not better than What If We Were Real. She needs hit songs that are honest, personal and biblically sound but also catchy, singable and epic. If she invests properly in the studio, we may see Disa on next year's Star List!
2. Matt Redman- While Matt Redman has been a popular and well-respected Praise & Worship songwriter for years with classic songs such as "Blessed Be Your Name", "The Heart of Worship", "Let My Words Be Few", "You Never Let Go", "Once Again", "Let Everything That Has Breath" "Our God", and "Better is One Day" are sung in churches on a regular basis. However, the bulk of those songs were made famous by other artists such as Tree 63, Phillips Craig & Dean, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith and Passion. Redman's status has changed drastically this year from in demand songwriter to a full fledged star artist with the massive success of his current single "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)". The song has spent the last 14 weeks at #1 on the Christian AC charts and it continues to receive spin increases (which means radio is playing it more often each week, which is rare for a song that's been on the charts as long as "10,000 Reasons"). As a shoo-in for Song of the Year and Praise & Worship Song of the Year at next year's Dove Awards, Matt Redman has proven to the world that he is not only a songwriter but a powerful interpreter of song as well. As long as Redman continues to issue compelling versions of his own church-friendly anthems (and keeps them away from other artists), he should be able to cultivate his own niche within the CCM community much like Superstar worship leader (and Matt's goo d friend) Chris Tomlin has done.
3. Brandon Heath- After the release of his signature song "Give Me Your Eyes", which spent weeks at #1 on multiple formats and won Song of the Year at the Dove Awards, Brandon Heath could do very little wrong in CCM. He has a best-selling album and a follow-up hit single (the somewhat disappointing "Wait & See) alongside a well received tour with Leeland and Francesca Battistelli. He also was a two-year in a row recipient of the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the Doves solidifying him as a mainstay in the genre. The issue with BHeath though is that his record label has been very uneven with the selection and promotion of his radio singles. There was a three year gap between Heath's hit album What If We and his follow-up Leaving Eden and during that time, Reunion Records only released three singles, the third of which, "Love Never Fails", aside from mentions in press releases of Carrie Underwood's wedding (she and her husband shared their first dance to Heath's performance of the song), received little to no promotion and barely peaked within the top 20 on the AC chart (it did make it to #2 on Inspirational Radio). And while there was a multiplicity of potential hits on the album, nothing else was released. The same scenario played out after the release of his #1 album Leaving Eden. His first single, "Your Love" was a huge #1 hit and its follow-up "The Light in Me" was a respectable top 10 success as well but Reunion Records chose the title cut as the third single (one of the least radio friendly songs on the album) instead of more popular choices such as "Stolen", or "It's No Good to Be Alone" (which has already been receiving some mainstream radio attention) and then decided not to promote it. The single languished within the top 40 for a couple of weeks before disappearing and album sales plummeted. Luckily, Heath was already hard at work on a new record, the critically acclaimed, country-tinged Blue Mountain (review coming soon!) and Reunion rush released the carrier single "Jesus in Disguise" to radio to bridge the gap. "Jesus in Disguise: has quickly risen to the top 10 but now the challenge Heath and Reunion have with Blue Mountain, which is more of an artistic singer-songwriter release than a hit-filled radio record, is to choose proper singles to promote the release so that Brandon doesn't fall off the map again. Blue has three clear radio single choices: the aforementioned "Jesus in Disguise", "Love Does' and "Diamond". "The Harvester" would be a cool risk single and I wouldn't be surprised if "Hands of the Healer" went to radio instead of "Diamond" but "Love Does" needs to be the second single if this album want a shot at major success.
4. Francesca Battistelli- My Paper Heart, with its four top 10 singles (including "Free to Be Me", which went #1) earned Fran Batt major recognition as she became the first artist since Casting Crowns to see their debut album certified gold (and the first female new artist to receive gold certification since Stacie Orrico). The Dove Awards took notice as she was named Female Vocalist of the Year twice in a row as well as a surprise win for Artist of the Year in 2011. Her single "It's Your Life" was featured on the series finale of John & Kate Plus 8 and the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 (#95). Frannie was on her way to becoming Christian Music royalty. In 2011 she release her sophomore album Hundred More Years (don't get me started on the title- for the record, it is grammatically incorrect) preceded by the hit single "This is the Stuff". Sales for both the album and the single started out incredibly strong as the album debut at #1 on the Christian sales chart and at #16 on the Billboard 200 while the Train-influenced "This is the Stuff" topped the CCM digital sales charts and quickly shot into the top 10 at radio, eventually peaking at #1 on the AC Monitored charts. However, possibly due to the novelty-like nature of "This is the Stuff", radio tired of the single quickly as it fell off the charts completely only a few weeks after it peaked. Album sales cooled as neither of Fran's follow-up singles ("Motion of Mercy" and "Angel By Your Side") have connected with listeners on a large scale (both singles peaked in the top 20). In my opinion, both singles were poor choices as "Constant", "You Never Are" or "Good To Know" all were more radio friendly songs and Francesca's popularity has suffered somewhat lately. However, Word and Fran are doing the best thing they can in this circumstance by releasing a Christmas album this fall (including her massive Christmas hit "You're Here") complete with a tie-in to the Special Olympics annual charity Christmas CD and tour. As long as Fran Batt's third album is more like My Paper Heart and less like her sophomore slump Hundred More Years, with upbeat and positive faith-based hits she should easily regain her lost footing.
5. Building 429- These guys were the epitome of a one hit wonder for the greater part of the last decade. Their #1 debut single "Glory Defined" broke records across CCM and earned them a New Artist of the Year Dove Award. Unfortunately, none of their follow-up singles from their debut, The Space in Between Us, nor any of the singles from their follow-up albums Rise or Iris to Iris could match the success of their 1st single and B429 quietly left their record label, Word Records in 2008. However, the band remained popular with fans on the touring circuit and were able to secure a new record deal with INO records, home of MercyMe and Skillet. Their self-titled fourth record produced a top 10 single with "End of Me" and a top 20 follow up "Always" but widespread success continued to allude the band and they left INO during its restructuring into FairTrade Services. Building 429 then signed with Provident Records and teamed with songwriting and production superstar Jason Ingram for the release of their fifth album Listen to the Sound. This record proved to be their breakthrough as it has produced two #1 singles and another top 5 hit including the massive multi-format #1 smash "Where I Belong" which spent 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Christian Songs, beating the success of "Glory Defined" by 6 weeks and pulling them out from the one hit wonder shadows. The band has continued to promote the album through touring and have recently released the fourth single from Listen to the Sound, a stellar duet with Michele Dawn of Fireflight called "Right Beside You" which should be massive at Christian CHR radio this fall. As long as B429's next album is as good as their current one, we'll be hearing from these guys for a long, long time.
6. Laura Story- Laura Story shot to fame reluctantly as her song "Indescribable" became a career changing hit for Chris Tomlin in 2004. She quickly signed with INO Records and released her major label debut Great God Who Saves in 2008 which earned her a Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year. Oddly enough, the song that brought her the most attention was not one of her self-penned compositions but a cover of the Hillsong classic "Mighty to Save" which spent weeks at #1 on Inspo radio and was a top 10 hit on AC. However, it was the carrier single "Blessings" from her 2011 album of the same name that changes Story's life and career forever. Featuring nothing but her vocals and a piano, the stark ballad was a surprise hit across all formats (including the CHR charts which usually shun female led ballads) and topped all Christian AC, Inspo, and Digital charts. Sales and radio play for the single were so strong at one point that it pushed the single into Billboard's multi-format Hot 100 chart based solely on Christian music sales and airplay. Unsurprisingly, "Blessings" took home the bulk of 2012's Dove Awards including Song, Pop/Contemporary Song and Album of the Year. The album attached to the single was also a success debuting at #2 and later rising to #1 on the Christian Charts. The follow-up single "What a Savior" was also a major hit at radio and retail. No further singles were released from the album as Story took a break from music to birth her first child and it would not surprise me if she disappeared from the public eye for a while. However, when she returns, she faces the daunting task of following up one of the biggest songs of all time in CCM. I honestly don't know what she can do to match her previous successes; but as Building 429 has proven, all it takes is the right song and with Laura Story's incredible resume of songwriting, I'm sure she will be up to the task.
7. Big Daddy Weave- These guys were surprisingly the 8th most played artist of the last decade, beating out radio darlings such as Brandon Heath, TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman and Natalie Grant. And while their hit songs "Everytime I Breathe", "You Are Worthy of My Praise", "What Life Would Be Like", "Let It Rise", and "Just the Way I Am" did populate the airwaves, the only single to make the top 50 on the end of decade chart was their #1 hit "Everytime I Breathe". Truth be told, BDW was fairly absent from the music scene for a few years (their last non-holiday, non-greatest hits album released in 2008) but they came back in a strong fashion in 2012 with back to back #1 singles: "Love Come to Life" and "Redeemed". While album sales of the singles' parent album have yet to reflect the radio success, there is no doubt that Big Daddy Weave's star is on the rise again and once their current single "Redeemed" runs it course, we may find that these guys are at the top of the proverbial bubble.
9. Chris August- I'll be honest, while I thought "Starry Night" was a pleasant debut single for Chris August back in 2010, I never thought it would be a #1 hit on Christian Radio. That song; however, did just that and brought Ashley Simpson's former guitarist to the head of a crowded pack of 2010 new artists. August followed up his hit with two other top 10's from his debut ("7x70" and "Battle") as well as a #1 single as a featured artist with Group 1 Crew ("He Said") and won major Dove Awards for New Artist, Male Vocalist and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Oddly enough, Chris' debut album No Far Away was only a modest seller but the Dove Award and radio buzz did pay off for his sophomore album, The Upside of Down which debuted at #3 on the Christian Album charts and produced the top 5 hit single "Center of It". While August is only in the beginning phase of his career, he's off to a great start and Upside seems to have plenty of hit songs waiting for release. What's important for him to do for his third album is to take a few more risks and most critics and fans agreed that Upside was a bit slow and safe. I suggest he explore the electronic sounds he showcased on "Battle Pt. 2" which was a bonus track on his debut. CCM needs their own resident Owl City and Chris' voice better suits an electronic style anyway (in my opinion at least).
10. Sanctus Real- Debuting in 2004 on Sparrow Records, Sanctus Real became mainstays on the Christian Rock charts after their cover of U2's "Beautiful Day"" shot to #1 in 2005. The band has slowly been making their way into the mainstream on CCM while continuing to dominate the Christian Rock and CHR charts with #1 singles such as "Everything About You", "I'm Not Alright", and "We Need Each Other". Sanctus finally hit it big in mainstream CCM with their huge multi-format #1 ballad "Lead Me" in 2010. That single along with their follow-up hits from the album Pieces of a Real Heart "Forgiven" and "The Redeemer" further established the band as not just a fixture of CHR and Rock radio but also of Adult Contemporary and mainstream CCM. Their new single, "Promises" has just been sent to radio and while it is somewhat generic, it should nicely set up their 2013 release and help Sanctus Real continue their climb to the top.
There you have it! These are your Christian Artists On The Bubble of Stardom! We'll check back in next year to see how they progressed (or digressed)... but for now, go out and check out their music to decide for yourself if these artists deserve to be the next generation's Face of Christian Music!
1. Mandisa- This former American Idol finalist has really blown up in the last two years after the release of her career-defining album What If We Were Real. Since her debut back in 2007, Mandisa has steadily built a reputation for herself with top 10 hits ("Only the World", "My Deliverer" & "He Is With You") 100K-selling albums, well received tours, Grammy and Dove nominations and strategic guest performances (TobyMac's "Lose My Soul", Michael W. Smith's "Christmas Day" and Matthew West's "Christmas Makes Me Cry") but Disa's always been sort of overlooked when it came to the majority of the CCM community. This changed drastically with the release of her #1 hit "Stronger" last year which showcased her more modern sound (both production-wise and vocally), a slimmer figure and an incredibly honest and relate-able approach to her ministry. More hit singles ("Waiting on Tomorrow", "Good Morning"), Grammy noms (three consecutive nominations for Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album), and sold out tours (not just concerts but entire tours have been sold out) have followed in 2012 and Mandisa seems to be a lock to win Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2013 Doves. No other artist in CCM, except for TobyMac, has had as much mainstream press exposure in the last few years due to her American Idol story line, impressive weight loss and novelty hit "Good Morning" (featuring none other than Mr. TobyMac). Fans petitioned to have "Good Morning" performed as the theme song to Good Morning America and their wish was granted. Mandisa & TobyMac sang the song on national television and GMA has since continued to use the song on their morning shows as have multiple CCM radio stations across the country. The song has remained in the top 10 on the Christian iTunes charts for the greater part of this year and continues to be a big seller (as has her signature song "Stronger") Furthermore, Mandisa is the only American Idol contestant to sell more copies of her third album than her debut CD. Not even Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood can claim that! With the re-release of her Christmas album It's Christmas featuring a surefire Christmas classic in the making, "Somebody's Angel" (tied in with a Hallmark-esque made for TV Christmas movie) Mandisa's star can only rise. What Mandisa must make sure of is that her next album (due early 2013) is just as good if not better than What If We Were Real. She needs hit songs that are honest, personal and biblically sound but also catchy, singable and epic. If she invests properly in the studio, we may see Disa on next year's Star List!
2. Matt Redman- While Matt Redman has been a popular and well-respected Praise & Worship songwriter for years with classic songs such as "Blessed Be Your Name", "The Heart of Worship", "Let My Words Be Few", "You Never Let Go", "Once Again", "Let Everything That Has Breath" "Our God", and "Better is One Day" are sung in churches on a regular basis. However, the bulk of those songs were made famous by other artists such as Tree 63, Phillips Craig & Dean, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith and Passion. Redman's status has changed drastically this year from in demand songwriter to a full fledged star artist with the massive success of his current single "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)". The song has spent the last 14 weeks at #1 on the Christian AC charts and it continues to receive spin increases (which means radio is playing it more often each week, which is rare for a song that's been on the charts as long as "10,000 Reasons"). As a shoo-in for Song of the Year and Praise & Worship Song of the Year at next year's Dove Awards, Matt Redman has proven to the world that he is not only a songwriter but a powerful interpreter of song as well. As long as Redman continues to issue compelling versions of his own church-friendly anthems (and keeps them away from other artists), he should be able to cultivate his own niche within the CCM community much like Superstar worship leader (and Matt's goo d friend) Chris Tomlin has done.
3. Brandon Heath- After the release of his signature song "Give Me Your Eyes", which spent weeks at #1 on multiple formats and won Song of the Year at the Dove Awards, Brandon Heath could do very little wrong in CCM. He has a best-selling album and a follow-up hit single (the somewhat disappointing "Wait & See) alongside a well received tour with Leeland and Francesca Battistelli. He also was a two-year in a row recipient of the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the Doves solidifying him as a mainstay in the genre. The issue with BHeath though is that his record label has been very uneven with the selection and promotion of his radio singles. There was a three year gap between Heath's hit album What If We and his follow-up Leaving Eden and during that time, Reunion Records only released three singles, the third of which, "Love Never Fails", aside from mentions in press releases of Carrie Underwood's wedding (she and her husband shared their first dance to Heath's performance of the song), received little to no promotion and barely peaked within the top 20 on the AC chart (it did make it to #2 on Inspirational Radio). And while there was a multiplicity of potential hits on the album, nothing else was released. The same scenario played out after the release of his #1 album Leaving Eden. His first single, "Your Love" was a huge #1 hit and its follow-up "The Light in Me" was a respectable top 10 success as well but Reunion Records chose the title cut as the third single (one of the least radio friendly songs on the album) instead of more popular choices such as "Stolen", or "It's No Good to Be Alone" (which has already been receiving some mainstream radio attention) and then decided not to promote it. The single languished within the top 40 for a couple of weeks before disappearing and album sales plummeted. Luckily, Heath was already hard at work on a new record, the critically acclaimed, country-tinged Blue Mountain (review coming soon!) and Reunion rush released the carrier single "Jesus in Disguise" to radio to bridge the gap. "Jesus in Disguise: has quickly risen to the top 10 but now the challenge Heath and Reunion have with Blue Mountain, which is more of an artistic singer-songwriter release than a hit-filled radio record, is to choose proper singles to promote the release so that Brandon doesn't fall off the map again. Blue has three clear radio single choices: the aforementioned "Jesus in Disguise", "Love Does' and "Diamond". "The Harvester" would be a cool risk single and I wouldn't be surprised if "Hands of the Healer" went to radio instead of "Diamond" but "Love Does" needs to be the second single if this album want a shot at major success.
4. Francesca Battistelli- My Paper Heart, with its four top 10 singles (including "Free to Be Me", which went #1) earned Fran Batt major recognition as she became the first artist since Casting Crowns to see their debut album certified gold (and the first female new artist to receive gold certification since Stacie Orrico). The Dove Awards took notice as she was named Female Vocalist of the Year twice in a row as well as a surprise win for Artist of the Year in 2011. Her single "It's Your Life" was featured on the series finale of John & Kate Plus 8 and the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 (#95). Frannie was on her way to becoming Christian Music royalty. In 2011 she release her sophomore album Hundred More Years (don't get me started on the title- for the record, it is grammatically incorrect) preceded by the hit single "This is the Stuff". Sales for both the album and the single started out incredibly strong as the album debut at #1 on the Christian sales chart and at #16 on the Billboard 200 while the Train-influenced "This is the Stuff" topped the CCM digital sales charts and quickly shot into the top 10 at radio, eventually peaking at #1 on the AC Monitored charts. However, possibly due to the novelty-like nature of "This is the Stuff", radio tired of the single quickly as it fell off the charts completely only a few weeks after it peaked. Album sales cooled as neither of Fran's follow-up singles ("Motion of Mercy" and "Angel By Your Side") have connected with listeners on a large scale (both singles peaked in the top 20). In my opinion, both singles were poor choices as "Constant", "You Never Are" or "Good To Know" all were more radio friendly songs and Francesca's popularity has suffered somewhat lately. However, Word and Fran are doing the best thing they can in this circumstance by releasing a Christmas album this fall (including her massive Christmas hit "You're Here") complete with a tie-in to the Special Olympics annual charity Christmas CD and tour. As long as Fran Batt's third album is more like My Paper Heart and less like her sophomore slump Hundred More Years, with upbeat and positive faith-based hits she should easily regain her lost footing.
5. Building 429- These guys were the epitome of a one hit wonder for the greater part of the last decade. Their #1 debut single "Glory Defined" broke records across CCM and earned them a New Artist of the Year Dove Award. Unfortunately, none of their follow-up singles from their debut, The Space in Between Us, nor any of the singles from their follow-up albums Rise or Iris to Iris could match the success of their 1st single and B429 quietly left their record label, Word Records in 2008. However, the band remained popular with fans on the touring circuit and were able to secure a new record deal with INO records, home of MercyMe and Skillet. Their self-titled fourth record produced a top 10 single with "End of Me" and a top 20 follow up "Always" but widespread success continued to allude the band and they left INO during its restructuring into FairTrade Services. Building 429 then signed with Provident Records and teamed with songwriting and production superstar Jason Ingram for the release of their fifth album Listen to the Sound. This record proved to be their breakthrough as it has produced two #1 singles and another top 5 hit including the massive multi-format #1 smash "Where I Belong" which spent 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Christian Songs, beating the success of "Glory Defined" by 6 weeks and pulling them out from the one hit wonder shadows. The band has continued to promote the album through touring and have recently released the fourth single from Listen to the Sound, a stellar duet with Michele Dawn of Fireflight called "Right Beside You" which should be massive at Christian CHR radio this fall. As long as B429's next album is as good as their current one, we'll be hearing from these guys for a long, long time.
6. Laura Story- Laura Story shot to fame reluctantly as her song "Indescribable" became a career changing hit for Chris Tomlin in 2004. She quickly signed with INO Records and released her major label debut Great God Who Saves in 2008 which earned her a Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year. Oddly enough, the song that brought her the most attention was not one of her self-penned compositions but a cover of the Hillsong classic "Mighty to Save" which spent weeks at #1 on Inspo radio and was a top 10 hit on AC. However, it was the carrier single "Blessings" from her 2011 album of the same name that changes Story's life and career forever. Featuring nothing but her vocals and a piano, the stark ballad was a surprise hit across all formats (including the CHR charts which usually shun female led ballads) and topped all Christian AC, Inspo, and Digital charts. Sales and radio play for the single were so strong at one point that it pushed the single into Billboard's multi-format Hot 100 chart based solely on Christian music sales and airplay. Unsurprisingly, "Blessings" took home the bulk of 2012's Dove Awards including Song, Pop/Contemporary Song and Album of the Year. The album attached to the single was also a success debuting at #2 and later rising to #1 on the Christian Charts. The follow-up single "What a Savior" was also a major hit at radio and retail. No further singles were released from the album as Story took a break from music to birth her first child and it would not surprise me if she disappeared from the public eye for a while. However, when she returns, she faces the daunting task of following up one of the biggest songs of all time in CCM. I honestly don't know what she can do to match her previous successes; but as Building 429 has proven, all it takes is the right song and with Laura Story's incredible resume of songwriting, I'm sure she will be up to the task.
7. Big Daddy Weave- These guys were surprisingly the 8th most played artist of the last decade, beating out radio darlings such as Brandon Heath, TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman and Natalie Grant. And while their hit songs "Everytime I Breathe", "You Are Worthy of My Praise", "What Life Would Be Like", "Let It Rise", and "Just the Way I Am" did populate the airwaves, the only single to make the top 50 on the end of decade chart was their #1 hit "Everytime I Breathe". Truth be told, BDW was fairly absent from the music scene for a few years (their last non-holiday, non-greatest hits album released in 2008) but they came back in a strong fashion in 2012 with back to back #1 singles: "Love Come to Life" and "Redeemed". While album sales of the singles' parent album have yet to reflect the radio success, there is no doubt that Big Daddy Weave's star is on the rise again and once their current single "Redeemed" runs it course, we may find that these guys are at the top of the proverbial bubble.
8. Aaron Shust- Master Shust is another artists similar to Building 429 in that had difficulty following up a major hit. "My Savior My God", Shust's update of the old hymn "I Am Not Skilled to Understand" became an instant classic upon its release in January 2006. The song was listed No. 1 on six charts simultaneously by April 17: Radio and Records (R&R) Christian adult contemporary (AC) radio chart, R&R Christian AC monitor chart, CRW's AC radio chart, Billboard Hot Christian songs radio chart, most downloaded inspirational song on iTunes, and Billboard Hot Christian AC chart. The song spent 30 weeks in the Top 5 on the R&R Christian AC chart in 2006.The song held the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart for over three months and was the most played song of the year in 2006 and second most played song of the 2000's on Christian Radio (behind MercyMe's mammoth "Word of God Speak"). Of course the song also won Song of the Year at the 2007 Dove Awards as well as New Artist and Songwriter of the Year for Shust (a shame in my opinion since he didn't even write the lyrics to the song!). Over the course of Shust's next two albums, he struggled to recapture the glory of his signature song and while his albums were critically acclaimed and his singles well received, none could hold a candle to "My Savior My God" and Shust left his record label frustrated in 2010. He was however, quickly scooped up by the artist-friendly Centricity Records (home of Downhere and Andrew Peterson) who took Shust back to the basics of his faith and songwriting and helped him to produce "My Hope is in You"- his first bonafide hit since "My Savior My God". The song spent multiple weeks at #1 and continues to receive regular airplay, which has actually been a detriment to his follow-up singles "Risen Today" and "We Are Free". While his current album This is What We Believe has not been a big seller, it is packed with potential radio hits. Shust has re-energized his fanbase and radio support with "My Hope is in You" which will hopefully help his ministry to reach a wider audience. Right now, its all about the songs for Shust. He needs to work hard to write songs that are unique enough to stand out from the pack of worship-tinged pop/AC singles flooding radio right now. Hopefully "We Are Free" will catch on at radio as it is a solid song (and less tied to a specific time of year, which was the main problem with "Risen Today") and we will continue to hear from this great songwriter who understands the balance between celebrating our legacy of faith and moving forward with new songs of praise to our God.
9. Chris August- I'll be honest, while I thought "Starry Night" was a pleasant debut single for Chris August back in 2010, I never thought it would be a #1 hit on Christian Radio. That song; however, did just that and brought Ashley Simpson's former guitarist to the head of a crowded pack of 2010 new artists. August followed up his hit with two other top 10's from his debut ("7x70" and "Battle") as well as a #1 single as a featured artist with Group 1 Crew ("He Said") and won major Dove Awards for New Artist, Male Vocalist and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Oddly enough, Chris' debut album No Far Away was only a modest seller but the Dove Award and radio buzz did pay off for his sophomore album, The Upside of Down which debuted at #3 on the Christian Album charts and produced the top 5 hit single "Center of It". While August is only in the beginning phase of his career, he's off to a great start and Upside seems to have plenty of hit songs waiting for release. What's important for him to do for his third album is to take a few more risks and most critics and fans agreed that Upside was a bit slow and safe. I suggest he explore the electronic sounds he showcased on "Battle Pt. 2" which was a bonus track on his debut. CCM needs their own resident Owl City and Chris' voice better suits an electronic style anyway (in my opinion at least).
10. Sanctus Real- Debuting in 2004 on Sparrow Records, Sanctus Real became mainstays on the Christian Rock charts after their cover of U2's "Beautiful Day"" shot to #1 in 2005. The band has slowly been making their way into the mainstream on CCM while continuing to dominate the Christian Rock and CHR charts with #1 singles such as "Everything About You", "I'm Not Alright", and "We Need Each Other". Sanctus finally hit it big in mainstream CCM with their huge multi-format #1 ballad "Lead Me" in 2010. That single along with their follow-up hits from the album Pieces of a Real Heart "Forgiven" and "The Redeemer" further established the band as not just a fixture of CHR and Rock radio but also of Adult Contemporary and mainstream CCM. Their new single, "Promises" has just been sent to radio and while it is somewhat generic, it should nicely set up their 2013 release and help Sanctus Real continue their climb to the top.
There you have it! These are your Christian Artists On The Bubble of Stardom! We'll check back in next year to see how they progressed (or digressed)... but for now, go out and check out their music to decide for yourself if these artists deserve to be the next generation's Face of Christian Music!
I definitely agree with all of these predictions...although they are all shaping CM right now!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Laura Story looks like Aiza Beers haha
So True Andy! And yeah! I thought the same thing about Laura Story when I saw that picture! They could totally be twins... or at least sisters! HAHA!
ReplyDeleteHow about Meredith Andrews or Heather Headley or Lindsey McCall. You should give each of these ladies a listen. They all appear on a recently released album entitled "Vertical Church". This includes great new worship music. I'm telling you... Great!
ReplyDeleteVertical Church Worship is a great worship team. I love Meredith Andrews! I featured her single "Not For a Moment (After All)" on my list of the Top 10 New Singles of Fall 2012 (Part One). Check it out! http://craigandchristianmusic.blogspot.com/2012/08/top-10-new-radio-singles-for-fall-2012.html (she'll also be featured in my next list of Up & Coming Artists!)
ReplyDeleteI also do enjoy Lindsey McCall. I haven't bought her CD yet but I have a couple of songs from some free compilation albums I got when I purchased other albums and she has a really chill style. Kinda reminds me of Bethany Dillon. I have heard of Heather Headley but I've never really listened to her... heading over to iTunes now... Thanks :)