The year of our Lord 2021 has been a journey for us all in one way or another. But one thing that has remained constant has been the drive of young. creative musicians, continuing to push themselves to put out new material. Here is a roundup of noteworthy Adventist music news so far this month.
Lifelong Worship releases new single
Based in Orlando, FL, Lifelong Worship is the music ministry of the WholeLife Church. And the group has been putting out a diverse array of music for some time now. Their previous single, Everyday Heroes, was an upbeat folk-rock anthem that wouldn't have felt out of place on a Chris Tomlin or Michael W. Smith record. Now with their latest single Sing A New Song, released on August 7, the group ventures further into Gospel territory than in their previous efforts, although those influences have admittedly always been present in their music to some extent or another. Featuring the powerful lead vocals of Natrickie Louissaint and noteworthy lead guitar work, Sing A New Song feels like one of those songs that may have staying power in church services if it gets a chance to catch on.
Lightshore releases new single
The Indiana-based Indie rockers are back with a second single that perfectly follows up their last release, Take It. Fans of Switchfoot, Relient K, and MuteMath will once again find themselves right at home with this tune. We do know that there is more coming in the future from this band, but details are scarce right now.
Anthem Worship releases debut album Universal Hearts
We already covered this release at length, but it's worth repeating. Between Lifelong and Anthem, prominent Adventist worship groups are popping up across the United States and making high quality music. The live video linked above catches the energy from Anthem's recent release show. It seems like things are only going uphill for this group.
Emily Guzman teasing new music
Earlier in the year, Emily Guzman began teasing new music. While we don't have further details right now, her Instagram page has remained active, so we will hopefully hear something new from her soon.
Wilfredo wrapping up album production
Wilfredo is no stranger at this point to Haystack readers. Having already dropped and handful of singles this year, he has been teasing on his Instagram that production on his new album is basically wrapping up. In the meantime, the rapper recently posted a new video to his IGTV for an older track, My Darling, from a previous project. With a guest feature from Enkosé, the song envisions repentance as a breakup with sin. Keep checking back, as we will for sure be covering the eventual release of Wilfredo's album.
DJ Kezz Kenya Makes News
At the end of July, a Kenyan news outlet called The Standard ran an article about a young DJ making waves online by streaming live mixes of Seventh-day Adventist music. Her story involves a return to Seventh Adventism after spending some time as a DJ in secular environments. DJ Kezz Kenya currently posts 60k+ Instagram followers, and her livestream two weeks ago drew in over 10,000 views on YouTube. This is one influencer who clearly knows how to meet a need for connection and shared celebration that has likely only grown stronger over the course of the pandemic. While the music she streams leans to the more traditional side, the role of DJ represents a cutting edge new lane of ministry that the church would do well to take note of.
Intercession performs at Toronto's Jerk Fest
Canadian gospel group Intercession performed during Toronto's Caribbean culture and food festival JerkFest. This year's festival was a virtual event, featuring both local and international music artists across multiple genres. Selected as winners of a contest by G98.7 FM, Intercession were the first performers during the livestream on Sunday, August 8 (performance starts at around 20:15 in the linked video below). Their set included their debut single Free as well as a lively medley of familiar church songs.
DB Embarks on The Invasion Tour
Coming back to the world of Christian Hip-Hop, DBrealmuzik has started on a month-long tour alongside other CHH artists. The first night of the tour, DB premiered a yet-unreleased song, sharing a clip on his instagram that is so short, we can't even discern the title yet. Time will tell what this tour means for the rest of this aspiring rapper's career, but we are hopeful that there are good things ahead.
There has certainly been more happening in the world of Adventist music, but we will wrap it up there. Make sure to stay tuned to The Haystack for all your news about Adventist art and culture, and make sure to follow our Spotify playlists in order to keep up with all the best SDA music, whether old or new.
Independent Adventist Worship:
Songs from across all genres for worship, devotion, and congregational singing.
Adventist Party Night:
Fun, upbeat songs with various lyrical themes, for church social events that need a lively soundtrack. Mostly hip-hop, rock, and electronic music.
Advent Alternative:
Songs by Adventist artists that lean into more mainstream lyrical territory. Mostly "alternative" music genres, but less high-energy than Adventist Party Night.