Christian music is trending in the US.

Christian music in the United States is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance, rapidly expanding its audience thanks to digital platforms and the rejection of strict genre boundaries.

As writes The Wall Street Journal, artists of the new wave, armed with mastery of digital technologies, are collecting billions of listens and breaking into the most prestigious national charts. According to music label executives, there hasn't been such a boom in the industry since the late 90s.

The secret to success lies in the fact that modern performers actively experiment with sound, easily borrowing elements from hip-hop, country, rock, and acoustic folk. The main thing that helped the music break out of its niche is streaming services and short video platforms, such as TikTok and Reels.

Previously, to discover faith, people had to go through "Christian portals" - church radio or specialized stores. Now, a listener can come across a religious song without even suspecting its content, simply looking for a track for a popular dance or trending background.

The most prominent face of this new wave is Forrest Frank. The songs of the former member of the pop duo Surfaces, which combine hip-hop beats with very positive and open lyrics about faith, have gained over 1.2 billion listens.

The most interesting example of his viral success is related to an accident: after falling off a skateboard and breaking his vertebrae, Frank recorded a promotional video for his new track God's Got My Back, which instantly gained almost 4 million views on TikTok. And his song Your Way's Better, with a cheerful expression of gratitude, has been used in over 800,000 videos on TikTok and has become the basis for a viral dance.

@hiforrestt I FINALLY DID IT!!!! & with the creators of the dance s/o @David Myers & @Bridgette Nicole ♬ YOUR WAY'S BETTER - Forrest Frank

Other artists are also demonstrating impressive growth. Singer Brandon Lake, who mixes soul and country, has garnered 862 million streams. And 22-year-old acoustic folk artist Josiah Queen - 515 million.

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In the first half of the year, growth in listens to new Christian tracks on streaming platforms outpaced all other genres except country.

Much of the success is due to the fact that these songs can easily fit into a playlist alongside tracks by Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber. For example, singer Sefa Schluter's ballad Counting My Blessings first became a hit in Brazil, and then exploded in the USA, reaching world stars. Schluter himself said that he once received a message that his song was used by actor Hugh Jackman on Instagram.

In addition, there is a strong genre overlap with country music. This is also facilitated by the fact that both industries (both country and Christian music) have their headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee - a city traditionally considered the center of country music.

This proximity leads to unexpected collaborations: country star Jelly Roll recorded a joint track with Brandon Lake. This collaboration allows Christian songs to reach a significantly larger audience, attracting even those who do not consider themselves religious.

Although the share of Christian music in the market is still modest - about 2% of the total volume - this direction is growing faster than many others. In the comments under such videos, people often note: "I won't say I'm religious, but honestly, Christian tracks really sound cool now."

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