Emerging pop artist Leanna Crawford continues to develop, grow and express her God-given talents in her musical ministry. Her most successful album to date is 2020’s self-titled EP. The album was preceded by the single, "Funeral." The album includes hit songs “Truth I’m Standing On,” “Photoshop," and "Mean Girls,” all of which I’ve featured in my Behind The Song devotional series.
With each successive album and song, I hear the maturation of a young woman learning to rely on the grace of God to help her sing about what matters, and to find her identity in Jesus Christ, knowing that she’s made in God's image. Leanna's entire album ministers to me, my wife, and three daughters.
She has the gift of encouragement, and every single song lifts us. Leanna has an infectious and upbeat musical style, layering her strong and distinguished vocals over the top of one hooky melody after another. She’s becoming one of the top new female vocalists in Christian music.
Leanna has delivered the ideal album to minister to anyone struggling with fear and self-doubt. Every song showcases her skilled singing voice. You can hear her smile as she delivers one infectious song after another. The layered and well-produced musical arrangements on this album accentuate Leanna’s powerful and passionate songs.
My family has been blessed by Leanna Crawford’s music ministry and her great example of how to be a modest and godly woman who expresses her love for Jesus and how He has rescued and redeemed her from the lies and destructive messages of the world.
I had the great opportunity to attend her set at The Hope Festival in Souderton, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 17, 2022. The festival founders brought Leanna in as the headliner. She was the perfect artist for the event.
Sweatshirt of Hope has introduced an easy-to-use program for non-profit organizations, churches, and individuals. It’s distributed at homeless shelters, food pantries, individuals in the church, Celebrate Recovery, AA meetings, friends, family, neighbors, or anyone who needs to be reminded that hope exists in the world. Sweatshirt of HOPE provides a warm sweatshirt to persons who feel helpless, hopeless, or homeless. Terry Derstine is the founder, and I had the chance to speak with board member John Yoast, Radio Station Manager of 107.5 Alive FM who was also involved in planning and hosting the event.
Leanna Live and in Living Color
After opening with a great rendition of her brand-new song, “Before I Knew Jesus,” which Leanna and I discussed onsite for an upcoming Behind The Song devotional. During her performance of “Joyful, Thankful, Blessed,” the audience sang and clapped while praising the Lord.
“Uncool”
Up next was the song “Uncool,” a song about encouraging self-confidence in being who God made us be (in other words, we were created and made in His image). The audience connected with the lyrics: "The pressure of opinion/Is a heavy chain to wear/But so is living with regret/So with all due respect/I don't really care, oh/If it's uncool to say that I love Jesus/If it's uncool to sing about my freedom/Then I'm cool being uncool/If it's uncool to tell the world who saved me/I don't care if they call me crazy/'Cause I'm cool being uncool." Amen to that.
“Photoshop”
Her next song, “Photoshop” followed up the message of “Uncool.” Leanna shared her personal experience of how God has shown her how beautiful she is to Him. Leanna delivered that message of affirmation in the chorus where she proclaimed: "This world don’t need a look-a-like/You were made for standing out/And burning bright/I’m telling you the truth/No one does you like you/No, you don’t need no photoshop." The message of “Photoshop” is to know that we don't have to be perfect; God made us the way we are for a reason. We're beautiful and we're worth it. We have something to say.
Joy isn't just a happy emotion. It's deep peace and understanding, knowing that we're loved, without a shadow of a doubt. As Christians, we're God's adopted sons and daughters. We're fearfully and wonderfully made.
Don't let the world tell you who you are. It doesn't matter what you look like outside if you have Jesus on the inside. That's where we can find our true identities in Him. A quote that connects to this song is, "Comparison is the thief of joy," as stated by former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Society puts pressure on us to conform and feel like we need to fit in. Romans 12:2 tells us to "not conform to the patterns of this world." "Photoshop" is about being made in God's image and not seeking society's approval. But, knowing that God created and loves us, as we are. The song does a wonderful job challenging the world's definition of satisfaction and acknowledging spiritual warfare while knowing that Jesus is the answer to all that we want and need.
“Prince Charming”
Leanna then led her song from her first album, “Prince Charming,” a song about waiting on the husband she has been praying for God to bring into her life. (She recently announced her engagement, which made the song a tender celebration of that blessed announcement.)
Touching Covers
She followed that up with a gorgeous cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and then led a sing-along of “Lean on Me,” along with her band members, guitarist Michael Fogarty—former NRT intern—and drummer Kayleigh Mover, and her sister Lyndsay also joined them on stage. The tenderness continued with a beautiful rendition of “Fragile Heart,” which moved me deeply.
New Song
She treated us to a special debut performance of her new song “How Can You Not.” The song drops in a few weeks. I’m excited for people to hear the biblical message of wonderment at God’s creation.
“Mean Girls”
The show-stopping moment for me was the heartfelt performance of Leanna’s moving song, “Mean Girls.” As a dad of three girls, the song captures my true desire as a hurting father in this broken world, which tells girls lies. The song is a reminder to put my hope in Christ's love and to affirm my daughters that they're loved more than they can ever know by me and their Heavenly Father.
"Mean Girls" reminds listeners of the power of words and the need to "tame our tongues" from James 3. The tongue is capable of use for both virtue and vice. The same mouth uses the tongue for these contradictory purposes. James echoes Jesus' emphasis on the crucial importance of the use of words in daily life.
This song articulates what it means to live a God-centered life in a turbulent world. My wife and I have tried to raise our daughters to have confidence that they have been made in God's likeness. We've also urged them to not compromise their values from peer pressure or make fun of other people. That's a tough balance we have as believers. I love to sing along with this song with all my heart, “Lord, find me and remind me that my worth is worth so much more than their words.”
“Who You Say I Am”
The perfect follow-up was Leanna’s leading us in corporate worship to “Who You Say I Am,” which had the entire crowd singing about our identity in Christ at the top of our lungs.
She closed with her hit song, “Truth I’m Standing On.” The song has that emotional edge and points me to Christ for peace and hope. Know that Jesus loves you and has something better planned for you if you trust in Him as our Savior. "Truth I'm Standing On" is about having a strong faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God.
I'm completely convicted by the strong lyrics and find immense comfort in this song filled with biblical truth. His love is never-ending, and He is our refuge and our strength. As believers, Heaven is calling our name. He is the author of our lives and knows what's best for us--much better than we do. That's the reason to sing this empowering anthem at the top of our lungs in gratefulness to Him. If you're looking for a firm foundation in your life, make these lyrics your prayer: “This is the truth I’m standing on even when all my strength is gone/You are faithful forever/And I know You’ll never let me fall.”
Closing Words
It was a blessed night for the guests at The Hope Festival. It was a night we won't forget as we sang together and celebrated the biblical truth behind all her great songs, “this is the truth I’m standing on.” All that we have and all that we need is found in Jesus. Our night of worship and singing was a celebration of His amazing grace. The gathering of believers was a wonderful way to celebrate our community and a foretaste of how we'll be singing about God's grace for eternity.
Don't miss any chance to see Leanna Crawford. She has become my favorite emerging female artist and her heart maybe even bigger than her big voice. She’s the real deal and her songs reflect the reality of life from the perspective of a follower of Jesus. You’ll be blessed to get to know her and her music. I know I am.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime fan of Christian music, and an avid music collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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