Ready, set... go read the latest in Christian music happenings!
Christian Music/Entertainment News (8)
1. "Is this the world you want? You're making it, every day you're alive." That's the chorus of Switchfoot's song "World You Want," from their Fading West album, and apparently it's the next Switchfoot song you'll be hearing on the radio. The guys just released it as their latest single. Take a listen for the Watoto Children's Choir, which is prominently featured in the track.
2. And speaking of Switchfoot, its frontman, Jon Foreman, is going to be releasing some more solo EPs this year, with each song representing one particular hour of the day. For his first EP, Daylight, Jon just released the song titles. The action begins at 11 a.m. with "Terminal," followed by "The Mountain", "You Don't Know How Beautiful You Are", "Caroline", "The Patron Saint of Rock & Roll" and "All of God's Children" finishing at 4 p.m. Stay tuned to find out exactly when the new record is coming.
3. Looks like Natalie Grant is a cover girl. The "Hurricane" singer says she's honored to be featured in HomeLife Magazine as the lead story. For those without a physical copy, she said fans can read the feature story, "Unexpected Miracles: Natalie Grant's Story" at lifeway.com.
4. It's safe to say that, like many worship leaders, Phil Wickham likes to hear people singing worship to God rather than himself. That's why he's released two live concert albums he's dubbed as the Sing Along series. It looks like he's going to be getting fans' voices again soon, as he has confirmed that a Sing Along 3 is indeed happening, with more news to come soon.
5. Jason Gray's arm looks a bit like a candy cane, as the Utah sun exposed the area where he wore a supportive arm band. His otherwise pink arm has a fairly thick section of white in the middle of it. Whoops! He's regretting wearing the band on the pre-show walk this week.
6. Chris Quilala (pronounced "kee-lah-lah") of Jesus Culture and his wife, Alyssa, are 12 weeks into Alyssa's pregnancy, and Mrs. Quilala just posted her first "belly picture" on Instagram this week, saying their growing child has made a big entrance quickly with her tummy. She's not complaining, though! On the contrary, she's excited, saying she can't wait to get her preggo waddle back, because it means she's growing life within her!
7. When you homeschool your kids, everything is a learning opportunity, Plumb says, noting that having her son, Solomon, pump her gas is just another lesson in raising a little gentleman. In a photo she shared with fans, Solomon looked quite pleased to be helping out his mom.
8. Lauren Daigle's full-length debut, How Can It Be, is the reigning Number 1 album on Billboard's Christian charts. The record features the hit title track, as well as "Come Alive (Dry Bones)" and current hit song, "First."
Quotes (3)
1. "How beautiful it is to be put in a position where everything is out of your hands and the only thing you can do is trust Him! I don't know about you, but I look forward to seeing if my faith is real or not. I'm done with just saying I trust Him, I want to put those words into action." - Manwell Reyes of Group 1 Crew
2. "Just remember His love for you is Infinite. You are made individual for His purpose, not your own. Be glad you are made the way you are." - Kevin Max
3. "Please recognize that you're more than what you currently see. When God looks at us, He sees us as He created us. He sees us covered in the blood of Jesus, not as what we see when we look in the reflection in the mirror." - Mandisa