A Smile of Joy Posted January 28, 2021 By SelenaSchulz_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need to Know: Originally from the Chicago area, Holly Halliwell is a new artist in Christian pop. She released her first single "Your Love" in April of last year and since then has released several other songs. "Your Love" was an instant hit and was played on radio stations all around the world. It also was featured in several popular blogs, newspapers, and Spotify playlists. Holly has loved music since she was young and even started writing and recording as a child. For her debut single, she worked with Seth Mosley and X O'Connor, both GRAMMY® award-winning producers. Her career took off with the fuel of her passion for the Lord and her fan base is growing to others who share in that love with her or want to learn more about it.
What it Sounds Like: Listening to her music, I noticed that she has a consistent sound which is so fun. I love being able to recognize an artist just by the beginning of their song. You can definitely do this with Holly. Her distinguishable synth tempo is what gives her the special feel. Holly has incorporated the popular sound effects that are used in pop music, but also added in some one of a kind features of her voice.
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights: God's grace can be difficult to put into words; it is so extravagant, so amazing, and so above our comprehension level. But Holly did an excellent job capturing the joy that His grace provides. It is a joy that puts the biggest smile on your face and makes you dance around with glee. Her song has personified this feeling. The lyrics make it clear that the rejoicing does not come from the world, but instead the awesome God over the world. "I'm singin' 'cause I know I'm yours/ I'll never be the same/ I'm dancing 'cause you made me/ Made me so brand new, so brand new"
Final Word: Holly has found her rhythm with this song which has the perfect balance of synth, snapping, and singing. Not only that, but she also did a beautiful job of letting her song flow around the truth of God. I loved this single and I have big hopes for Holly and her future. I can't wait for more songs from this talented musician!
