One of the best of the year Posted November 04, 2021 By KevinDavis_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need to Know Following up their standout worship album Awake, which featured hits, "King of Kings" and“Awake My Soul,” churches and believers around the world celebrate the release of Hillsong Worship's These Same Skies.
I have consistently been blessed by each album from this popular worship band with their staples "Cornerstone,” “Stronger," "God is Able," "O Praise the Name," "What a Beautiful Name," and "Who You Say I Am." Each song is sung at church worship services worldwide and puts the Word of God into the minds, mouths, and hearts of Christians everywhere.
These Same Skies is about proclaiming our dependence on God and crying out in awe and wonder of His presence. Every moment completely focuses me as a listener on joining in praise, worship, and adoration of our beautiful King Jesus.
What it Sounds Like If you enjoy Hillsong Worship’s corporate worship anthems, you’re in for a treat with this album. It has a great balance of male and female-led vocals, as well as songs suitable for personal reflection and in-church worship. Many songs, such as the gorgeous "Never Walk Alone," are arranged in a very singable and catchy style.
The aforementioned song is filled with great statements of faith, celebrating our freedom in Christ: "Every hour/Every minute/You have always been there/You are faithful/And You always will be/In every triumph/Every failure/You are loyal to me/You are faithful/And You always will be."
You’ll be raising your hands and heart in worship with the stirring opener, “That’s the Power,” which invites listeners to sing: “That's the power of Your name/Just a mention makes a way/Giants fall and strongholds break/And there is healing/That's the power that I claim/It's the same that rolled the grave/There's no power like the Mighty name of Jesus.”
Spiritual Highlights “Hope of the Ages” features lead vocals from singer-songwriters Reuben Morgan and Cody Carnes in a declaration of God’s unrelenting love and grace for all humanity. The song showcases the group's ability to provide emotional messages rooted in biblical truth. It reminds us of our standing before God. We know what love is because God is love.
He showed us His love when Jesus laid down His life for us, and He gave us His whole heart. Make the lyrics of this song your prayer, "Though Christ was dead, now surely He's risen/Yeah, He's coming back again/And Christ will reign in triumph forever/Yeah, all praise belongs to Him/Yeah, all praise belongs to Jesus."
As a father of three daughters, and a chosen son of my heavenly Father, I can't listen to the gorgeous song, “Never Walk Alone” without being moved. The picture of God's unconditional love is profoundly captured in the chorus: "I have never walked alone/I’ve never been abandoned/You are my inheritance/You are my strength and shield/And I have confidence/You go before me/You’re my deliverer/I know I never walk alone.”
Best Song There are several album standouts: “That’s the Power,” “Hope of the Ages,” as well as the instant classic “Surrounds Me.” “Freedom” stirs my heart into an immediate state of worship and takes it up a notch with its passionate bridge: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is/There I will be, where the Spirit of the Lord is/I am free/Where the presence of the Lord is/There I will be/Where the presence of the Lord is/I am free.” “Resurrender” is catchy and biblical. A song that I can’t get out of my head is “Never Walk Alone,” so I’ll highlight that song as the must-download track, but you’ll want the whole album.
Final Word These Same Skies is loaded with several stirring new worship songs that really set me in the proper mindset to praise God for loving me so much that He gave His life away for all that was lost. I really enjoy the exciting musical vibe of this album, and the melodies are catchy, and the lyrics are prayerful.
The album is loaded with stellar vocals, catchy melodies, and solid lyrics reflecting unashamed faith in Jesus. These are very passionate worship songs sung with vocal sincerity and reverence with biblically-inspired lyrics. There are several instantly singable and worshipful arrangements that you'll want to add to your Sunday morning set-list including “That’s the Power,” “Freedom,” “Hope of the Ages,” “Resurrender,” and “Never Walk Alone.” Don’t miss out on this incredible worship album, one of the best of the year.
I eagerly await each new Hillsong Worship release, and These Same Skies is a truly stellar offering of worship. If you want to experience a fresh, biblically-inspired and Jesus-focused worship album, look no further. The album is a wonderful reminder that there is immeasurably more to our God that we can think or imagine, and this album captures that sentiment. This album is a must-have addition to your worship collection, creating moments of deep connection with Jesus.
