Pure Worship and Devotion Posted September 26, 2023 By JasminPatterson_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need to Know Phil Wickham is one of the premier worship leaders and songwriters in Christian music today, with his songs reaching the masses on Christian radio and being sung in local churches around the globe. The GRAMMY and GMA Dove Award-nominated artist has released his latest full-length studio album, I Believe. With singles "Sunday Is Coming," "This Is Our God," and "I Believe" released ahead of the album, I Believe features collaborations with worship artist Tiffany Hudson of Elevation Worship ("Psalm 23") and worship artist Naomi Raine of Maverick City Music ("Holy Moment.")
What It Sounds Like
On I Believe, Phil gives us what we've come to know and love from him: both the tender, prayerful, and worshipful ballads that can be sung in your personal time alone with God, as well as those larger-than-life Sunday morning anthems that could be sung with a congregation. But he also branches out into sounds different for him in arrangement and instrumentation, showcasing his ability to be creative and versatile as an artist while still keeping a worshipful focus.
"Wait" almost has a synth-pop/alt-pop feel, and "100%" and "Relationship" feel like the pop meets hip-hop style we're hearing from Christian pop artists today and from some worship artists, like Elevation Rhythm. These songs are reminiscent of Phil's 2018 single, "Til I Found You."
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights
Multiple songs on this album fit within the lyrical themes, reinforcing the emotional impact on the listener. As you engage with this album, you'll sing about God's holiness ("Creator," "You Are Holy," "Holy Moment"), the core truths of the faith, and our commitment to follow Christ with our lives ("Sunday Is Coming," "I Believe," "The Jesus Way"), and songs of deep personal prayer and relationship with God ("Psalm 23," "Wait," "Relationship").
Best Song
Choosing the best song on an album written by someone I respect tremendously as a worship leader and songwriter is almost impossible. Still, I'm giving the best music to "Your Name Is Holy" and "Holy Moment." The two songs actually go together, with "Holy Moment" feeling like an unstructured response of worship that overflows from the heart, following "Your Name Is Holy." And the sound of Phil and Naomi's voices singing and worshipping Jesus together is captivating.
I think songwriting in the worship genre leans heavily on songs about God and what He does for us (good and biblical) and less on songs singing directly to God about His character and work in our lives (which is also excellent and biblical). But we need more of the latter in worship music to balance things out, and we also need more songs that model for believers how to worship from the overflow of their hearts as they find their own voice and their own personal song to God in worship.
Any chance I get to highlight those kinds of worship songs, I'll take it. Phil Wickham offers us a great example of that with these songs, and I would have even loved for him to lean into this a bit more on this album.
Final Word I Believe will draw you into a pure place of worship, devotion, and encounter with Jesus. Those qualities are something Phil so evidently carries in his own life as a follower of Jesus and as a worship leader, and his example and songwriting will draw you into that same posture of heart. Phil Wickham's ministry is such a gift to me and the Church, and I'm so grateful for his new collection of songs. Be sure to listen to this album.
