In our special 7TH ANNUAL WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS editorial series, members of the NRT staff have a back-and-forth discussion about this year's nominees. In Part 4 of our series, NRT contributor Bradden Ford and Social Media Manager Kaitlyn Barbour discuss the nominees for our Pop/Contemporary Song categories.
Do you agree with Bradden and Kaitlyn? Vote in all 23 categories now through Jan. 25, 2019, at weloveawards.com! Your votes determine the winners, and you can vote as often and as much as you want!
Kaitlyn: Hey Bradden! We're going to take a look at two of the Song of the Year awards today: the Contemporary and Pop Songs of the Year. This year, we saw some huge releases and massive singles, especially in the area of CCM. What were some of your personal favorites?
Bradden: There were many amazing releases in both categories. For Contemporary Song of the Year, my personal favorite would have to be newcomer Austin French's song "Freedom Hymn." It's a strong message of freedom paired with Austin's unique voice that makes this song a powerful debut and an amazing track. For Pop Song of the Year, Jordan Feliz's "Witness" is one of my favorite songs and it has an awesome message and sound that you can't help but dance to.
Kaitlyn: I agree! And it's always so cool to see new artists releasing such powerful debut singles. Personally, I really love the musical direction for KING & COUNTRY has gone in recently. Their single "joy." is so catchy and fun, while also communicating the truth that we have to choose to experience the joy found in Christ. That's definitely one of my favorites from this year, although Lauren Daigle has also released some major hits this year!
Speaking of which, let's look a little deeper at the Contemporary Song of the Year award. Which contenders do you think may have it in this category?
Bradden:So true. for KING & COUNTRY have had an amazing year and they could easily take Pop Song of the Year. As for Contemporary Song of the Year, Lauren Daigle has had a stellar year with her new album and her powerfully touching song, "You Say", which has had great success in CCM and mainstream. The lyrics have also inspired and impacted millions, including me. Which song in the Contemporary category are you leaning towards?
Kaitlyn: Even though all five contenders this year are stellar, I think I would have to go with Ryan Stevenson's "No Matter What." It's so catchy and the lyrics are so encouraging. Plus, Ryan Stevenson hasn't been in the spotlight as much as artists like Lauren Daigle or Rend Collective have. It's always great to shed some light on all of the Christian music industry, new and veteran artists. That being said, which song do you think the voters will actually choose?
Bradden: Lauren Daigle would probably win this due to the message and impact of her music this year. However, Phil Wickham and Rend Collective have been around long enough releasing amazing songs that have impacted many fans over the years with their strong message of praise and worship. So they have a chance as well. It's a competitive category for sure.
Kaitlyn: Yeah, I definitely think it'll be a toss-up between Lauren Daigle, Rend Collective, and Phil Wickham. But I think the results of the Pop Song of the Year Award will be harder to determine! All five choices are the best of the best from this year's crop of releases! Who are you rooting for to come out on top?
Bradden: All five of these artists have done great and released awesome songs that will definitely make this a close win for all of these artists. My personal favorite would be Jordan Feliz. His song "Witness" has been on repeat for me ever since it released. With its amazing sound and lyrics that praise our Savior's redeeming power, I think it has a shot at winning. However, like you said, with all these amazing releases, I could see any one of these songs take it. Which song are you going for?
Kaitlyn: Definitely! With these releases we'll have to wait and see who wins this! I would have to say my top three are "joy.," which I already mentioned, Jasmine Murray's "Fearless," which I've loved since it first came out, and GAWVI's "Fight For Me," which I listen to all the time! I'm really hoping GAWVI will win, cause it's so important for this up-and-coming subgenre of Christian hip-hop to be represented in the mainstream. GAWVI is bringing the Gospel to a whole new generation of listeners, and I find that so admirable.
However, I'm going to predict TobyMac will win this category with his song "I just need U." It's both musically and lyrically catchy, and Toby has a huge fanbase that loves and supports everything he releases. So let's see what happens!
Bradden: TobyMac has been releasing hit after hit. I'm very excited to see who fans vote for among all these great songs.
Kaitlyn: Yeah, I really hope fans will be able to branch out a little and listen to the music of lesser-known artists as they vote. I also hope God will use these awards to both encourage voters and artists while leading unbelievers to Him!
NOTE: Voting is now open through Friday, January 25, 2019 at WeLoveAwards.com. Winners will be announced during our Facebook Live broadcast from Visible Music College's Memphis campus on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.
Assembled from the four corners of North America and many other corners in between, the NRTeam is comprised of staffers whose energy is equally dispersed towards loving music and writing about the music they love.
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