Christian music has experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years, particularly among Gen Z. Newer artists, such as Brandon Lake, Forrest Frank, Josiah Queen, and Allison Eide, have emerged as some of the biggest names in Christian music, thanks to their honest writing and bold anthems. Young adults have been turning off mainstream music and tuning into Christian music more than ever before.
Most Christian artists and tours tend not to perform on college campuses, where the crowds are often. However, this year, that changed with the first-ever Campus Night Tour. The tour featured two legs of some of the best upcoming artists in Christian music to college campuses across the U.S. The first leg featured the excellent artists Gable Price and Friends, Jervis Campbell, and Strings & Heart. The second leg, which I was extremely honored to attend at their Knoxville, Tennessee, stop, featured the aforementioned Josiah Queen, along with rapper Hulvey and pop artist Claire Leslie.
The night started with Capitol CMG's new artist and pop princess, Claire Leslie. Between her energy, honest lyrics, pop aesthetic, and heart for sharing Jesus with listeners, Clarie is a voice this generation needs. She took the stage and got everyone on their feet singing her upbeat anthems like "Original," "Passenger Seat," "24/7," and "Scared." Clarie also led the audience in heartfelt worship with a beautiful cover of "Goodness of God" and performed her latest, touching song, "Always Mine."
Following Claire's stunning set, Reach Records viral hit maker Hulvey took the stage and undoubtedly blew everyone away. Hulvey has been a staple in Christian Hip-Hop and continues to be one of the most consistent and grounded artists with his many amazing songs. With songs like "Bring Heaven Down," "Can't Tell It All," "Walk," Holy Spirit," "Beautiful," and so many more, the night became even more of a landmark for everyone there. Hulvey even treated fans to a solo performance of his collabs with famous artist Forrest Frank, "No Longer Bound" and "Altar." My favorite part of Hulvey's set was his continuous focus on Jesus. Hulvey effectively brought energy and the Gospel, from leading prayer and worship to sharing the hope and message of Jesus during his set.
Last but definitely not least, headliner Josiah Queen was up, and so was the audience. When I say fans were excited for Josiah, this was "fans ready for Skillet" level of excitement. Josiah did not disappoint either. His whole set was ten out of ten from front to back, filled with powerful songs across his catalog. Josiah set the bar high for concert experiences and honestly made tonight one of my favorite concerts of the year. He played his biggest hits, like "The Prodigal," "Dusty Bibles," and "My Promised Land," along with fan favorites like "The Meaning of Life," "I Am Barabbas," and his collab with Forrest Frank, "Jesus Is Coming Back Soon." Josiah maintained an energetic and engaging atmosphere by inviting fans on stage to sing "Can't Steal My Joy," performing in the audience while exchanging high fives, and joking with the crowd in a playful "Tennessee accent" that I'll keep to myself.
Midway through Josiah's set, his wife and speaker, Trinity, came out to share a message and call for prayer. I've sat through a million altar calls and group prayers, but this one felt special. Throughout the night, the Holy Spirit moved and showed everyone in the room how real God is and how much freedom in life He truly brings. With Trinity's prayer and her husband Josiah leading worship, it was a beautiful time as the room fell silent, and I witnessed so many people gather in prayer and surrender. Even I was touched and moved by the presence of God and by how He was healing my heart through the powerful word and messages throughout the night. Josiah continued his set as the crowd danced and sang each song word-for-word. It was such a powerful night that reminded me of how intentionally God is moving in our current generation. He's moving in hearts through music, media, and even our day-to-day interactions to bring us to know Jesus and come home to Him truly.
Bradden Ford is a Christian music junkie charged with maintaining NewReleaseToday's new release database of artists and releases. He lives just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
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