The best art is often born from darkness. It takes heartbreak before there's redemption. For rising Christian artist Carly Ann Taylor, this has been her life's story.
Growing up in an abusive household until she was 15, Taylor was well-acquainted with the darkness surrounding her. Her biological parents were both drug addicts, and her life was full of instability. By the end of her freshman year of high school, Taylor found the darkness inside herself. She hit rock bottom, battling suicidal thoughts and living a reckless lifestyle--until an unexpected phone call changed her life.
Taylor was working at a Baskin Robbins in her hometown of Kona, Hawai'i and was on a break when she received a call from her half-brother Randy, who's 16 years her senior. He invited her to spend a week with him and his wife in California. When she arrived, she found a room waiting for her and was overwhelmed by the kindness they showed her. When they learned about her living conditions and the abusive household she came from, they invited her to move in.
At just the right time, God brought Taylor out of a toxic life and gave her new parents. And when her new family brought her to church, she encountered Jesus and immediately accepted Him into her life after the first message she heard. Now residing in San Diego, Taylor is using her music to share how God changed her story.
Captivated by R&B artists like Alicia Keys and Tori Kelly, Taylor is putting a creative spin on contemporary Christian music. Her powerhouse vocals are reminiscent of Adele but infused with modern-day worship and surrounded by lyrics offering a fresh perspective on what it looks like to find hope and healing in Jesus. On her new debut EP, Changing My Story, Taylor puts lyrics and melodies around her new life in Christ.
"God revealed to me that my identity is in Him," said Taylor. "It's not in anything anyone has ever said to me or the labels that have been put on me, or the things I've done. My new identity is found in Him."
Featuring six tracks, each song on Changing My Story is a chapter of Taylor's life of coming from brokenness and abandonment to finding healing, hope, and salvation in Jesus. The EP begins with "Saved My Soul," an impactful song about how Jesus redeemed her life. The record continues with "Your Beauty," a song about the brighter side of her story, and "Sunrise," a soulful track about how Taylor has found herself in Jesus.
Halfway through the EP, the lyrics shift from introspection to encouragement for Taylor's listeners. "Drift Away" is an encouragement to anyone who feels tired from the storms of life, and was written for her family during a season of loss.
"I wanted to write a song that would comfort my family," said Taylor. "But it's also a song for people going through difficult things. They can trust that God's not going to let them drift away. He's going to stay close to them."
As the EP continues to journey through Taylor's life, "Runnin' (The Assignment)" focuses on the future, expressing that time and attention are the only way to see what God has in store for her. The EP concludes with "Here I Am," featuring Hopeful., the band her half-brother Randy fronts. For Taylor, having her brother sing on the last track felt like a full-circle moment.
"On the first track, 'Saved My Soul,' I envision myself on my break, getting that call from Randy. That was basically the beginning of God changing my story," said Taylor. "It's all wrapped up with Randy singing with me on 'Here I Am' as I surrender my life to Jesus."
Carly Ann Taylor will continue to share her story through music and plans to write and record more songs this summer. Until then, stay up-to-date on her music by following her on Instagram. For more information and to listen to Changing My Story, visit CarlyAnnTaylor.com.
