The thriving faith-based entertainment industry has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. With megahit shows like The Chosen bursting into the mainstream conversation and the long-awaited sequel to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ slated to release in two parts in 2027, faith-based art is thriving on the screen. But Christian filmmakers aren’t the only artists making noise.
Music remains one of the church’s most widespread and impactful cultural exports, with countless singers and musicians honing their craft within the sanctuary walls. The Christian music industry has grown into a booming business, and recent developments suggest that religious music may be on the cusp of reaching even wider audiences.
Earlier this year, Christian artist Forrest Frank’s song “Your Way’s Better” became a surprise breakout hit. The song (which features the catchy refrain, “Oh Lord, I need You now more than ever/ Would You put my heart back together/ I searched the world ’til my head hurt/ Just to find out Your way’s better”) was an unlikely candidate to become a mainstream hit. But it went viral on TikTok, with many creators performing dances to the tune. Its unexpected online popularity catapulted the song as high as No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Joining Frank with an unexpected appearance on the charts was popular Christian artist Brandon Lake, whose song “Hard Fought Hallelujah” peaked at an impressive No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
According to Billboard, when excluding holiday and religious-themed songs from crossover rap acts like Kanye West, only 11 Christian songs have ever made the chart. Additionally, the appearance of both Frank’s and Lake’s songs in the top 100 marks only the second time two Christian songs have ever charted concurrently.
Billboard charts are far from the only metric for evaluating musical success, but the history-making breakthroughs by Forrest Frank and Brandon Lake hint at the growing popularity of religious music and demonstrate its untapped potential. With Christian artists finding larger audiences and established industry mainstays such as Justin Bieber and Carrie Underwood increasingly exploring overtly religious themes in their lyrics, the coming years may see not only the golden age of faith-based movies but also a revival of Christian music in the mainstream market.
Daniel holds a PhD in “Christianity and the Arts” from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of multiple books and he speaks in churches and schools across the country on the topics of Christian worldview, apologetics, creative writing, and the Arts.
