13 Compelling Holy Songs features songs by CeCe Winans, Future, Justin Bieber, Rina Sawayama, Sam Smith x Kim Petras, and SXMPRA.ย
Yes, HOLY, an adjective, defined as โexalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness,โ is the keyword in the musical compendium, 13 Compelling Holy Songs. BUT that doesnโt mean all 13 songs are holy. ย Only a handful of these โholyโ songs give religious or spiritual vibes.ย This is not the first compilation of holy songs to grace The Musical Hype.ย 13 Compelling Holy Songs is the long-awaited sequel to 13 Holy Songs That Are Holy in Name Only (2020). ย In that list, Ozzy Osbourne vowed to be โHoly For Tonightโ. Cathy Dennis assisted Galantis on โHoly Waterโ, singing, โI wanna drown in your holy water / You know a sin never felt so good.โ As for Father John Misty, he delivered a heaping dose of โHoly Shitโ โ I shit you not! With that said, on to 13 Compelling Holy Songs, which features songs by CeCe Winans, Future, Justin Bieber, Rina Sawayama, Sam Smith x Kim Petras, and SXMPRA.ย Without further ado, letโs embrace the holiness!
~ Table of Contents ~
1. CeCe Winans, โHoly Foreverโ (Chris Tomlin cover)
2. Justin Bieber, โHolyโ (Ft. Chance The Rapper)
3. Sam Smith & Kim Petras, โUnholyโ
4. Lil Mosey, โHoly Waterโ
5. Demi Lovato, โHOLY FVCKโ
7. Aretha Franklin, โBorder Song (Holy Moses)โ (Elton John cover)
8. Run The Jewels, โholy calamafuckโ
9. Rina Sawayama, โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ ย
11. Mavis Staples, โHoly Ghostโ (Low cover)
12. John Legend & The Roots, โWholy Holyโ (Marvin Gaye cover)
13. Mahalia Jackson, โThe Holy Cityโ
1. CeCe Winans, โHoly Foreverโ (Chris Tomlin cover)
This // Pure Springs Gospel, Inc. // 2024
โAnd all whoโve gone before us and all who will believe / Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb.โ Hallelujah ๐! Amen ๐ ! Versatile, Grammy-winning, gospel artist CeCe Winans covers the Chris Tomlin gem, โHoly Foreverโ in her 2024 album, More Than This. The spiritual and musical lifts are exceptional in her rendition.ย Winans proves how engaging CCM can be in a gifted gospel singerโs hand. Notably, Winans opts for a higher key compared to Tomlin.ย
ย ย
The main takeaway from โHoly Foreverโ is the awesomeness of the Savior. Chris Tomlin successfully conveyed that in the original. Winans powerfully lauds Him, too: โYour name is the highest / Your name is the greatest.โ The pre-chorus is a fabulous preface to the soaring chorus, the most memorable section of the song.ย Tomlin and the choir โbrought itโ in the original. Here, CeCe and choir โbring itโ too.ย She sounds elite vocally blessing us with her anointed instrument.ย Sheโs powerful but never over-sings, providing just the right punch. Throughout the rest of โHoly Forever,โ she superbly brings authenticity, energy, and expressiveness. No extensive analysis is necessary. โHoly Foreverโ speaks for itself.
Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
- CeCe Winans, Holy Forever: Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐ 20 (2024)
- Chris Tomlin vs. CeCe Winans: Head 2 Head No. 23 (2024)
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2. Justin Bieber, โHolyโ (Ft. Chance The Rapper)
Justice // Def Jam // 2021
On โHolyโ, Grammy-winning pop superstar Justin Bieber taps Grammy-winning rapper Chance the Rapper for the assist.ย The results are positive. ย Released as a single in 2020, โHolyโ appears as the fifth track on Bieberโs Grammy-nominated 2021 album, Justice.ย In addition to Bieber and Chance, โHolyโ was penned by producers Jorgen Odegard, Jon Bellion, Michael Pollack, Steven Franks, and Tommy Brown. They craft the many things to like about the record, namely the blend of pop and soul with gospel cues. Early on, Bieber provides us with beautiful vocals showing off his lovely tone and soulful vibes. He sings two verses, supported by choral vocals in the catchy chorus that follows each.
โThe way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold meย
Feels so holy, holy, holy, holy, holyย
On Godย
Runninโ to the altar like a track starย
Canโt wait another secondย
โCause the way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold meย
Feels so holy.โ
Chanceโs verse is lengthy, beginning with melodic-driven rap before he drops assertive, agile, un-pitched rhymes (โI know when the son takes the first steps, the Father’s proud (Yes) / If you make it to the water, Heโโl part the cloudsโ). Heโs the perfect fit. One final note: I must shout out how rousing โHolyโ becomes towards the end, amplifying the gospel sensibilities even more. Praises ๐!ย ย
ย Appears in ๐ป:โฏย ย
- Awesome Songs: September 2020
- 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020: 100 โ 76
- 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020
- 13 H Songs: Rhyme or Reason (2021)
~ Table of Contents ~ย
3. Sam Smith & Kim Petras, โUnholyโ
Gloria // Capitol // 2023โฏ
โMummy donโt know daddyโs getting hot / At the body shop / Doing something unholy.โ Gah-day-um!โฏโฏโฏโUnholyโ arrived as a single in 2022 by Academy- and Grammy-award-winning, nonbinary singer/songwriter, Sam Smith.โฏ From the first note, it was clear that Smith was tweaking their sound and evolving.โฏIn the Grammy-winning single from their 2023 album, Gloria, Smith is assisted by German pop singer, Kim Petras, who fits the unholiness perfectly.โฏโUnholyโ commences unexpectedly with big, a cappella vocals by Smith (with vocal effects).โฏ Unknowingly, upon first listen the intro is the eventual chorus of the record.โฏ The chorus ends up being a vibe that you canโt get unstuck. Besides the epic intro and alluring chorus, โUnholyโ features sleek production work by Smith, Ilya, Cirkut, Blake Slatkin, Omer Fedi, and Jimmy Napes. Although the chorus fabulously sums up the sus happenings, the verses by Smith and Petras fill in the blanks.โฏ In the first, Smith sings, โDirty, dirty boy / you know everyone is talkinโ on the scene / I hear them whisperinโ bout the places that youโve been / And how you donโt know how to keep your business clean.โ As for Petras,โฏ in playful and sassy fashion, she asserts, โYou gonโ need to bag it up โcause Iโm spendinโ on Rodeo (Woo) / You can watch me back it up, Iโll be gone in the A.M.โ โUnholyโ is short but ultimately sweet.โฏย โฏย
โฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏย
- Awesome Songs: September 2022โฏ
- 14 Exceptional LGBTQ Songs from 2022โฏ
- 50 Best Songs of 2022
- 11 Songs Where Spirituality is Susโฆ (2023)
~ Table of Contents ~ย
4. Lil Mosey, โHoly Waterโ
โHoly Waterโ // Interscope // 2021
In his 2021 single, โHoly Waterโ, Lil Mosey gave listeners a heaping dose of melodic rap, with so-so diction.ย Would we have it any other way? Of course, not! Thatโs part of the style (syrupy vocals) and Mosey nails it.ย Lyrically, Mosey is true to self, not doing or saying anything particularly surprising or unexpected.ย โRun up on โem like โBoomโ (Boom) / In a Wraith, I zoom (Skrrt off),โ he spits in the first verse, continuing, โNeed this panoramic view (Panoramic) / Shopping spree, we ran through (Shopping spree).โ The centerpiece is the chorus, where the contents of the holy water he drinks are questionable: โWake up feeling good, drinking holy water, hey.โ Beyond lyrics, the production by Royce David is appealing and sleek.ย Overall, itโs warm in quality, with the rhythmic beat providing some punch. Although nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking, โHoly Waterโ in the hands of Lil Mosey is enjoyable and respectable. Blasphemous, too!
ย
Appears in ๐ป:
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5. Demi Lovato, โHOLY FVCKโ
HOLY FVCK // Island // 2022
โIโll bring you to life / Iโm a holy fuck, Iโm a holy fuck (Fuck).โ Holy fizzuck, Demi Lovato! When the name of the album isโฏHOLY FVCK, you must prepare your virgin ears to beโฏdeflowered by f-bombs. There should be an f-bomb-bearing title track. โHOLY FVCKโโฏarrives as the fifth track on HOLY FVCK, and it soundsโฏidiomatic of a hard rock record. Lovato penned it with Keith โTen4โ Sorrells, Laura Veltz, Salem Ilese Davern, Oak Felder, and Alex Niceforo (Alex Nice). Oak, Nice, and Sorrells produced. The lyricsโฏare sinful,โฏreferencing spiritual things, thoughโฏoftenโฏin an evil and blaspheming context (โโCause my bodyโs the communion / Take a bite of what Iโm doingโ). โฏThis is intentional and part of the brilliance of this title track. โฏAndโฏHOLY F#ยขK, what about those jagged, robust guitars ๐ค!ย ย
Appears in ๐ป:ย
- For Under Consent of the King: 5ive Songs No. 78 (2022)
- 15 More Songs, Clearly For Under Consent of the King (2022)
~ Table of Contents ~ย
6. Future, โHoly Ghostโ
I NEVER LIKED YOU // Epic // 2022
โPhantom like a cigarette boat, all this water on me / I was at my big truck, my wrist up, gettinโ my dick sucked.โ Woo! Drip and head, thatโs how Future rolls! The Grammy-winning rapper is true to himself on โHOLY GHOSTโ the 13th track from his 2022, platinum-certified LP, I NEVER LIKED YOU. ย Running just under three minutes, Pluto is on autopilot. His bars are fueled by badass production by ATL Jacob (Jacob Canady).ย The intro features enigmatic sounds โ ย mysterious and nebulous detuned synths. โHOLY GHOSTโ settles into trap music that goes hard with clapping snares and 808s, etc. The choral patches integrated add punch to the backdrop.ย The star is Future who brings a compelling cadence and flow firmly planted in melodic rap. Lines like โEvery time I hit her, I broke her off then dismissed herโ display his brutal honesty and unapologetic nature. ย Heโs confident (โI been counting this paper all day, Iโm getting blistersโ) and a bad, bad boy (โLewinsky, she just gave me her throat inside the Rolls-yโ). All told, โHOLY GHOSTโ is a satisfying banger that appears late on I NEVER LIKED YOU.
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7. Aretha Franklin, โBorder Song (Holy Moses)โ (Elton John cover)
Young Gifted and Black // Atlantic // 1972
โHoly Moses, I have been removed / I have seen the specter, he has been there too.โ Once Aretha Franklin, the late, great Queen of Soul covers your song, more often than not, it becomes HER song.ย Franklin makes โBorder Song (Holy Moses)โ, from the sublime, 1972 album, Young Gifted and Black, her own.ย Elton John, the original performer, and co-writer alongside lyricist Bernie Taupin, recorded a soulful record in 1970.ย The harmonic progression alone is epic. That said, he didnโt have that โdeep soulโ aesthetic that only Franklin brings.ย Vocally, she elevates the spirit of the number, incorporating gospel music cues.ย This includes the piano nuances, the use of organ, and the superb, high-flying backing vocals.ย Of course, Franklin is always the star, commanding this gem like a C-H-A-M-P from start to finish! She successfully shows poise and โlets it rip.โ
โIโm going back to the border where my affairs
My affairs ainโt been abused
I canโt take any more bad water
Iโve been poisoned from my head down to my shoes
Yes, I have.โ
Had John not recorded it first, you mightโve assumed the Aretha Franklin version was the original or perhaps, the definitive version.ย ย โHoly Moses, can we live in peace?โ An essential cover of a classic, PERIOD!
Appears in ๐ป:
~ Table of Contents ~ย
8. Run The Jewels, โholy calamafuckโ
RTJ4 // BMG Rights Management // 2020ย
โFire! / Fire (L-l-l-l-lights, lights!) / Fire! / More fire! (L-l-l-l-lights!).โ โHoly Calamafuckโ is one of the most fun song titles on RTJ4, the 2020 album by electrifying rap duo, Run The Jewels (Killer Mike and El-P). Itโs an intriguing record split into two distinct parts.ย It commences with a rhythmic, repetitive intro that features vocals by Cutty Ranks (โAll them-a talk, them beat back them wordsโ) before Killer Mike brings the fire on the first verse: โAs a teen lackinโ, I woulda ran me a supreme racket / I woulda took these lamesโ Supreme jacketsโ.ย El-P follows, equally ferocious, characterizing himself as a โrudeness MacGyver / Iโll slap a yapper from the acne to the tooth bone fiber, Iโm liver.โย El-P takes the third verse in part two (โPlenty of these goofs disappeared, poof / Heโs still the next big thing, gotta hurt, oofโ) while Killer Mike takes the fourth:
โGet me fucked up, it beโs calamity
Iโma come through and leave some damages
Goddamn, somebody call amberlamp
Or ambulanceses, out of chanceses
Fuck that weak shit you be bantering
Youโre a common cold and my flows are cancerous.โย
Woo! During the second part, the beat completely switches, bringing a harder, more menacing vibe.ย ย
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9. Rina Sawayama, โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ ย
Hold the Girl // Dirty Hit // 2022
โHeavenly, that was me / A vision at seventeen / Loves to read, loves to dream / The college of Magdalene.โ The talented Rina Sawayama had tremendous ambition.ย The singer, songwriter, and actress has accomplished a lot regarding her education and career.ย However, in โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ, sheโs been wronged โ ย judged, bullied, and made to feel less.ย There arenโt specifics about how she was wronged given on the sixth track from her marvelous 2022 LP, Hold My Girl, but, sheโs experienced pain.ย In the second verse, she asserts, โTried to pray the pain away / Just like you taught me (But something had changed).โ The spiritual references are part of the charm of this gem penned by Sawayama, Nate Campany, Chris Lyon, and Stuart Price (โI was the martyr who paid for your lifeโ).
The chorus is dynamic โ the most memorable section of โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ:
โI was innocent when you said I was evil
I took your stones and build a cathedral
Found my peace when I lost my religion
All these years I wished I was different
But, oh, no, now I know
Iโm holy till you let me go.โ
Thatโs deep, Rina.ย Notably, Sawayama is pansexual which goes against the grain of the heteronormative world. Also, per Variety, she shares that trauma inspired Hold the Girl. She was groomed at 17. โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ conveys trauma and overcoming it.ย Beyond the theme, lyrics, lovely melodies, and sickening vocals by Sawayama, the music is sweet. The instrumental intro is warm, fueled by piano and synths.ย The production by Sawayama, Price, and For Those I Love is shimmering and sleek. โHoly (Til You Let Me Go)โ is epic.
Appears in ๐ป:
~ Table of Contents ~ย
10. SXMPRA, โHOLY SMOKES!โ
โHOLY SMOKES!โ // SXMPRA LIMITED / 10K Projects // 2021ย
โKeep my name up out yoโ mouth / Better keep that head down, watch the ground / Iโma never get involved in all that petty shit, donโt fuck around.โ Woo! New Zealand is in the house via rapper and producer, SXMPRA (Kalem Tarrant).ย SXMPRA โbrings the heatโ on the brief โHOLY SMOKES,โ which runs two minutes and ยขhange. Despite the brevity, SXMPRA easily catches the ears. It begins with a unique, mesmerizing intro.ย Once โHOLY SMOKESโ settles in, weโre blessed with quick-paced, assertive, and unapologetic rhymes.ย He continues spitting in the chorus, โTryna be the best, but I guess Iโm like the rest, my soul go South / Triple six, canโt fuck with this / Wanna bark like a dog, get bit by the hound.โ Holy smokes, more like HOLY $HIT! The cadence and flow kick ass and take names, while the banging instrumental is ample fuel for the fire. You might say that SXMPRA gasses himself up โ he does it all on โHOLY SMOKES,โ after all! Not only does he โdo the damn thingโ in the chorus, but he does also so in the verses, too! โPut โem in a six-foot grave / Rest in piss, better get โem out the way,โ he spits in the first, adding, โI donโt wanna play, but I keep on creating the ways that I make it to every goal that I made.โ Word. In the fourth verse, he bites, โIn the bottom of the goddamn sea / Ainโt nobody really wanna let me be me, Iโma see you underneath / Curb all your misery, suffer invisibly / Fuck everybody and everything.โ Hell yeah! โHOLY SMOKESโ is the S-H-I-T!
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11. Mavis Staples, โHoly Ghostโ (Low cover)
One True Vine // Anti // 2013
โSome holy ghost keeps me hanginโ on, hanginโ on.โ Intriguing, Mavis Staples.ย The Grammy-winning, legendary soul/gospel icon commences her 2013 album, One True Vine, with the spiritual record, โHoly Ghostโ ๐. Although โHoly Ghostโ has a brief runtime, it is incredibly impactful.ย โI feel the hands, but I donโt see anyone, anyone,โ she sings, referencing the unseen member of the Trinity. She adds, โNow, I donโt know much but I can tell when somethingโs wrong / And somethingโs wrong / But some holy ghost keeps me.โ Interestingly, โHoly Ghostโ is a cover ๐คฏ! It was originally performed by Minnesota indie-rock trio Low on their 2013 effort, The Invisible Way (written by Alan Sparhawk). Throughout โHoly Ghost,โ Staples sounds commanding and soulful atop the folky production of Jeff Tweedy.โฏ Althoughย reserved, Staples still packs a punch, particularly with her earthy, expressive vocal cracks.โฏYou can feel the presence of the holy ghost partaking of this one ๐.ย ย ย
Appears in ๐ป:
- 13 Songs All About GhostsโฆSort Of (2018)
- Mavis Staples, Holy Ghost: Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐ 10 (2023)ย
~ Table of Contents ~ย
12. John Legend & The Roots, โWholy Holyโ (Marvin Gaye cover)
Wake Up! // Getting Out Our Dreams / Sony Music Entertainment // 2010ย
โWholly holy / Come together wholly / People, weโve got to come together / Because we need the strength, power / And all the feeling wholly, yeah / Wholly holy.โ Covering a musical icon like the late Marvin Gaye is elephantine.ย It takes a tremendous musician to challenge someone of that stature.ย John Legend andย The Roots covered โWholy Holyโ nearly 40 years after Gaye on the Grammy-winning R&B album, Wake Up! Itโs safe to say, that Legend / The Roots did Gaye justice. The cover features some of the most soulful vocals youโll ever hear. Legend is tailor-made for a record like this that blends soul and gospel seamlessly.ย The tempo is incredibly relaxed, and nothing feels forced.ย The 2010 cover runs three minutes longer than the original! Legend and company milk this spiritual, unity-driven joint for all itโs worth with sublime results.ย As compelling as Legend is, the instrumental by The Roots is equally compelling recreating the underrated Gaye staple. Piano, organ, and gospel-ized backing vocals establish a vibe! Had Marvin or Aretha Franklin never recorded โWholy Holyโ originally, you could easily be made to believe the Legend/Roots version was the original and definitive take. I leave you with one of many thoughtful lyrics: โWe can conquer, this thing called hate forever / Wholly holy, holy.โ
Appears in ๐ป:
~ Table of Contents ~
13. Mahalia Jackson, โThe Holy Cityโ
The Power And The Glory // Sony Music Entertainment // 1960ย
โLast night I lay a-sleeping / There came a dream so fairโ legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson sings on โThe Holy Cityโ, a religious Victorian ballad. Ah, there is nothing like a dream so fair! She continues singing on the highlight from her 1960 album, The Power And The Glory (in the first verse), โI stood in old Jerusalem / Beside the temple there / I heard the children singing / And ever as they sung / Methought the voice of angels / From heavโn in answer ring.โ What poetic, faith-based lyrics! That perfectly describes โThe Holy City,โ which was penned in 1892 by Frederick E. Weatherly (text) and Michael Maybrick (music). Enhancing this extraordinary performance by Jackson is an accompanying orchestra and choir, conducted by Percy Faith.ย Faith, that is the keyword, isnโt it?ย ย This inspirational record, perfect for any time of the year, but hits home hardest during Christmas and Easter, features three terrific verses.ย In the second, Jackson discusses how her dream changed, singing, โAs the shadow of the cross arose / Upon a lonely hill.โ In the third verse, after darkness seemed to have won, Jackson, โsaw the holy city beside the tideless sea / The light of God was on the streets /โฆ It was the new Jerusalem / That would not pass away.โ The New Jerusalem, of course, is Biblical โ see Ezekiel and, unsurprisingly, Revelation for more insight. โThe Holy Cityโ references this.ย The centerpiece of โThe Holy Cityโ the chorus.ย Here, Jackson is at her best, particularly the final iteration.
โJerusalem, Jerusalemย
Hark how the angels singย
Hosanna in the highest!ย
Hosanna to your King!โย ย
โThe Holy Cityโ is a gorgeous, powerful record.
Appears in ๐ป:
~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~
13 Compelling Holy Songs (2024) [๐ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 10K Projects, Anti, Atlantic, BMG Rights Management, Dirty Hit, Epic, Getting Out Our Dreams, Interscope, Island, Sony Music Entertainment, SXMPRA LIMITED; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]
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