13 Compelling Holy Songs

Reading Time: 14 min read

13 Compelling Holy Songs features songs by CeCe Winans, Future, Justin Bieber, Rina Sawayama, Sam Smith x Kim Petras, and SXMPRA.

Yes, HOLY, an adjective, defined as ‘exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness,’ is the keyword in the musical compendium, 13 Compelling Holy Songs. BUT that doesn’t mean all 13 songs are holy. Only a handful of these ‘holy’ songs give religious or spiritual vibes. This is not the first compilation of holy songs to grace The Musical Hype. 13 Compelling Holy Songs is the long-awaited sequel to 13 Holy Songs That Are Holy in Name Only (2020). In that list, Ozzy Osbourne vowed to be “Holy For Tonight”. Cathy Dennis assisted Galantis on “Holy Water”, singing, “I wanna drown in your holy water / You know a sin never felt so good.” As for Father John Misty, he delivered a heaping dose of “Holy Shit” – 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. Without further ado, let’s embrace the holiness!

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1. CeCe Winans, “Holy Forever” (Chris Tomlin cover)

2. Justin Bieber, “Holy” (Ft. Chance The Rapper)

3. Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”

4. Lil Mosey, “Holy Water”

5. Demi Lovato, “HOLY FVCK”

6. Future, “Holy Ghost”

7. Aretha Franklin, “Border Song (Holy Moses)” (Elton John cover)

8. Run The Jewels, “holy calamafuck”

9. Rina Sawayama, “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)”

10. SXMPRA, “HOLY SMOKES”

11. Mavis Staples, “Holy Ghost” (Low cover)

12. John Legend & The Roots, “Wholy Holy” (Marvin Gaye cover)

13. Mahalia Jackson, “The Holy City”

1. CeCe Winans, “Holy Forever” (Chris Tomlin cover)

This // Pure Springs Gospel, Inc. // 2024

“And all who’ve gone before us and all who will believe / Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb.” Hallelujah ! Amen ! Versatile, Grammy-winning, gospel artist CeCe Winans covers the Chris Tomlin gem, “Holy Forever” in her 2024 album, More Than This. The spiritual and musical lifts are exceptional in her rendition. Winans proves how engaging CCM can be in a gifted gospel singer’s hand. Notably, Winans opts for a higher key compared to Tomlin.

The main takeaway from “Holy Forever” is the awesomeness of the Savior. Chris Tomlin successfully conveyed that in the original. Winans powerfully lauds Him, too: “Your name is the highest / Your name is the greatest.” The pre-chorus is a fabulous preface to the soaring chorus, the most memorable section of the song. Tomlin and the choir ‘brought it’ in the original. Here, CeCe and choir ‘bring it’ too. She sounds elite vocally blessing us with her anointed instrument. She’s powerful but never over-sings, providing just the right punch. Throughout the rest of “Holy Forever,” she superbly brings authenticity, energy, and expressiveness. No extensive analysis is necessary. “Holy Forever” speaks for itself.

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2. Justin Bieber, “Holy” (Ft. Chance The Rapper)

Justice // Def Jam // 2021

On “Holy”, Grammy-winning pop superstar Justin Bieber taps Grammy-winning rapper Chance the Rapper for the assist. The results are positive. Released as a single in 2020, “Holy” appears as the fifth track on Bieber’s Grammy-nominated 2021 album, Justice. In addition to Bieber and Chance, “Holy” 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.

“The way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Feels so holy, holy, holy, holy, holy
On God
Runnin’ to the altar like a track star
Can’t wait another second
‘Cause the way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Feels so holy.”

Chance’s verse is lengthy, beginning with melodic-driven rap before he drops assertive, agile, un-pitched rhymes (“I know when the son takes the first steps, the Father’s proud (Yes) / If you make it to the water, He’’l part the clouds”). He’s the perfect fit. One final note: I must shout out how rousing “Holy” becomes towards the end, amplifying the gospel sensibilities even more. Praises !

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3. Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”

Gloria // Capitol // 2023 

“Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot / At the body shop / Doing something unholy.” Gah-day-um!   “Unholy” arrived as a single in 2022 by Academy- and Grammy-award-winning, nonbinary singer/songwriter, Sam Smith.  From the first note, it was clear that Smith was tweaking their sound and evolving. In the Grammy-winning single from their 2023 album, Gloria, Smith is assisted by German pop singer, Kim Petras, who fits the unholiness perfectly. “Unholy” commences unexpectedly with big, a cappella vocals by Smith (with vocal effects).  Unknowingly, upon first listen the intro is the eventual chorus of the record.  The chorus ends up being a vibe that you can’t get unstuck. Besides the epic intro and alluring chorus, “Unholy” 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.  In the first, Smith sings, “Dirty, dirty boy / you know everyone is talkin’ on the scene / I hear them whisperin’ bout the places that you’ve been / And how you don’t know how to keep your business clean.” As for Petras,  in playful and sassy fashion, she asserts, “You gon’ need to bag it up ‘cause I’m spendin’ on Rodeo (Woo) / You can watch me back it up, I’ll be gone in the A.M.” “Unholy” is short but ultimately sweet.   

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4. Lil Mosey, “Holy Water”

“Holy Water” // Interscope // 2021

In his 2021 single, “Holy Water”, Lil Mosey gave listeners a heaping dose of melodic rap, with so-so diction. Would we have it any other way? Of course, not! That’s part of the style (syrupy vocals) and Mosey nails it. Lyrically, Mosey is true to self, not doing or saying anything particularly surprising or unexpected. “Run up on ‘em like ‘Boom’ (Boom) / In a Wraith, I zoom (Skrrt off),” he spits in the first verse, continuing, “Need this panoramic view (Panoramic) / Shopping spree, we ran through (Shopping spree).” The centerpiece is the chorus, where the contents of the holy water he drinks are questionable: “Wake up feeling good, drinking holy water, hey.” Beyond lyrics, the production by Royce David is appealing and sleek. Overall, it’s warm in quality, with the rhythmic beat providing some punch. Although nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking, “Holy Water” in the hands of Lil Mosey is enjoyable and respectable. Blasphemous, too!

Appears in :

Holy Water: 5ive Songs No. 100 (2021)

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5. Demi Lovato, “HOLY FVCK”

HOLY FVCK // Island // 2022

“I’ll bring you to life / I’m a holy fuck, I’m a holy fuck (Fuck).” Holy fizzuck, Demi Lovato! When the name of the album is HOLY FVCK, you must prepare your virgin ears to be deflowered by f-bombs. There should be an f-bomb-bearing title track. “HOLY FVCK” arrives as the fifth track on HOLY FVCK, and it sounds idiomatic of a hard rock record. Lovato penned it with Keith “Ten4” Sorrells, Laura Veltz, Salem Ilese Davern, Oak Felder, and Alex Niceforo (Alex Nice). Oak, Nice, and Sorrells produced. The lyrics are sinful, referencing spiritual things, though often in an evil and blaspheming context (“‘Cause my body’s the communion / Take a bite of what I’m doing”).  This is intentional and part of the brilliance of this title track.  And HOLY F#¢K, what about those jagged, robust guitars !

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6. Future, “Holy Ghost”

I NEVER LIKED YOU // Epic // 2022

“Phantom like a cigarette boat, all this water on me / I was at my big truck, my wrist up, gettin’ my dick sucked.” Woo! Drip and head, that’s how Future rolls! The Grammy-winning rapper is true to himself on “HOLY GHOST” the 13^th track from his 2022, platinum-certified LP, I NEVER LIKED YOU. Running just under three minutes, Pluto is on autopilot. His bars are fueled by badass production by ATL Jacob (Jacob Canady). The intro features enigmatic sounds – mysterious and nebulous detuned synths. “HOLY GHOST” settles into trap music that goes hard with clapping snares and 808s, etc. The choral patches integrated add punch to the backdrop. The star is Future who brings a compelling cadence and flow firmly planted in melodic rap. Lines like “Every time I hit her, I broke her off then dismissed her” display his brutal honesty and unapologetic nature. He’s confident (“I been counting this paper all day, I’m getting blisters”) and a bad, bad boy (“Lewinsky, she just gave me her throat inside the Rolls-y”). All told, “HOLY GHOST” is a satisfying banger that appears late on I NEVER LIKED YOU.

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7. Aretha Franklin, “Border Song (Holy Moses)” (Elton John cover)

Young Gifted and Black // Atlantic // 1972

“Holy Moses, I have been removed / I have seen the specter, he has been there too.” Once Aretha Franklin, the late, great Queen of Soul covers your song, more often than not, it becomes HER song. Franklin makes “Border Song (Holy Moses)”, from the sublime, 1972 album, Young Gifted and Black, her own. Elton John, the original performer, and co-writer alongside lyricist Bernie Taupin, recorded a soulful record in 1970. The harmonic progression alone is epic. That said, he didn’t have that ‘deep soul’ aesthetic that only Franklin brings. Vocally, she elevates the spirit of the number, incorporating gospel music cues. This includes the piano nuances, the use of organ, and the superb, high-flying backing vocals. 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 ‘lets it rip.’

“I’m going back to the border where my affairs

My affairs ain’t been abused

I can’t take any more bad water

I’ve been poisoned from my head down to my shoes

Yes, I have.”

Had John not recorded it first, you might’ve assumed the Aretha Franklin version was the original or perhaps, the definitive version. “Holy Moses, can we live in peace?” An essential cover of a classic, PERIOD!

Appears in :

Elton John vs. Aretha Franklin: Head 2 Head 17 (2022)

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8. Run The Jewels, “holy calamafuck”

RTJ4 // BMG Rights Management // 2020

“Fire! / Fire (L-l-l-l-lights, lights!) / Fire! / More fire! (L-l-l-l-lights!).” “Holy Calamafuck” 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). It’s an intriguing record split into two distinct parts. It commences with a rhythmic, repetitive intro that features vocals by Cutty Ranks (“All them-a talk, them beat back them words”) before Killer Mike brings the fire on the first verse: “As a teen lackin’, I woulda ran me a supreme racket / I woulda took these lames’ Supreme jackets”. El-P follows, equally ferocious, characterizing himself as a “rudeness MacGyver / I’ll slap a yapper from the acne to the tooth bone fiber, I’m liver.” El-P takes the third verse in part two (“Plenty of these goofs disappeared, poof / He’s still the next big thing, gotta hurt, oof”) while Killer Mike takes the fourth:

“Get me fucked up, it be’s calamity

I’ma come through and leave some damages

Goddamn, somebody call amberlamp

Or ambulanceses, out of chanceses

Fuck that weak shit you be bantering

You’re a common cold and my flows are cancerous.”

Woo! During the second part, the beat completely switches, bringing a harder, more menacing vibe.

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9. Rina Sawayama, “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)”

Hold the Girl // Dirty Hit // 2022

“Heavenly, that was me / A vision at seventeen / Loves to read, loves to dream / The college of Magdalene.” The talented Rina Sawayama had tremendous ambition. The singer, songwriter, and actress has accomplished a lot regarding her education and career. However, in “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)”, she’s been wronged – judged, bullied, and made to feel less. There aren’t specifics about how she was wronged given on the sixth track from her marvelous 2022 LP, Hold My Girl, but, she’s experienced pain. In the second verse, she asserts, “Tried to pray the pain away / Just like you taught me (But something had changed).” The spiritual references are part of the charm of this gem penned by Sawayama, Nate Campany, Chris Lyon, and Stuart Price (“I was the martyr who paid for your life”).

The chorus is dynamic – the most memorable section of “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)”:

“I 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

I’m holy till you let me go.”

That’s deep, Rina. 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. “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)” conveys trauma and overcoming it. 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. The production by Sawayama, Price, and For Those I Love is shimmering and sleek. “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)” is epic.

Appears in :

Rina Sawayama, Holy (Til You Let Me Go): Bangerz N Bopz 64 (2024)

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10. SXMPRA, “HOLY SMOKES!”

“HOLY SMOKES!” // SXMPRA LIMITED / 10K Projects // 2021

“Keep my name up out yo’ mouth / Better keep that head down, watch the ground / I’ma never get involved in all that petty shit, don’t fuck around.” Woo! New Zealand is in the house via rapper and producer, SXMPRA (Kalem Tarrant). SXMPRA ‘brings the heat’ on the brief “HOLY SMOKES,” which runs two minutes and ¢hange. Despite the brevity, SXMPRA easily catches the ears. It begins with a unique, mesmerizing intro. Once “HOLY SMOKES” settles in, we’re blessed with quick-paced, assertive, and unapologetic rhymes. He continues spitting in the chorus, “Tryna be the best, but I guess I’m like the rest, my soul go South / Triple six, can’t fuck with this / Wanna bark like a dog, get bit by the hound.” 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 – he does it all on “HOLY SMOKES,” after all! Not only does he ‘do the damn thing’ in the chorus, but he does also so in the verses, too! “Put ‘em in a six-foot grave / Rest in piss, better get ‘em out the way,” he spits in the first, adding, “I don’t wanna play, but I keep on creating the ways that I make it to every goal that I made.” Word. In the fourth verse, he bites, “In the bottom of the goddamn sea / Ain’t nobody really wanna let me be me, I’ma see you underneath / Curb all your misery, suffer invisibly / Fuck everybody and everything.” Hell yeah! “HOLY SMOKES” is the S-H-I-T!

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11. Mavis Staples, “Holy Ghost” (Low cover)

One True Vine // Anti // 2013

“Some holy ghost keeps me hangin’ on, hangin’ on.” Intriguing, Mavis Staples. The Grammy-winning, legendary soul/gospel icon commences her 2013 album, One True Vine, with the spiritual record, “Holy Ghost” . Although “Holy Ghost” has a brief runtime, it is incredibly impactful. “I feel the hands, but I don’t see anyone, anyone,” she sings, referencing the unseen member of the Trinity. She adds, “Now, I don’t know much but I can tell when something’s wrong / And something’s wrong / But some holy ghost keeps me.” Interestingly, “Holy Ghost” is a cover ! It was originally performed by Minnesota indie-rock trio Low on their 2013 effort, The Invisible Way (written by Alan Sparhawk). Throughout “Holy Ghost,” Staples sounds commanding and soulful atop the folky production of Jeff Tweedy.  Although reserved, Staples still packs a punch, particularly with her earthy, expressive vocal cracks. You can feel the presence of the holy ghost partaking of this one .

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12. John Legend & The Roots, “Wholy Holy” (Marvin Gaye cover)

Wake Up! // Getting Out Our Dreams / Sony Music Entertainment // 2010

“Wholly holy / Come together wholly / People, we’ve got to come together / Because we need the strength, power / And all the feeling wholly, yeah / Wholly holy.” Covering a musical icon like the late Marvin Gaye is elephantine. It takes a tremendous musician to challenge someone of that stature. John Legend and The Roots covered “Wholy Holy” nearly 40 years after Gaye on the Grammy-winning R&B album, Wake Up! It’s safe to say, that Legend / The Roots did Gaye justice. The cover features some of the most soulful vocals you’ll ever hear. Legend is tailor-made for a record like this that blends soul and gospel seamlessly. The tempo is incredibly relaxed, and nothing feels forced. The 2010 cover runs three minutes longer than the original! Legend and company milk this spiritual, unity-driven joint for all it’s worth with sublime results. 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 “Wholy Holy” 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: “We can conquer, this thing called hate forever / Wholly holy, holy.”

Appears in :

Marvin Gaye vs. John Legend & The Roots: Head 2 Head 37 (2022)

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13. Mahalia Jackson, “The Holy City”

The Power And The Glory // Sony Music Entertainment // 1960

“Last night I lay a-sleeping / There came a dream so fair” legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson sings on “The Holy City”, 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), “I stood in old Jerusalem / Beside the temple there / I heard the children singing / And ever as they sung / Methought the voice of angels / From heav’n in answer ring.” What poetic, faith-based lyrics! That perfectly describes “The Holy City,” 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. Faith, that is the keyword, isn’t it? This inspirational record, perfect for any time of the year, but hits home hardest during Christmas and Easter, features three terrific verses. In the second, Jackson discusses how her dream changed, singing, “As the shadow of the cross arose / Upon a lonely hill.” In the third verse, after darkness seemed to have won, Jackson, “saw the holy city beside the tideless sea / The light of God was on the streets /… It was the new Jerusalem / That would not pass away.” The New Jerusalem, of course, is Biblical – see Ezekiel and, unsurprisingly, Revelation for more insight. “The Holy City” references this. The centerpiece of “The Holy City” the chorus. Here, Jackson is at her best, particularly the final iteration.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Hark how the angels sing

Hosanna in the highest!

Hosanna to your King!”

“The Holy City” is a gorgeous, powerful record.

Appears in :

Mahalia Jackson, The Holy City: Music Lifts 48 (2022)

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13 Compelling Holy Songs (2024) [: 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]

13 Compelling Holy Songs | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on September 4, 2024September 4, 2024