Once again, I hadn’t heard any of the songs in this category before yesterday.
“Bright Star,” performed by Anaïs Mitchell; Anaïs Mitchell, songwriter:
“Forever,” performed by Sheryl Crow; Sheryl Crow and Jeff Trott, songwriters:
“High and Lonesome,” performed by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; T Bone Burnett and Robert Plant, songwriters:
“Just Like That,” performed by Bonnie Raitt; Bonnie Raitt, songwriter:
“Prodigal Daughter,” performed by Aoife O’Donovan and Allison Russell; Tim O’Brien and Aoife O’Donovan, songwriters:
“You and Me on the Rock,” performed by Brandi Carlile (featuring Lucius); Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Time Hanseroth, songwriters:
Wow. Is it just me, or is it tough picking a favorite in this category? “Forever” is a good song. “Just Like That” just about undid me. What a powerful message. And “You and Me on the Rock” is adorable.
But “Prodigal Daughter” delighted me. O’Donovan’s gentle guitar picking is such a perfect accompaniment.
I first became aware of Aoife O’Donovan a decade ago, through this song from the Goat Rodeo Sessions (which also launched my obsession with Chris Thile, if you want to go down that rabbit hole, and yes, that is Yo Yo Ma rocking out on the cello):
Now it’s your turn. Which song gets your vote for Best American Roots song, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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“I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love.” ~Anita Diamant
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Once again, I hadn’t heard any of the nominated songs before this week. They’re a nice group of songs.
“God Really Loves Us,” performed by Crowder featuring Dante Bowe and Maverick City Music; Dante Bowe, David Crowder, Ben Glover & Jeff Sojka, songwriters:
“So Good,” performed by DOE; Chuck Butler, Dominique Jones & Ethan Hulse, songwriters:
“For God is With Us,” performed by for KING & COUNTRY & Hillary Scott; Josh Kerr, Jordan Reynolds, Joel Smallbone & Luke Smallbone, songwriters:
“Fear Is Not My Future,” performed by Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, Nicole Hannel, Jonathan Jay, Brandon Lake & Hannah Shackelford, songwriters. There are several videos of this on YouTube and I chose the shortest one for this article:
“Holy Forever,” performed by Chris Tomlin; Jason Ingraham, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Chris Tomlin & Phil Wickham, songwriters:
“Hymn of Heaven,” performed by Phil Wickham; Chris Davenport, Bill Johnson, Brian Johnson & Phil Wickham, songwriters:
It took me a few listenings to choose a favorite. I think the best of these is “God Really Loves Us.” The chorus is so good. I am pulled into worship. I can just imagine a congregation belting out, “Hallelujah! We are not alone! God really loves us! God really loves us!”
And “Hymn of Heaven” is a close second.
Now it’s your turn. Which song do you think is the best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song? Why is it your favorite? Share in the comments below.
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An interesting and easy painting technique to try. I challenge you to make a painting, post it on your blog or social media, and add a link below in the comments. Maybe I’ll do it too.
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ARHtistic License 