NEW MUSIC meant to be shared in a multitude of different ways to reach a lot of different types of people and although I will say from the jump that Elevation Rhythm’ s instrumentation and style is nowhere near my preference as to musical genre, their latest release, Victory Lap sure fits the bill for the Gen Z crowd looking for a meaningful and relevant worship experience.
Not to say that Victory Lap doesn’ t have its share of human played instruments, cause the signature track,“ GOODBYE YESTERDAY” is highlighted by gritty electric guitars and a punchy piano as Gracie Binion leads this frolicking energetic hand clapper about how Jesus has rescued His people from sin and death. I also loved how the group intertwined the classic hymn“ I Have Decided” into the bridge section creating a very cool“ old and new” vibe here.
“ Finally Free” and“ Believe it” are more crowd chants than pure sing-along worship tunes and kind of have a sporting event feel with resounding drums, hand claps and keyboard loops. I could easily see how younger worshippers would be drawn in to the excitement and“ rah-rah” nature of these anthemic songs promoting unity as the body of Christ.
“ I Was, But God” is an authentic story of how Jesus released His people from the bondage of sin and how He continues to free us each and every day while Tiffany Hudson’ s angelic voice leads us through the humble and authentic“ Abba, I Know” extoling the faithfulness of our God.
Although I enjoyed parts of this latest collection from the Elevation Rhythm folks, a few of the songs just seemed a bit disjointed with regards to lyrical placement and thematic continuity but maybe that’ s because I’ m an old guy. Either way, the central message of Jesus’ love for all people rings true and Gen Z kids will probably love the album and that is a good thing.
AARON WILLIAMS Song Spotlight“ Abide”
Aaron Williams is a Franklin, Tennessee- based artist, songwriter and founder of The Way of Worship, an organization helping train and mentor worship leaders from all over the United States. Williams has been writing songs most of his life and almost quit the business after a season of personal frustration. But God had other plans and in the fall of 2024 Williams released his chart topping anthem,“ Abide” which has received international attention and is now being sung in churches around the world.
You know how there are some songs you just wish you could sing at every service, well,“ Abide” has been that song for me and our congregation over the past year. From the mysterious piano motif to the hook-laden chorus based on John 14 and 15, this wonderful anthem will ring in the hearts of your congregation long after your time of worship has ended. Honestly, this song has become one of my favorites to lead and sing with our church.
Thematically,“ Abide” reminds the worshipper that God wants relationship not religion with His creation. To sit at the feet of Jesus and really get to know and understand the heart of God takes time and discipline and when we do, we can truly begin to remain in him and understand the depth of His love.
The beginning piano motif is both melodically lilty and wonderfully syncopated as you are drawn into the opening verse about how we depend on Jesus for everything essential in our lives including sleep, breath, food and light. The musical hooks abound here in the repetitive phrase“ I depend on you” which mirrors the opening piano riff.
The end of the first verse builds effectively into the chorus taken from John 14 and 15;“ You’ re the way the truth and the life. You’ re the well that never runs dry. I am the branch and you are the
vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide”. Here we are reminded of who God is and who we are. This is a selfless plea for God to draw near to us while at the same time proclaiming that his goodness, love and mercy never end. The melody climbs as the verse progresses, and you can’ t help but sing along as your spirit soars through this perfectly written chorus.
Verse 2 is a personal commitment to follow the Spirit wherever it leads and that there are victories in life( presumably over hardships and chaos) that Christ will help us overcome when we depend on and abide in him.
The 2 nd chorus is a bit bigger dynamically while adding a completely new section that speaks of how we want Him to be our true treasure, our song in the night that forever He is ours and we are His. This section is a bold personal commitment to abide in the love of Jesus and makes the song truly unique and personal to each worshiper.
Verse 3 follows after a brief pause in the musical energy as most of the instrumentation is stripped away in this verse that points us to the eternity that we have in Christ and how we will still depend on Him both now and for eternity.
I absolutely love how Williams wrote this song extoling what Christ has done, what he is doing, and what He will continue to do throughout history while calling believers to the fact that abiding in Jesus is a key component to living the Christian life.
Melodically, it is one of my all-time favorites to sing and lyrically it just knocks the ball out of the park. If you are a worship leader, your people should be singing this.
Gerod Bass Worship leader in Tacoma, WA. Mentor with Worship Catalyst. Singer, songwriter, guitarist with a passion for impacting lives for the sake of the Gospel. www. oslc. com
24 August 2025 Subscribe for Free...