Iconic choir director Ricky Dillard celebrated the history of Chicago’s house music and his own musical influences with his latest project, Choirmaster: The Chicago House Music Remixes.
For more than 30 years, Dillard has influenced multiple music genres and generations, inspiring the sounds of recording artists like Kirk Franklin and Kanye West. He has shared the stage with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Debbie Allen, Bonnie Raitt and Diddy.
During a recent episode of rolling out‘s “A.M. Wake-Up Call,” Dillard shared the inspiration behind the lyrics to the song “Release.”
Why is important for a record like “Release” to be available for people during these times?
There’s so much going on in the world right now. When we recorded the song in September of 2019, we didn’t know that the pandemic was coming. There’s a lot of sickness and death around us. This is the perfect message. There’s a blessing in the room today, and it’s got your name on it, and it is already released. All things were done in Him, and whatever you need is already done. So, this is the perfect time for healing. This was the perfect message for a perfect time.
Can you break down these lyrics: “There’s a blessing in the room today/Are you ready? Get ready/It’s already been released/Anybody believe that? Come on, y’all say/(There’s a blessing in this room today)/So, get ready (Are you ready?) Get ready (Get ready)/It’s already been… (It’s already been released)”?
This message is so relevant for now, especially for those who are going through it. There’s a blessing in the room today. Are you ready? Get ready. The message behind that is there is so much doubt that the enemy is trying to put on the people, which is fear and agony and pain and death. We’re in a space where life is taken from us. We’re not here to obtain life, but we are here to maintain life. Maintain it to continue it and to go through the valley and live. Go through your pain and live. If you’ve lost some things, get up and live because the joy of the Lord is ours.
