Koryn Hawthorne had a huge Super Bowl weekend.
The gospel singer’s new 12-track album, On God, landed No. 1 on the iTunes charts over the weekend for gospel albums.
Of course, the project is led by the popular single “Look at God,” — which, coincidentally, was co-written and co-produced by Munson Steed, CEO and publisher Rolling Out Music — but there are gems throughout the album.
Hawthorne’s style of blending popular music with a Christ-centered message — and not compromising the fact she’s 26 years old instead of cosplaying as a church elder — is what makes her sound so unique. Super producer JWhiteDidIt, who produced Cardi B‘s “Bodak Yellow” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” opened up the album with “Excellent,” a song heavy with 808s and a bounce that even Hawthorne admitted had a club feel to it. Just like her last album, I AM, sampled Mary J. Blige’s “You Bring Me Joy” on “Joy,” she sampled Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love” on “Love Is U.”
Another stand out from the project is “Everything,” where — hear me out — her voice and cadence are reminiscent of Beyoncé’s. Many of the songs have flexing and braggadocious tones similar to many popular songs before reeling in the message you’ll never feel filled with all of the earthly materials.
Overall, Hawthorne’s new album sounds good. And her music continues getting better from the project before. You can tell the artist is growing as an artist, who got her big break from NBC’s “The Voice” and is coming into her own.
