(Listen to Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin off his new album Hello Again on Six Steps/Sparrow Records. You may also read the Chris Tomlin Jesus Messiah lyrics on this post. GannsDeen.com does not offer Chris Tomlin mp3’s for free download or paid downloads. If you like what you hear, please leave a comment in the Comments box. Come back to GannsDeen.com for the latest and best in Christian, country, and pop music.)

Jesus Messiah is shaping to become one of Chris Tomlin’s greatest carrier singles. Already in or on the verge of Top 10 on virtually every Christian singles chart in the United States, Jesus Messiah is a monster single waiting to happen!

The first single off Hello Love, out August 2 in the USA, Jesus Messiah sings of the glory and majesty of the Son of God made possible by His sacrifice on the cross. It’s a recurring theme with Tomlin’s music, and while admittedly a little more languid than some of his previous first singles, Jesus Messiah is easily singable and hits the mark quite well.

Of course, right now, I can’t help but think about how Chris Tomlin is coming to Manila! It’s only two more weeks, and we can’t wait! Woohoo! The Passion World Tour is going to be OFF THE HOOK!!

Listen to Jesus Messiah mp3 by Chris Tomlin
Lyrics to Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin after the jump. Read more

(Listen to I Stand Amazed by Bart Millard off his new album Hymned Again on INO Records. You may also read the Bart Millard I Stand Amazed lyrics on this post. GannsDeen.com does not offer Bart Millard mp3’s for free download or paid downloads. If you like what you hear, please leave a comment in the Comments box. Come back to GannsDeen.com for the latest and best in Christian, country, and pop music.)

I Stand Amazed, the new single of MercyMe front man Bart Millard from his second solo project, Hymned Again, is a mid-tempo working of the Charles Gabriel-penned hymnal classic. I love this version of I Stand Amazed, and Bart Millard does an amazing job. Listen to this I Stand Amazed mp3 and tell me you don’t think he’s brought this hymn into 2008 and made it contemporary and hot. Good job, Bart! You pulled it off again!

Listen to the I Stand Amazed mp3 Bard Millard after the jump. Read more

(Listen to I’m Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli off her debut album My Paper Heart on Fervent Records. You may also read the Francesca Batistelli I’m Letting Go lyrics on this post. GannsDeen.com does not offer Francesca Battisteli mp3’s for free download or paid downloads. If you like what you hear, please leave a comment in the Comments box. Come back to GannsDeen.com for the latest and best in Christian, country, and pop music.)

Newcomer Francesca Battistelli’s debut single, I’m Letting Go, is on heavy rotation on my ITunes, and for good reason. I’m Letting Go is a great Contemporary Christian track with an unforgettable sing-along chorus and irresistible melody. Batisteli’s major-label debut album, My Paper Heart, drops on July 22 - next week! - and is produced by Ian Eskelin, so you know it’s gonna be rockin’!

Francesca Battistelli. The name may be hard to spell but remember it. This girl is going places!

Listen to I’m Letting Go mp3 by Francesca Battisteli

Francesca Batistelli I’m Letting Go lyrics after the jump.

Read more

(Listen to Different by Mollye Rees featuring Jamie Slocum off her self-titled debut album on Hollow Oak Records. You may also read the Mollye Rees Different lyrics on this post. GannsDeen.com does not offer Mollye Rees mp3’s for free download or paid downloads. If you like what you hear, please leave a comment in the Comments box. Come back to GannsDeen.com for the latest and best in Christian, country, and pop music.)

I first learned about Mollye Rees from Radio and Records, where I saw Different rise - and unfortunately quickly fall - from its Inspo chart. I also saw that Different by Mollye Rees featured Jamie Slocum, who I respect much. So I visited her MySpace and found a heartwarming song of devotion to God, a plea indicating her desire to be more like Jesus. Delivered with heartfelt emotion and that harmony-rich country vibe that I have since grown to love and enjoy, Different should be a hit. I don’t know why it wasn’t. It’s criminal. Give it a listen anyway, because it’s a really good song.

Update: It is a hit! Different enters the Top 20 of Radio and Records’ Inspo chart this week! Yea!

Listen to Mollye Rees Different mp3

Lyrics to Different by Mollye Rees and Jamie Slocum after the jump. Read more

(Listen to Today is the Day by Lincoln Brewster, off his upcoming CD, Today is the Day. You may also read the Lincoln Brewster Today is the Day lyrics on this post. GannsDeen.com does not offer Lincoln Brewster mp3’s for free download or paid downloads. If you like what you hear, please leave a comment in the Comments box. Come back to GannsDeen.com for the latest and best in Christian, country, and pop music.)

Four words: I LOVE THIS SONG! Today is the Day is an absolute blockbuster! Buy the CD or the Today is the Day mp3 today, it is spectacular! A great rockin’ praise song, Today is the Day is Lincoln Brewster’s newest single, and I guarantee a Top 3 finish. It’s AWESOME!

Listen to Today is the Day mp3 by Lincoln Brewster
Lincoln Brewster Today is the Day lyrics after the jump. Read more

Agh! Delirious? is disbanding!

Well, that’s the end of an era. I can’t believe Delirious? is breaking up. How sad.

According to Billboard’s latest Hot Christian Songs chart, Chris Tomlin’s Jesus Messiah, the carrier single of his new album, Hello Love, is at #14 in its second week on the chart! Woohoo, Jesus Messiah! Can’t believe Chris Tomlin is actually coming to Manila! I am SO there!

Meanwhile, Francesca Battistelli’s I’m Letting Go is the greatest gainer for airplay, rocketing seven notches from 15-7 in its seventh week on the chart. If the single keeps this up, it’ll be #1 by August. Woohoo, Francesca Battistelli!

I am loving the Christian charts right now, but I have to admit I’m pretty bummed by America’s reaction to Avalon’s latest, Contemporary Christian Classics. Come on, it’s a solid album, open up your ears, R&R people at Christian radio!

The Passion World Tour is coming to Manila! We cannot miss this!!

Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Kristian Stanfill, and the rest of the Passion band are coming to lead university-aged young people throughout the Philippines and Southeast Asia in a time of worship. This is going to be OFF THE HOOK. Young people in this country are going to be used by God to do great things, and events like these only serve to fuel the flame and fan the fire, and by jove, I am going to be there, even if I have to drag the entire Victory Fort worship team with me! (Joey Bonifacio is gonna have to be give me his express permission, but I’ma make it happen!)

I’m calling on all other Filipino-Christian bloggers. Let’s make this an EB! LOL Seriously, come join us at the concert! Passion Manila will be held on August 1, 2008 at the Philsports Arena (formerly ULTRA) from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm. Tickets are available at selected House of Praise outlets and at the Becca Music Inc. office. ( Please call BMI at 6380663 / 6379317 / 6379187 or send an email to mail@beccamusic.com.) I’ll buy for you if you want, hahaha.

Update 1 (July 3) - Gates will open at 6PM. Louie Giglio’s talk starts at 7:30PM, and worship proper starts at around 8:30-9:00PM. The concert’s slated to end at 11:30 to 12:00 Midnight. Busog sa worship! Hahaha! Tickets sell for PHP150 each, and bulk orders of 50 or more tickets, while not entitled to any discounts, can be delivered to your doorstep (within Metro Manila).

You have got to listen to Plumb’s In My Arms! Lifted off the new Plumb album Blink, In My Arms is an absolutely spectacular piano-driven track that will minister to any Christian who’s ever experienced parenthood. The melody is memorable, the lyrics poignantly sweet, and the production topnotch. I like this song, Tiffany! Way to go!

Making In My Arms even more tempting is the spectacular Bimbo Jones remix now available on Plumb’s MySpace page. I’ve also included the In My Arms’s lyrics in this post.

Listen to In My Arms mp3 by Plumb

Listen to the In My Arms Remix mp3 by Plumb

Plumb’s In My Arms lyrics after the jump. Read more

This week, I’d like to recommend the following two songs for your CCM consideration:

1) New Day by Brian Bates. First off, I think New Day is a great title for a song. It was fantastic when handled by Avalon - the greatest Christian vocal group ever, dissensions will be deleted from the Comments box - and in the hands of newcomer Brian Bates, New Day becomes a buoyant declaration of joy. Having read Bates’ bio and realizing the extent of how far he’s come both as an artist and as a believer, I can tell you that New Day is no ordinary Christian track; it is an unequivocal celebration of trust in God to provide. Absolutely brilliant.

2. Reign in Us by Starfield. For the record, I can’t get on-board Starfield’s brand of rock. Little too loud, little too frantic, little too young for my tastes. But this group is anointed when it comes to making worship songs that speak to the inner worshipper in all of us. We had a taste of that two years ago with the masterful Son of God. This year, Inspo stations across the globe can rejoice with the release to radio of Reign in Us, one of the strongest CCM singles from any Contemporary Christian pop-rock group in 2008 thus far. I can see youth groups and progressive churches singing this from their rafters to amazing effect.