anne wilson my jesus biography

Meaning Behind the Song “My Jesus”: Anne Wilson Looks to a Higher Power

by Cillea Houghton June 8, 2023, 1:30 pm

Anne Wilson leaned on her faith to tell the story that helped her heal through “My Jesus.” 

Videos by American Songwriter

In June 2017, tragedy struck the Wilson family when her older brother, Jacob, died in a car accident at the age of 23. The singer was only 15 at the time when she was faced with a  crossroads.

“I remember this gut feeling of, ‘I’m going to make a decision right now, I’m either going to trust God or do this all on my own,’” Wilson recalls to American Songwriter about the gut-wrenching moment when the police came to their house to deliver the devastating news. “It’s hard trusting God in moments like that, and it was really hard for me. I knew in my heart that I have to trust God or I’m not going to survive this tragedy, and I think my family felt the same way.” 

Wilson remembers a particular moment when she turned around to face the doors of the room where her parents were talking with the police and surrendered herself to a higher power.

“I remember in that moment I needed to do that and when I did that, I felt like this weight lifted off my shoulders, but I could breathe a little bit lighter and I felt like it’s going to be okay, I’m going to get through it, God has a plan for all of this,” she continues. “That obviously kept me going and kept me from giving up…and that eventually led to us writing ‘My Jesus.’”

After her brother’s passing, Wilson found that she was journaling in a more “intentional way,” chronicling the specific details of the day and how she was feeling. She started noticing that the journal entries were more like prayers, consistently referring to God as “my Jesus.” The writing process later found her in the room with her co-writers, fellow Christian singer Matthew West and Jeff Pardo, the three talking about loss and all the emotions that come with it. 

“I think when you lose someone you love, it’s very helpless,” the Kentucky native describes. “You feel like you can’t even take your next breath, and that’s how I felt. I felt very devastated. I really wanted to give up on my life and just wanted to go be with my brother. But I knew at the end of the day that God was going to work it all together for good, and it was what got me through the loss.”

During the conversation, the lyrics started pouring out, as Wilson sings about a burden that’s too heavy to carry, feelings of emptiness and longing for healing. His love is strong and His grace is free/And the good news is I know that He/Can do for you what He’s done for me/Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus/And let my Jesus change your life , she sings triumphantly in the chorus. 

The lyrics are as much an invitation as they are a proclamation of her faith and the doors she felt open for her following the tragedy. Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, Wilson had aspirations of being an astronaut, so much so that she and her parents visited NASA when she was in eighth grade and intended on going to college to one day be an astronaut. But everything changed when her brother passed, setting her path toward a new purpose.

“What was special about it was when my brother died, that’s when God started to really open doors for me in music,” she observes. “So with my story, I didn’t have to wait for years upon years for good things to happen, it was immediately.”  

Wilson released “My Jesus” as her debut single in 2021 and it quickly became her breakthrough hit, ascending to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs and Christian Airplay charts. Her debut album of the same name also hit No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart in 2022. The follow-up singles “Sunday Sermons” and “Hey Girl” reached No. 5 and No. 26 on the Hot Christian Songs chart, respectively, solidifying her as Christian music’s newest star.

In April 2023, she released the one-year anniversary deluxe edition that included a live recording of her performing “My Jesus” in her hometown. “It was so special, I really loved getting to do that,” she raves of the performance at Rupp Arena. “I really think getting to sing it in your hometown is always really special. It’s one of those things that is very surreal. You look around and see family and friends that you grew up with and I’m now doing this as a career, so a lot of those types of feelings.” 

She recently released “Seventh of June” to commemorate the day her brother passed away and filmed the video on her family’s farm in Kentucky, as well as at her brother’s gravesite. It marks her first Christian country song as she works to forge a path in country music and prepares to release more new music with the hope that it will continue to touch people’s hearts. 

“I knew it was really special and I had no idea that it was going to do what it has done and be such a big song,” the 21-year-old remarks of “My Jesus.” “But it really came from the place of losing my brother and knowing that God can make a way out of all the things that are really hard in life and work them all together for good like he’s done in my life.

“It’s been so amazing to see that song impact so many people, it’s surreal for me…I just pray that people feel like they can deal with their grief a little bit easier and that they can find faith in these songs because that’s my end goal.” 

Photo Credit: Laney Oakes/Courtesy of OH Creative

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Church staffer, elementary school volunteer faces felony peeping charges after being caught placing camera under women’s skirts, orange founder reggie joiner and ceo kristen ivy resign after ‘inappropriate relationship’, nancy french had it all—then along came trump. her new book ‘ghosted’ tells all., frederick d. haynes resigns abruptly as leader of rainbow push coalition, meet anne wilson, a 19-year-old singer behind ‘my jesus,’ a surprise christian hit.

(RNS) — Nineteen-year-old Anne Wilson loves the stars, the television show “The Walking Dead” and her morning cup of vanilla iced coffee from Dunkin’.

“I feel like it’s just straight from God,” she said. “It’s like he blesses that coffee in particular.”

More than anything, Wilson says, she loves Jesus — as the teenager from central Kentucky explains in “My Jesus,” her debut recording that recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart for Christian music.

The bluesy gospel ballad’s success doesn’t end there: The official  video   has been viewed 6 million times on YouTube. A  live version  of the song, with co-writer and Christian artist, Matthew West, has been viewed more than 2.5 million times on Facebook.

Related article: Matthew West to Critics of ‘Modest Is Hottest’ Video: ‘The Song Was Created as Satire’

A live EP from Wilson, which includes “My Jesus,” has been streamed more than 37 million times, according to a press release from her record company.

But though full of full-throated praise, “My Jesus” is not a triumphal call to follow the Lord. Written after Wilson’s brother was killed in an accident four years ago, the song reaches out to those who are going through difficult times. In that, it may be a hit for the COVID-19 era.

Are you past the point of weary?” the opening lines of the song ask. “Is your burden weighing heavy? Is it all too much to carry? Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus.”

Wilson, who co-wrote the song with West and Nashville songwriter Jeff Pardo, said her rapid rise to stardom began on a dark day.

After hearing the news of her brother Jacob, who was 23, Wilson said she went to a piano and began to play “What a Beautiful Name,” a popular Hillsong Worship anthem. Her parents eventually asked her to play the song at Jacob’s funeral.

The then-15-year-old, still in braces, later recorded a video of the song with some friends and  posted it  on YouTube.

“This song is dedicated to the loving memory of my beloved big brother, Jacob,” Wilson wrote in the video’s caption. “Thank you Jacob for always encouraging us to praise God, work hard, and always be kind. We love and miss you more each and every day.”

That YouTube video, which itself has been viewed a quarter million times, caught the attention of a producer in Nashville and eventually led to Wilson signing with Capitol Christian Music.

“The unprecedented success of ‘My Jesus’ is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to see what is to come for Anne,” Capital Christian Music co-presidents Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy said in a statement.

Wilson grew up in a Christian home, attending a Presbyterian church for most of her childhood. Her parents taught her about faith in God, and she says that she made that faith her own as a teenager.

Her parents also introduced her to country music, especially the songs of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton . She remains a huge Dolly fan, citing Parton’s 1980 hit “9 to 5” as her current favorite.

Related article: Did Amy Grant Affirm the LGBTQ Community on Apple Music’s Proud Radio?

Though Wilson started playing the piano at a young age, she said that she had never sung in public before her brother’s funeral. An astronomy and science buff, she said her childhood dream was to work for NASA.

Being a professional musician had never crossed her mind, she said.

In a phone interview, Wilson said she hopes Jacob is proud of her. The two were close growing up and she recalled his sense of humor and kindness. She recalled one day when, knowing that Wilson had stayed home from school because she was feeling sick, her brother decided to go out and hunt some squirrel for her.

Jacob took his hunting dog Sally out to the backyard, shot a squirrel and cooked it up for lunch. The meal made her laugh and was surprisingly tasty.

“We put powdered sugar on it and we dipped it in barbecue sauce, and whatever that combo is, it was so good,” she said.

Wilson has spent the last two years honing her skills as a musician and writer and learning the craft of singing for a living. She’s also moved away from her family’s home, settling in Franklin, Tennessee, a Nashville suburb that’s home to Christian music stars such as Amy Grant.

When not on the road, Wilson is working on songs for her album, due out next year.

The success of “My Jesus” caught her by surprise. She knew the song was good but was taken aback by how well it connected with listeners. Most of all, she said, she feels grateful.

“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions,” said Wilson. “Just thankfulness and gratefulness , watching God take my story, which was something so broken, and turning it into something so beautiful.”

This article originally appeared at Religion News Service .

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Meet anne wilson, 19-year-old singer behind surprise christian hit ‘my jesus’.

• September 16, 2021
• 6:30 pm CDT

Nineteen-year-old Anne Wilson loves the stars, the television show “The Walking Dead” and her morning cup of vanilla iced coffee from Dunkin’.

“I feel like it’s just straight from God,” she said. “It’s like he blesses that coffee in particular.”

More than anything, Wilson says, she loves Jesus — as the teenager from central Kentucky explains in “My Jesus,” her debut recording that recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart for Christian music.

The bluesy gospel ballad’s success doesn’t end there: The official  video  has been viewed 6 million times on YouTube. A  live version  of the song, with co-writer and Christian artist, Matthew West, has been viewed more than 2.5 million times on Facebook.

A live EP from Wilson, which includes “My Jesus,” has been streamed more than 37 million times, according to a press release from her record company.

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “Hurt and Healed by the Church” by Ryan George. To donate, click here .

But though full of full-throated praise, “My Jesus” is not a triumphal call to follow the Lord. Written after Wilson’s brother was killed in an accident four years ago, the song reaches out to those who are going through difficult times. In that, it may be a hit for the COVID-19 era.

“ Are you past the point of weary?” the opening lines of the song ask. “Is your burden weighing heavy? Is it all too much to carry? Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus.”

Wilson, who co-wrote the song with West and Nashville songwriter Jeff Pardo, said her rapid rise to stardom began on a dark day. 

After hearing the news of her brother Jacob, who was 23, Wilson said she went to a piano and began to play “What a Beautiful Name,” a popular Hillsong Worship anthem. Her parents eventually asked her to play the song at Jacob’s funeral.

The then-15-year-old, still in braces, later recorded a video of the song with some friends and  posted it  on YouTube.

“This song is dedicated to the loving memory of my beloved big brother, Jacob,” Wilson wrote in the video’s caption. “Thank you Jacob for always encouraging us to praise God, work hard, and always be kind. We love and miss you more each and every day.”

That YouTube video, which itself has been viewed a quarter million times, caught the attention of a producer in Nashville and eventually led to Wilson signing with Capitol Christian Music.

“The unprecedented success of ‘My Jesus’ is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to see what is to come for Anne,” Capital Christian Music co-presidents Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy said in a statement.

Wilson grew up in a Christian home, attending a Presbyterian church for most of her childhood. Her parents taught her about faith in God, and she says that she made that faith her own as a teenager.

Her parents also introduced her to country music, especially the songs of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. She remains a huge Dolly fan, citing Parton’s 1980 hit “9 to 5” as her current favorite.

Though Wilson started playing the piano at a young age, she said that she had never sung in public before her brother’s funeral. An astronomy and science buff, she said her childhood dream was to work for NASA.

Being a professional musician had never crossed her mind, she said.

In a phone interview, Wilson said she hopes Jacob is proud of her. The two were close growing up and she recalled his sense of humor and kindness. She recalled one day when, knowing that Wilson had stayed home from school because she was feeling sick, her brother decided to go out and hunt some squirrel for her.

Jacob took his hunting dog Sally out to the backyard, shot a squirrel and cooked it up for lunch. The meal made her laugh and was surprisingly tasty.

“We put powdered sugar on it and we dipped it in barbecue sauce, and whatever that combo is, it was so good,” she said.

Wilson has spent the last two years honing her skills as a musician and writer and learning the craft of singing for a living. She’s also moved away from her family’s home, settling in Franklin, Tennessee, a Nashville suburb that’s home to Christian music stars such as Amy Grant.

When not on the road, Wilson is working on songs for her album, due out next year. 

The success of “My Jesus” caught her by surprise. She knew the song was good but was taken aback by how well it connected with listeners. Most of all, she said, she feels grateful.

“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions,” said Wilson. “Just thankfulness and gratefulness, watching God take my story, which was something so broken, and turning it into something so beautiful.”

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6 Responses

Wow what a touching story such a sweet soul

Will pray that she doesn’t end up compromised like Amy Grant , liberal to the point of honoring what God does not

May she be spared from the corruption that turns soft souls into Satans Instruments(no pun intended)

It’s so unfortunate and frustrating that praising this young lady (whose story and song are both encouraging) was turned into a jab at Amy Grant, which has NOTHING to do with this article. Weaponizing an otherwise inspiring story to attack another person does not honor God either.

That’s my favorite song! I love her!

What beautiful music and story! I work in a school and really needed this uplift today.

Soooo …. thousands are starving worldwide while God is busy blessing new varieties of coffee for an American corporation?!?! U-huh! And we wonder why N American evangelicalism is a dumpster fire!

I think she is Amazing! God has given her a gift! I am excited to see what kind of songs she comes out with.

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My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope Paperback – October 25, 2022

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"Whatever you are feeling, God can handle it--all of it. The tears, screams, and questions. God invites you to let Him tend to your heart."

In the bluegrass fields of Kentucky, Anne Wilson and her siblings, Jacob and Elizabeth, grew up in the security and love of their family--and Jesus. But when Jacob died in a car accident, Anne was thrust into a painful journey of grief and soul-wrestling that led to God calling her to create songs that glorified Him.

My Jesus weaves together Anne's personal story with an encouraging message to anyone longing for God to wipe away their tears.

No matter what season of life you're facing, My Jesus comes alongside you to:

• Show how God can bring purpose out of loss
• Offer hope in the midst of heartbreak
• Remind you that God never abandons you

Discover the beauty that can emerge from suffering as you read Anne's story of growing closer to the God who always makes a way.

Praise for My Jesus :

"I love how Anne Wilson invites us into the cracks and crevices of her life and how she built her life on Jesus. My Jesus is personal, and it takes you on a journey through some of the most foundational parts of Anne's life that develop into a large picture where it is so clear that God was the artist of it all. As I read through each page, I felt like I was at coffee with Anne, hearing her story."

--Sadie Robertson Huff, author, speaker, and founder of Live Original

"The song 'My Jesus' has impacted so many of our lives in such important ways. Reading this book, being in the moments with Anne and her family, and hearing her faith rise up when her heart was broken, Anne has told a true and deep story that we all need to read."

--Annie F. Downs, New York Times bestselling author of That Sounds Fun

• Print length 208 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Thomas Nelson
• Publication date October 25, 2022
• Dimensions 5.43 x 0.47 x 8.36 inches
• ISBN-10 1400238226
• ISBN-13 978-1400238224
• See all details

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About the author.

Anne Wilson grew up in Kentucky with her parents and two siblings, Elizabeth and Jacob. Her family's Christian faith sustained them through the tragic loss of Jacob when he was only twenty-three years old. She is passionate about writing and singing songs that draw others to Jesus. Anne’s debut single, “My Jesus,” became the #1 Christian song of 2021 and won the Breakout Single of the Year at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where Anne also won Female Artist of the Year.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Nelson (October 25, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1400238226
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1400238224
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.43 x 0.47 x 8.36 inches
• #56 in Spiritual Self-Help (Books)
• #77 in Christian Self Help
• #182 in Christian Spiritual Growth (Books)

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A message of hope and encouragement! A wonderful book!

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Matthew west.

Matthew West is a five-time GRAMMY® nominee, a multiple ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year winner and a 2018 Dove Award Songwriter of the Year (Artist) recipient. He has received an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, a K-LOVE Fan Award and was named Billboard’s Hot Christian Songwriter of the Year. A recipient of the Rich Mullins Impact Award, West also received a Primetime Emmy® Award nomination for Original Music & Lyrics for the title track for the feature film “The Heart of Christmas.” He has been awarded a RIAA Gold certification for his single “Hello, My Name Is” and RIAA Platinum certification for the song “The Motions.”

In addition to his own recording career, he has co-hosted the K-LOVE Fan Awards six times adding another this year and has more than 130 songwriting credits to his name, including cuts by Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Mandisa, Danny Gokey and others, along with back-to-back No. 1 songs by Casting Crowns including their recent single, “Nobody,” which West is featured.

Adding author to his list of accolades, West has written five books to date: Give This Christmas Away, The Story Of Your Life, Forgiveness, Today Is Day One and his latest, Hello, My Name Is. He is also passionate about providing hope and healing through the power of prayer and story. Along with his father, Pastor Joe West, they founded popwe, a non-profit ministry helping others to craft, share, and live a more meaningful life.

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Anne wilson's amazing story: from aspiring to be an astronaut to singing for jesus.

Rising Christian music singer and songwriter Anne Wilson has just released her debut EP My Jesus. This new EP, released by Capitol Christian Music Group, almost didn't happen. Wilson's original plans was to become a NASA astronaut and not a Christian artist. Wilson writes, "My story to music is by nothing but God. I had always wanted to be an astronaut for NASA. That was my dream and my plan for my life."

But on June 7, 2017, Wilson's life was  changed forever. Her 23-year-old brother, Jacob Wilson, died tragically in a car accident. She recounts, "It was the hardest day of my life. The police knocked on our front door and shared the news to our family, news no one ever wants to receive. It was such a dark moment in my life. I was so incredibly overwhelmed with emotions that I literally couldn't even cry.

But God spoke to me that day so clearly, so tenderly, so closely... and it changed everything. This video is that story and the song that came from it. I pray it impacts you. I pray it lets you know God is so close even on our hardest days. He can truly redeem all things, even the most terrible moments of our lives. Take a moment, watch it, and let me know below how God is moving in your life." 

In late 2017, Wilson recorded a cover video of Hillsong Worship's "What A Beautiful Name." The video went viral on YouTube and caught the attention of music industry manager and executive Jason Davis. Over the following year, Anne became recognized in the music industry as a vocal powerhouse comparable to artists like Lauren Daigle, Ellie Holcomb, and Steffany Gretzinger. By mid 2019, Anne started receiving multiple major record deal offers.  Signed with Capitol Christian Music Group and JRA the end of 2019, Wilson releases the 3-song EP My Jesus. After its release, My Jesus even hit #1 on iTunes Christian charts. Wilson is elated and thankful, "I am blown away by all of your support and am so thankful to God that He chose me to be His vessel. Thank you all for the love that you've shown to My Jesus. I can't wait to see where God takes this song next. All glory to God!"

Listen to the song "Devil" here .

For more information, go to http://www.annewilsonofficial.com/ 

Tags : Anne Wilson My Jesus Anne Wilson new ep Anne Wilson news

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Capitol Christian Music Group

Breakout singer-songwriter anne wilson releases her debut album, “my jesus,” available now.

NASHVILLE, TENN. (APRIL 22, 2022) Capitol CMG artist and songwriter Anne Wilson’s debut album, My Jesus, is available now. The album’s rootsy, country vibes, and signature vocals set it apart from other debut offerings – staying true to Wilson’s Kentucky upbringing and showcasing her youthful joy and effervescent outlook. Each song on the album, co-written with songwriting heavy-hitters like Ben Glover, Matthew West, Mia Fields, Jonathan Smith, Jeff Pardo, Emily Weisband, and more, is specifically crafted, a moment-in-time snapshot of Wilson’s self-discovery as she starts on a new and unplanned path.

Fans are invited to join Wilson for a special My Jesus Album Launch Livestream Event (in partnership with KISWE) taking place on April 27th at 7:00 pm CT. She will be performing several songs from her new album, speaking about her album and the recording process, and answering fan questions live in the chat during the event. Tickets for the livestream event are available here.

“My debut record My Jesus is out NOW,” shares Anne Wilson. “I have spent the last two and a half years writing these songs and crafting each of them. It’s been the joy of my heart to allow the Lord to work through this project and inspire these songs. I’m so excited for all The Lord will do through these songs! Beyond grateful.”

The title track recently earned Wilson her first Billboard Music Award Nomination for “Top Christian Song” for her breakout hit single, “My Jesus,” at this year’s awards show – making her the only female artist nominated in the category. The 2022 Billboard Music Awards will air LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15th at 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC.

Wilson’s “My Jesus” was the longest-running No. 1 song on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart of 202l. The song also made Wilson the first female artist to hit the top of the Billboard Christian Airplay chart with a debut song. Her soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics have garnered the emerging artist over 170 million career streams, making her one of the most successful debut acts of 2021.

The album is Wilson’s testimony of her life’s triumphs, devastating loss, and everything in-between that has set the stage for this exciting next chapter. The standout track “Mamas,” co-written with Matthew

West and Jeff Pardo, is a heartfelt tearjerker about the special bond between a mother and her daughter and features Hillary Scott (Lady A).

Fans can also continue to catch Wilson on the road as the Zach Williams tour wraps up and she will be seen with CROWDER this summer. Visit her website for more information and tour dates – www.annewilsonofficial.com .

ABOUT ANNE WILSON: Singer/songwriter Anne Wilson knows the healing power of music firsthand. The lyrics of Hillsong Worship’s “What A Beautiful Name” became a lifeline for the Lexington, Kentucky native after her brother was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 23. Although she spent much of her childhood behind a piano, Wilson sang in front of an audience for the first time at her brother’s funeral. It was at that moment that she realized what she was born to do. A video of her moving performance organically circulated, eventually landing her a record deal. With a mesmerizing voice and a visible hunger for Jesus, the 20-year-old relies on personal journal entries and time spent in nature for songwriting inspiration.

Wilson’s introductory track, “My Jesus”—which she co-wrote with Jeff Pardo and Matthew West—is a warm invitation to experience her Savior in the same intimate way she knows Him. She released a debut three-track single—also titled My Jesus—for Capitol Christian Music Group in early 2021 and followed it up with a live EP, My Jesus (Live in Nashville). Her song, “My Jesus,” charted on the Spotify Viral 50, Shazam Top 200, and Rolling Stone Top 25 Trending charts. Her story was also featured with the Religion News Service and The Washington Post. She made her Opry debut on the iconic stage in September 2021. Wilson was featured in Billboard Magazine as the October 2021 Chartbreaker artist.

About KISWE: Kiswe is the interactive video company that links content owners directly with their global audiences. With its world-class Cloud Video Engine, Kiswe has delivered the world’s largest digital pay-per-view events and serves the largest sports, media, and entertainment companies with its production, content distribution, fan engagement, and direct audience data solutions. Kiswe is leading the two-way video revolution, where audiences both consume and contribute to live digital content. Kiswe is headquartered in New Jersey, USA and has offices in New York, Seoul, Hasselt and Paris. Learn more at http://www.kiswe.com. 

Listen to Anne Wilson’s debut album, ‘My Jesus’, here: https://AnneWilson.lnk.to/MyJesusWE

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Anne Wilson

Anne Wilson is a singer and songwriter from Kentucky. Her song “My Jesus” was a breakthrough hit reaching number one on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart. She was awarded KLOVE Fan Awards 2022 “Female Artist of the Year” and “Breakout Single ‘My Jesus". “My Jesus” also received 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song of the Year. “My Jesus” was written after Anne’s brother was killed in a car crash at age 23.  She co-wrote it with Jeff Pardo and Matthew West.

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With a transcendent vocal, down-to-Earth storytelling and a Heaven-sent desire to glorify Jesus, Anne Wilson is one of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers – a Lexington, Ky. native mixing the heart of Contemporary Christian Music, and the sound of Country. Finding her musical mission in the wake of tragedy, Wilson delivered her first public performance at 15 while singing “What a Beautiful Name” at her brother’s funeral in a moving expression of faith which soon went viral. Called in that moment to continue on, her 2021 debut single, “My Jesus,” marked the arrival of a new star, fusing personal conviction with upbeat roots energy to become a GOLD-certified No.1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart. The track made Wilson the first debut female solo artist in chart history to reach No.1 and went on to be named ASCAP’s 2022 Christian Music Awards Song of the Year. Now boasting more than 435M global career streams, her rise is gaining momentum.

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Anne Wilson on Blending Country, CCM on New Album ‘Rebel’: ‘I’m Not Going to Change Who I Am’

The "My Jesus" hitmaker reveals more of her faith-rooted country sound on her new album, which features Lainey Wilson, Chris Tomlin and Jordan Davis.

By Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson

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Anne Wilson

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After she released her debut Capitol Christian Music Group album, My Jesus , which sonically dipped into the grooves between CCM and country, Wilson recalled getting messages from both country and Christian music fans.

“Some would say, ‘We don’t listen to Christian music, but we love your music. It sounds country.’ And then others would say, ‘We love country music, but we don’t play it in the car because we don’t want our kids listening to it, but we let them listen to you — the in between,’” Wilson tells Billboard , while seated at UMG Nashville’s office. “That was encouraging for me to hear, and showed me that’s where we were heading.”

UMG Nashville Chair/CEO Cindy Mabe also saw the potential in a CCM-country connection and reached out to Wilson’s team in 2023.

“She said, ‘We want to give her an opportunity to take a song to country radio and to expand her reach,’” Wilson recalls. “It was out of the blue, but it made sense. I basically have two record labels, which is amazing. Double the people, double the ideas. It’s been great having so many different people helping with this album.”

Wilson, Zach Kale, CCM singer-songwriter Matthew West and The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston wrote ‘Rain in the Rearview’ in August 2023 and released it the following month.

“Writing it, producing it and releasing it in like five weeks was very fast, but it’s been cool to see the reaction and how my music has been able to go to both country and Christian platforms and be appreciated in both,” Wilson says.

Certainly, songs of faith have been mainstays in country music from its inception, from the gospel classic “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” made famous in country circles by The Carter Family in 1935, to Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light” and Carrie Underwood’s Grammy-winning “Something in the Water.” But the past five years has seen a particular surge, with more than a dozen country-CCM collaborations released from artists including Dolly Parton, Zach Williams, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Colton Dixon. Tomlin teamed with FGL for a CCM album featuring country artists, while Steven Curtis Chapman released a bluegrass-tinged project and Underwood issued a hymns album.

“It was really life-giving as an artist; this album felt very free-spirited, like I can write about my faith, but also about different things, too,” say Wilson, who is part of both the Opry’s NextStage Class of 2024 and the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2024.

She teams with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer Lainey Wilson (no relation) on “Praying Woman.”

“I loved working with her,” Anne says. “I met Lainey on Instagram in 2020. Then we met [in person] last year, and we wrote the song the same day … We were talking about our moms, and we both remember our moms praying a lot when we were kids, getting on their knees and praying for things, and we got to write a song to honor our moms and talk about what it means to be a woman who prays and faith.”

She says Lainey is “like a big sister,” explaining, “The thing I love about Lainey’s story is she worked for so many years, lived in a camper and all these things and never changed who she was. She trusted that she was going to keep being herself and something was going to happen one day, and it did. She’s told me multiple times, ‘Don’t change for anyone or anything.’”

“Next Thing You Know” hitmaker Jordan Davis joins on “Country Gold,” a tender, breezy ode to the riches found in the simplicity of family, friends and rural living. They first collaborated during the ACM Honors last year, performing Davis’s hit “Buy Dirt.”

“Milestones,” written with Galyon and Hungate, delves into the trade-offs that come with life as a musician on the road. “I remember Nicolle asking me, ‘How are you?’ And I was like, ‘Good,’ but she was like, ‘No, how are you really?’ And I just started crying, and telling her all these things that I’ve been going through, and the pain of missing milestones. You hold it in one hand, the incredible opportunities I’m getting, and then in the other hand is all the milestones you have to miss; it’s just this exchange. But I think anybody can relate to that in a sense. My team’s really good about giving me grace for that, too. I’m a people-pleaser; I don’t like to disappoint. But I think it’s about figuring out what are the most important moments in my life and making sure those stay on the calendar, and then everything else works around it.”

Meanwhile, “Red Flag” serves as an older sister of sorts to the song “Hey Girl” from Wilson’s My Jesus album.

“All the little girls love ‘Hey Girl,’ and we thought, ‘What’s the grownup version of that song?’ After you’ve told them about their identity in Christ and loving themselves, the next thing is a boy that comes into the picture. I’ve never written a song about a boy — because, thankfully, I’ve never had a bad breakup story — but my mom had always told me about red flags: ‘Look for this and don’t look for this.’ This song ended up being like a continuation of ‘Hey Girl,’ to encourage them and tell them what to look for.”

While sonically and thematically, the album stitches together the threads tying country and Christian music, the title track stems from her struggles to meld the two genres.

To that end, her upcoming summer dates will include a mix of Christian and country festival performance slots — with Wilson playing the same set of songs, whether playing to a more country-leaning or CCM-leaning crowd. One thing Wilson is looking forward to is appearing at some country festivals where Lainey Wilson is also playing: “So hopefully, we’ll try to perform [“Praying Woman”] together,” she says.

Wilson is also set to lead her second headlining tour in the fall.

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