If there is one thing that many people can relate to, it is music. In a study done by gitnux.org, 90% of participants reported listening to music on a daily basis. People are constantly on the hunt for new music, and in a rapidly growing digital world, sorting through thousands of options often makes it difficult to stumble upon lesser-known artists. It is even more difficult to locate artists who actually state a purpose for their music and are not simply trying to resonate with everyone. With that being said, here are three lesser-known influential songwriters who are working specifically to uplift and improve the lives of their listeners. 

Similar to many others, singer-songwriter Brandon Lake found himself dealing with anxiety and stress which prompted him to create his album “Many Colors.” Lake emphasizes this overflow of emotion as something he believes popular artists are trying to artificially create simply for fame. 

Lake instead works to create songs that are not only authentic and an outpouring of emotion, but something that listeners from many different genres can enjoy, as his new album is complete with R&B, country, rock and roll, and pop.

However, most importantly, Lake is unique in the sense that all of his songs hinge on the focus of some sort of specific truth or theme found in the Bible. In this album, for example, Lake felt compelled to remind his listeners that, in the face of chaos, God is sovereign. 

While Brandon Lake’s songs regularly appear on Joy FM, this next artist actually earned most of his fame on TikTok, where his hit songs “Miserable Man” and “Mr. Forgettable” took Gen Z by storm. This is alternative/indie singer-songwriter David Kushner. 

By quickly gaining fame and hiding Christian themes within his songs, many fail to realize that they are even listening to Christian music. For example, in the music video for his hit single “Daylight,” which has an impressive 221 million views, a man covered in darkness shakes the hand of a man covered in fire, and it slowly spreads to cover both of them. While not immediately recognizable to all, Kushner describes this as the spreading of the Holy Spirit and his ultimate goal with his music. 

For some listeners, slow or lyrical music might be off-putting, especially for rap listeners. With many different artists in the field of hip-hop and rap, Caleb Gordon is doing it differently. Originally from Ocoee, Florida, Caleb Gordon is best known for his hit song “West Orlando Flow,” which originally went viral on TikTok, quickly gaining him over 190,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. What distinguishes Gordon from others in his field is his unparalleled talent combined with his determination and work ethic. 

Additionally, Gordon uses his platform to change the industry for the better. In the world of rap, it is not hard to admit that song lyrics typically contain vulgar or profane language. These themes, which can be potentially problematic and detrimental for teens attempting to replicate these behaviors in an attempt to seem cool or fit in. Gordon describes this as “exactly the space he wants to fit into.” 

By combining modern hip-hop beats and important pop culture events with the truth of the Bible as the response and primary centerpiece, Gordon is effectively able to become one of the few “non-cringey” Christian rappers. Using catchy lyrics and modern beats, Caleb Gordon is able to make biblical truth not only palatable but also catchy and compelling to all types of people. 

Each of these artists approaches their music in different ways. Some choose to be more vocal about their faith. While others favor a more subtle and slower approach, however, one thing is the same. Each chooses to light up a specific genre of music by replacing the typical themes with biblical truth, making them truly influential.