The week of June 2, four of the ten most-sung songs in American churches were cowritten by Brandon Lake. That’s nothing new for the long-haired worship artist, whose songs “Gratitude,” “Praise,” and “Trust in God” have become staples for congregations that use contemporary worship music. Lake has a knack for writing singable, hook-driven tracks with lyrics that feel personal and earnest, even when put to use in arenas or on the American Idol stage.
King of Hearts, Lake’s new album, dropped on Friday, June 13. It hit No. 1 on Apple Music in all genres the following day. The lead-up to the album’s release has been a long one; Lake released the single “Hard Fought Hallelujah” in November 2024 and has been building momentum by performing the hit song with country and hip-hop artist Jelly Roll. It currently sits at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lake, who has collaborated with Bethel Worship, Elevation Worship, and Maverick City Music, is also on staff as a worship leader at Seacoast Church in South Carolina. His ascent to mainstream success has come alongside his widespread popularity and influence as a worship artist. Lake says he still sees himself as a worship pastor first, even as his musical style and aesthetic has shifted toward country and Southern rock, and he finds himself performing for crowds of tens of thousands at events like Stagecoach Festival (a country music event in California that drew over 75,000 people this year).
Recently, Lake received some online criticism for suggesting that worship leaders should consider trying to make Sunday-morning worship services more accessible for “Bubba,” a visitor who might be uncomfortable with Christianese or unsure about singing the words “holy, holy, holy.” He says that the backlash to his comments is based on intentional misunderstanding.
This preference for accessible language and seeker sensitivity has become a part of Lake’s persona; he posts about bringing church to mainstream events and leading fellow performers in prayer before taking the stage. In today’s music scene, he’s the only artist who possesses such powerful influence in both the worship-music industry and the mainstream—arguably, he’s the first. He said that the expansion of his platform has intensified his desire to reach people who might not show up in church on a Sunday morning.
Brandon Lake spoke with CT about his dedication to his worship-pastor calling, why he’s so committed to meeting his listeners wherever they are in their faith journeys, and how platform does and doesn’t change things for him.
You have a song on the Billboard Hot 100 right now, and several songs you’ve cowritten, like “Gratitude” and “I Know a Name,” are some of the most-used worship songs in the US. In what ways do you think differently about being on stage at a worship event like Passion than you do about performing at a festival like Stagecoach?
When it comes to what I’m doing, I’m not doing anything different. I’m gonna be who I’m called to be. I’m gonna be unashamed about the message that I carry. I’m leading worship the same way that I was when I was 15 years old.
Maybe I have more expertise now, and obviously throughout my journey I’ve gotten to know the voice of God, and I’ve grown in my relationship with him. There’s maturity there. But I’m just trying to lead people into the presence of God, whether they realize that or not.
Now at an event like Stagecoach, I recognize that most people did not show up thinking that they might encounter the presence of God or hear songs that speak directly about God or connect them to the heart of God. And I realize that there are probably a lot more people in that place who are unfamiliar with church or just uninterested. I just want to be a servant. I think it’s about just trying to exercise good stewardship and use common language for the average person out there.
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At the end of the day, I’m just trying to serve people. And I hope that by the end of whatever songs I’m singing, they feel like their feet were washed. You know, like, “Wow, that guy really blessed us.”
I’m not changing the gospel. I’m not changing my message. But if anything, I’m more careful in a setting like Stagecoach to not shove the message down their throats. They did not come here expecting anyone to be preaching Jesus. I’m going to do it in a way that’s not going to feel invasive. I want it to feel inviting.
In recent interviews, you’ve talked about the importance of accessible language and what some might call “seeker sensitivity.” You worked as a worship pastor for a long time, and I wonder how you think about seeker sensitivity now that you’ve had to navigate both the local church setting and these bigger arenas. What are some things you’ve learned from leading worship in these huge venues?
Well, let me just start by saying I’m still a worship pastor. That’s who God’s called me to be. And so whether it’s at Stagecoach or at Seacoast, where I’m on staff, I’m going to be a worship pastor on the platform, and I’m gonna be a worship pastor off of the platform.
I got the chance to lead several different artists in a time of prayer before we went out there at Stagecoach. And it might look slightly different because I’m not assuming everybody is gonna agree with what I’m saying or where I’m at with God.
But my message isn’t changing. If you go to any of my concerts, we sing things that are deeply spiritual. We sing biblical phrases and use language that might be unfamiliar for some people.
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I am frustrated and a little disappointed that people have taken something I said out of context. I never said, “Don’t sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy.’” I’m saying we need to lead people into a place of understanding so that they think, “Wow, I do want to sing that, because I recognize that God is holy, that he’s set apart.”
I don’t always get that right, and I’m growing in this area. The more I’m around people who are less churched and unfamiliar with certain terminology, I don’t want to assume that they already understand. I’m trying to help lead people to that place, not leave them behind.
I know that I’m sometimes going to sing something that people don’t get. When I sing, “I wanna dance like David,” I’m not assuming everyone knows what David I’m talking about. They might be thinking, “What the heck?”
You can’t break down every single song at every show or Sunday service. But it’s something I’m trying to be a little more aware of. And it’s not about coddling the new person or the unbeliever. We often forget about the person who’s giving church a first try, or a first try in a long time.
I think so much of making someone feel welcome is about how you communicate something; it’s not just about what you’re saying. It’s also about your presence on the platform and how inviting and believable you are. When a leader carries an authenticity, that can lead someone to feel like, “I really trust what they’re saying, and I don’t even know what it means yet.” You know?
I’m all for edifying the saints, but I’m really passionate about reaching people that don’t know who Jesus is yet.
Some of these issues you’re grappling with are very pastoral. And as you said, you still see yourself as a worship pastor first, but you are also a performer with a very big, public platform now. That puts you in this sometimes-complicated position of being both a celebrity and a spiritual leader. How has the scale of your platform changed the way you think about the pastoral dimension of what you’re doing?
It’s been sobering to realize just how many people are paying attention. So I feel like I’m growing in the area of just having to be more careful. I’m more aware of the things I’m saying from the platform than ever before. I’m trying to use my voice to point people in the right direction while also saying, “I don’t have it all figured out.”
The more my influence grows, the more I’ve had to place boundaries around what I think God really cares about: how I am with my family and what kind of father and husband I’m being. I want that to speak louder than the songs I’m writing.
And honestly, having friends in my life that maybe aren’t as far along in their faith journey, I think they would tell you that the way I love my wife and my kids is probably more of a testimony than the music I’m making.
The bigger the things are getting, the smaller I’m trying to get. Transformation, I think, happens around the dinner table more often than it does at a conference.
