Brandon Lake never expected “Praise!” to become a sensation. The rhythmic worship hit has now ruled Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart for over 20 weeks, surprising even its creators.
Lake recalls the uncertainty surrounding the song’s success. “I don’t think anybody believed in ‘Praise!’ except for my wife,” he said. Chris Brown of Elevation Worship shared the sentiment, admitting, “We had no idea it would resonate. We kind of did it being silly.”
Recorded live at Elevation Church in North Carolina, “Praise!” features Elevation Worship, Lake, and Chandler Moore. Its unique blend of worship and rhythm struck a chord with listeners, keeping it on the Billboard chart for over 60 weeks, including 21 at the top. The live version has nearly 100 million views on YouTube.
Lake was initially more excited about other songs on the album. “I remember us going into that live recording that night, I was like, ‘Hey, put “Praise!” at the very end. Worst-case scenario, it tanks. We at least had two hours of worship,’” he recalled. He never anticipated the song’s studio version would electrify a live audience.
Elevation Worship’s Brown said they recorded “Praise!” for fun, not expecting success. But the audience’s reaction was explosive. “The whole place just goes bananas,” Lake said. His wife’s belief in the song was vindicated as the crowd responded passionately.
Interestingly, “Praise!” is a fusion of two songs. “All of the verses and the bridge in ‘Praise!’ were a bridge of a different song,” Lake explained. The songwriters combined these elements with a powerful chorus and Moore’s chant, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
The result was a song that resonated globally. “We didn’t realize we had something extraordinary,” Lake admitted. “It just turned into this monster of a song. It’s been beautiful to see it go global, hearing that song in Africa and churches worldwide.”
Leave a Comment