NEXT: New Worship Music Jan/Feb ’17

Every month I scour the internet for the latest worship songs – both independent & label – looking for the best of what’s “NEXT”, particularly for those who don’t subscribe to the “one-size-fits-all” mindset of only pulling from the CCLI Top 25 (though I don’t deny that can be a great place to start). I listen, play along, & analyze to see which ones float to the top. I hope this curated list of new worship songs helps you better serve your congregation in the coming year!

And what a list it is! I could hardly narrow it down – I expect to hear a lot about these songs in the coming months & years…

“Victory Song” – Oaks Worship (chart available HERE)
An upbeat, encouraging loops & piano driven song of praise that manages to sound simultaneously “classic” – like some of the best from the late 80s through the 90s – but modern. With a very unique melodic rise in the pre-chorus, it’s not only a fun sing, but will likely go over well with a broad variety of churches. Depending on your congregation, flags might even break out!

“After my Heart” – Chris Quilala (chart available HERE)
Chris is no stranger to writing great songs, but this one is absolutely fresh in his songbook. Feeling like deeper sequel to Tomlin’s “God’s great dance Floor”, but lyrically more corporate, this still might be a stretch for most congregations. I personally love the creative interplay between the samples & the electric guitar, & the lyrics are served well by the arrangement. As a song about God’s pursuit, it is creative, beautiful, & very fresh.


“Children of Hope” – Ascension Worship (Chart available HERE)
If you aren’t already signed up to receive Ascension’s City Worship Project songs, you’re missing out – sign up HERE. This is one of Ascension’s best to date. Like Paul Baloche’s best songs, this is melodically simple, without being dull – it has just enough hooks & surprises to keep it engaging, but isn’t too hard to recreate with a fairly simple band arrangement. A great mix of horizontal & vertical worship!

“My Soul be Satisfied” – Tyrus Morgan (Chart available HERE)
Here Tyrus seems to give a nod to “10,000 Reasons”, in that he has penned an immediately singable, hymn-like song that is melody-driven, & easily used in any church environment from uber-modern to a traditional choir with accompaniment on the keys. An impressive feat!

“There is None like our God” – Mountaintops (Chart available HERE)
Psalm-like, with hints of inspiration from God’s response to Job, this is a huge portrait of God, with a powerful chorus proclamation. The capture the engaging instrumentation on this track almost demands that your team be capable of playing with tracks, but this horizontal song may be worth the extra work.

“Alive in Me” – Highlands Worship (Chart available HERE)
This is like a cross between United + Young & Free, but with SOUL. Like the previous song, most churches will need to use loops to recreate anything close to the original recording, but the song would likely really work well in a contemporary charismatic environment, where Hillsong or Elevation songs are usually led.

Subscribe to the list here  (also find a playlist of past favorites here) to get more familiar with our picks, then let us know which ones you end up using in the comments below!