When the breath of God collides with the blaze of God, something supernatural happens. That’s the moment when we’re forced to acknowledge the Creator of the universe is both gentle and fierce. The moment when wind meets fire. That elusive moment is captured on Elevation Worship’s latest album. The aptly-titled When Wind Meets Fire continues the collective’s tradition of writing songs for the church.
As the musical expression of Elevation Church — pastored by Steven Furtick and based in Charlotte, N.C. — Elevation Worship never expected to become a multi-Platinum-selling outfit. Over the course of 16 projects, the group has garnered a GRAMMY® Award, two Billboard Music Awards, seven GMA Dove Awards and a K-LOVE Fan Award after fans named them Group of the Year in 2024. In addition, they’ve been honored with nominations for both the American Music Awards and the BET Awards. With numerous songs consistently remaining in the CCLI Top 100, they’ve also earned five No. 1 Christian radio hits, including “Graves Into Gardens,” “RATTLE!,” “Same God,” “Trust In God” and multi-week chart-topper “Praise,” their most explosive single to date, which is still amassing more than five million global streams weekly.
Furthermore, their historic “Elevation Nights” tour became one of the largest outings in Christian music, with more than 11,600 tickets sold each night. The group is set to bring their electric live show to eight outdoor venues and three intimate clubs when their “Praise Party Summer Tour,” launches in July 2024.
When Wind Meets Fire follows their 2023 critically acclaimed release, CAN YOU IMAGINE?, which became their 7th record to summit Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart. Recorded over two worship nights at their church — one in May 2023 and a second in March 2024 — the 14-track LP gives listeners a glimpse into Elevation Worship’s palpable live energy on stage.
The foundational title-cut attempts to encapsulate the sensory experience depicted in the book of Acts when Paul describes the hurricane-force power of the Holy Spirit. “He is the Wind and the Fire, breathing fresh life into dry places and consuming us from the inside out to purify us wholly,” Elevation Worship’s Chris Brown explains of the song’s origin. “We want to be a people who daily lay our lives on the altar in worship of the Giver of Life.”
On the emotive title track, Brown joins his voice with the group’s Tiffany Hudson pleading, “Light up my lungs with Your praise,” a prayer echoed on the project’s cover art, which displays a pair of lungs illuminated as lightning.
“The prayer there is, ‘God, come and consume me. Light my way from the inside out so I know what pleases You and I do what pleases You,’” Brown shares.
The poignant offering “What A Miracle” attempts to grasp the full breadth of God’s love with an opening line that marvels, “Why are You so good to me?” “It’s the simple, but profound revelation of how deeply accepted and loved we are,” Browns says of the original inspired by Ephesians 3. “It unwraps all the different ways He showcases His love.” Brown shares lead vocals on the selection with Leeland Mooring, who also holds co-writing credit on the track, as well as on “Always On Time” and the record’s namesake. Other notable collaborators across the collection include longtime friends Chandler Moore and Joe L Barnes.
Sister selection “Sure Been Good,” featuring Hudson, also basks in the unfathomable love of the Father with a bridge that describes our inheritance as His kids. “My situation hasn’t always been good, but God has, and always will be good,” Brown asserts of the pop-leaning proclamation. “The one thing I can count on is that His goodness compels Him to love me and remain faithful to me. And if you need more convincing of how good we’ve got it as a child of God, the bridge of this song carries a whole arsenal of ways He’s proven it.”
Immediate standout “Another One” continues Elevation Worship’s track record of writing songs that elevate our faith and compel us to believe in greater things. Meanwhile, “God Is Not Against Me” is a confession that affirms God is always for us. Elevation Worship’s version is a congregational-friendly rendering birthed from one of Furtick’s sermons, “God Is Not Against Me” has been a beloved anchor for Elevation Church for more than a year.
Album opener “New Thing Coming” is another selection that’s swiftly become an anthem for the Elevation Church family. The group introduced it during their first worship service of 2024. “For anyone who’s feeling a little stuck or in a rut, I hope this song can be a prophetic word that God’s going to exceed your wildest dreams according to Eph 3:20,” Brown says. “And we hold to the promise in Phil 1 that declares ‘He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’”
Hudson leads the expectant track on which Furtick is also credited as a vocalist, marking the first time the prolific lyricist and visionary has ever been formally featured on any Elevation Worship album as anything other than a co-writer or co-producer. The occasion was completely spontaneous as Furtick jumped up on stage during March’s night of worship in a moment of frenzied passion and praise.
From bold declarations to comforting ballads, Elevation Worship’s latest endeavor sits at the crossroads where God’s life-giving wind meets His life-changing fire. While not a concept record, the theme that runs throughout When Wind Meets Fire is the fact that every single song is one their church has latched on to and made their own.
When Wind Meets Fire serves up 14 originals for the church to sing, providing an array of personal anthems believers everywhere can claim in faith. “I hope people encounter the Lord, and I hope it leads them to a place of worship,” Brown says of the new project as a whole. “I hope they have their faith inspired to get through their day and wake up believing God for even greater things tomorrow.”
Ultimately, this is a fresh batch of songs that offers a taste of the transformation that’s happening every week at Elevation Church, tried and true selections they’ve been singing for the better part of 14 months, and anthems that are making their mark in real-time.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lori Mahon
lori@mergepr.com