While ‘Steady My Heart’ has been a radio hit throughout 20 as Kari declares amidst the light acoustics and pop electric guitar musical backdrop that Jesus comforts and stills the heart that worries (and is a good choice, albeit a little dated, for WOW Hits 2014) Matt Redman’s new radio single from his September album release is an unknown to myself, and I’m sure an unknown to many other listeners of Matt’s too. Accompanying Chris Tomlin to represent the worship section of WOW Hits 2014 are both Kari Jobe and Matt Redman, with ‘Steady My Heart’ and ‘Your Grace Finds Me’ respectively. Written at the last minute to be included in Chris’s latest album Burning Lights, the first single from Chris’s chart-topping album reminds us that God stands by our side, and that ‘…nothing formed against me shall stand, You hold the whole world in Your hands…’ With acoustics and a vertical worship emphasis, this is a great way to start off Disc 1 of WOW Hits 2013, an album full of interesting and bold choices that show that the decision made about WOW Hits are moving in the right direction, even if it is ever so slightly. While WOW Hits is moving in the right direction, they have a whole lot to go before they can please every consumer and simultaneously declare that WOW has the best songs Christian music has to offer.Ĭontaining more of an adult contemporary and worship music style, Disc 1 starts off with Chris Tomlin’s radio hit, ‘Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)’. This release tells me at least one thing, that no decision making process benefits everyone, and that maybe, just maybe, a better solution to the problem of choosing the top Christian radio hits would be to revert back to the single disc WOW’s like WOW Hits 1 that they released back in 2008 and release WOW Hits more than once a year. While I could accept that they don’t touch some artists because of preference or favour of the same artists again and again WOW Hits 2014 feels much more like WOW Hits 2013/14, which can be great if you advertise it as so, but to declare outright that these songs were popular in 2013 and deserve to be on the ‘best’ album of the year can feel almost like a false claim to some. While I can even think of around 30 odd songs that could’ve possibly made the WOW Hits 2014 list, there are some song ‘bolters’, and other songs that should’ve been on WOW Hits 2013, and even others that are just plain odd. The question of whether WOW Hits is even relevant anymore in its current format is a matter of opinion- with the 20th anniversary for WOW Hits coming up (WOW started making annual discs in 1995), there has been a great influx (and departure) of artists that have been featured on the compilation, with Third Day, Newsboys and Steven Curtis Chapman appearing the most on WOW.įor the casual listener picking up this release, the promise given to them that this album showcases the best in Christian music in 2013 is somewhat misleading, with some tracks being singles in 2012 and even 2011, while they often keep on promoting similar artists through WOW Hits year after year. Sometimes their decisions are spot on, and sometimes the choices leave much to be desired, with this year’s WOW Hits 2014 improving a little bit upon last year’s previous compilation, yet even still, there are some notable absences and choices that can leave the CCM music lover baffled. With the decisions of what to be placed on WOW Hits made by the three Christian label umbrella groups (Capitol Christian Distribution, Provident Distribution and Word Label Group), WOW Hits, which started in 1995 and now rivals the mainstream Now That’s What I Call Music! has always prided themselves to make it their mission to reveal to the public songs that have charted the radio and that have become well-loved melodies in the hearts of many throughout the year. Every year around September/October, WOW Hits release their annual album full of radio hits that have been released throughout the year, often declaring that these songs are the year’s best.
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