Every summer for the last eight years, I’ve released a list of quality Christian artists who I think should be on your radar (and playlists), if they aren’t already (see my lists from 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). I aim to select artists who are unapologetically Christian, making music that’s sincerely faith-driven but also musically interesting and excellent.
I try to make these lists eclectic in genre and geography and vetted for real musical quality and lyrical substance. Hopefully, the result is a collection of recommended artists only a human curator (not an LLM) could produce.
The 15 artists on this list come from three continents and represent genres like rock, folk, pop, lo-fi, hip hop, and EDM. Some have been making music for a while; others are just starting out. Each is making a distinctive contribution to the beautifully diverse—and globally surging—world of Christian music.
You won’t like all the artists on this list. That’s OK. Everyone’s tastes are different. But I hope as you listen to the sampler song playlist (available on Spotify and Apple Music), you’ll find a few new artists whose songs resonate and enrich your faith.
Austin Koukal
Austin Koukal, from Olympia, Washington, is probably the closest thing we have to a “Christian Bon Iver.” The indie singer-songwriter makes musically refreshing, ambient Christian songs, and also curates other quality indie Christian music in a popular playlist.
Songs to sample: “I Want You,” “Water,” “Keep Me Burning,” “Fine”
Claire Leslie
What would Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter sound like with Jesus-honoring lyrics? It might sound a bit like Claire Leslie, the San Antonio–based artist who got her start leading worship at Oak Hills Church. Leslie’s 2025 EP, Twenty Something, is fresh, fun, and faith-building.
Songs to sample: “24/7,” “Passenger Seat,” “Light Up,” “Scared”
Franni Cash
Formerly one of the lead singers for We the Kingdom, Nashville-based Franni Cash is going solo with her debut album, Here I Am, releasing September 17. An opener for Brandon Lake on his recent tour, Cash is already making a splash. Her first singles—engaging topics like church hurt (“Raised by Wolves”) and the saving power of Jesus (“Jesus All Along”)—have been stellar.
Songs to sample: “Jesus All Along,” “Menace,” “Raised by Wolves,” “Church Clothes”
Hollyn
As has happened more than once with Christian artists, Hollyn’s music career kicked off with a stint on American Idol. But that was 2013, and the R&B artist has come a long way since then. Today, Hollyn (Holly Wilson) feels like the freshest emerging artist in Christian music. Her Theology of Beauty album cycle—a collaboration with producer collective Weathrman—has been lyrically rich and musically fearless: a rare combo in Christian music.
Songs to sample: “Where Would I Be,” “Devoted,” “Take the Blame,” “Steady Me”
Ivan Theva
I came across Ivan Theva when the Spotify algorithm delivered his cover of Young Oceans’s “It’s Your Love,” which stopped me in my tracks. Theva—from New York—has a unique voice that evokes a woodsy, brooding aesthetic, but applied to songs about the journey of faith.
Songs to sample: “Ain’t It Beautiful,” “Gardens,” “i can see you in everything,” “i just want to beliiieve..”
Joel Figueroa
Affiliated with UPPERROOM Church in Dallas, Joel Figueroa released his debut album, Groanings, last year. The title track caught my attention. The song, inspired by Romans 8:26, features the phrase “Death to my flesh / Life in your Spirit” set to a techno beat.
Songs to sample: “GROANINGS,” “The Gospel,” “Genesis,” “know me”
Jon Keith
San Diego native Jon Keith is a rising star in Christian hip hop, both because his sound feels genuinely new and because his lyrics reflect a level of vulnerability still rare in mainstream Christian music. Keith’s songs are also really catchy. My kids request them often when they have a vote for car-ride music.
Songs to sample: “EYES ON US,” “NEW ME,” “START AGAIN,” “GODS HAND”
Joshua Luke Smith
Raised in Pakistan as a missionary kid, but now based in London, Joshua Luke Smith is a multihyphenate artist: poet, pastor, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of poetic collective The Psalmists. He’s an artist’s artist, and I found his 2024 album, Liberated, thrilling.
Songs to sample: “Dead Man,” “Hold Me Back,” “Flowers,” “Serenity”
Lani Rose
St. Louis–based Myles Anderson, who performs as Lani Rose, makes beautifully raw devotional music that evokes Sondae or Dell Mac. These are songs about the struggles of life as they meet the hope of Christ. Check out his new album, To: Hope Again, when it releases on July 24.
Songs to sample: “100%,” “Sing Ugly,” “Beautiful Whirlwind,” “Living a Lie”
MUCH MORE
SoCal native Isaiah Vargas, who goes by the musical moniker MUCH MORE, describes his sound as “worshipful minimalism.” It’s an apt descriptor of his brand of bedroom rock, which feels experimental but accessible, lo-fi but totally earnest. Think desperate prayers for God’s help, set to the breezy sounds of a beach bonfire.
Songs to sample: “Withstand,” “Stuck in Damascus,” “Faithful (To the End),” “Never Will”
Rave Jesus
After reaching the highest levels of the global EDM scene, Topher Jones (Rave Jesus) became a Christian in 2018 and turned his DJ skills toward worship. Like Forrest Frank and others currently riding the vibe shift to viral success, Rave Jesus is sincerely fun, worshipful, highly danceable music powered by joy in the Lord.
Songs to sample: “Joy Is Coming,” “That’s Who I Praise (feat. Brandon Lake),” “Praise the Lord (feat. Zahriya Zachary),” “I Met God on the Dancefloor”
Rothbury
Girl band Rothbury is made up of friends Kate Gurren, Grace Coleman, and Tiff Willmott. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Rothbury has a “living room folk” sound that at times evokes First Aid Kit or The Wailin’ Jennys. The melodies are rich and the devotional spirit even richer. Check out their most recent EP, Little Big Dreaming.
Songs to sample: “Faith Like a Child,” “Goodbye Yesterday,” “In the Garden,” “Breathe In Slow”
Stillcreek
A band “unapologetically rooted and grounded in the Word of God,” Stillcreek makes singable, biblically rooted music that resembles CityAlight, The Gettys, or Sovereign Grace Music. Whether songs about Psalm 119, Christian mission, or God’s mercy, Stillcreek’s music is beautifully edifying.
Songs to sample: “He Is Making All Things Right,” “Christ to Every Nation,” “The Mercy of God,” “Daily Bread (Waw)”
Tyler Corbin
One of my favorite new artists who came on my radar last year, West Virginia native Tyler Corbin, makes folksy music rich in biblical theology and advocacy for the local church. His first album, Help Me Try, is one of the better debuts I’ve heard in Christian music the last few years.
Songs to sample: “Our Bread,” “Lone Ranger,” “Feelings & Faith,” “Solid Ground”
The Wood Drake Sessions
A project of a pastor (Paul Ranheim) and a worship leader (Kirk Sauers), The Wood Drake Sessions takes its name from the Wendell Berry poem “The Peace of Wild Things.” This is church-friendly, theologically rich music that roots weary and anxious souls in ancient, steadying truths.
Songs to sample: “Grace Will Prevail,” “Oh How Good to Be Together,” “Never Shakes Never Will,” “Rock of Ages to the End”
Artists Highlighted in My Previous ‘Quality Christian Music’ Lists
2025
- Nick Chambers
- Cross Gray
- DC3
- Dell Mac
- Free As a Bird
- Gio.
- Constanza Herrero
- Austin Joyce
- Graham Jones
- Calah Mikal
- Delaney Young
- Weston Skaggs
- Nick Smith
- Sondae
- Strings and Heart
2024
- Luke Bower
- Jimmy Clifton
- Aaron Cole
- Coquí
- Benjamin Daniel
- Forrest Frank
- From the Ground Up
- Dwan Hill
- iAmSon
- Praise Lubangu
- Marizu
- Joseph O’Brien
- Josiah Queen
- Saint Augustine’s Music
- Domas Žeromskas
2023
- Anchor Hymns
- Joel Ansett
- Victory Boyd
- Bridge Music
- CalledOut Music
- Kyle Church
- Candace Coker
- Fyr Fytr
- Hey Barnabas!
- Sam McCabe
- Ethan Nathaniel
- Anna Palfreeman
- Skye Peterson
- The Soil and the Seed Project
- sxxnt.
- Madison Ryann Ward
2022
- Kelsey Breedlove
- Will Carlisle
- Colorvault
- Cortes
- Elias Dummer
- Davy Flowers
- Garden Friend
- Land of Color
- Joshua Leventhal
- Limoblaze
- Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Soucy
- James Paek
- PEABOD
- Leslie Perez
- Pyramid Park
- Tekoa
- TEMITOPE
2021
- Darla Baltazar
- Former Ruins
- Gable Price and Friends
- Ellie Holcomb
- Hulvey
- IMRSQD
- Judah.
- Eliza King
- Taylor Leonhardt
- Lovkn
- Maverick City Music
- Phil J.
- Bear Rinehart
- Sharyn
- Andy Squyres
- Yaz Williams
2020
- Montell Fish
- Jon Guerra
- Claudia Isaki
- Loud Harp
- Cole McSween
- Medical Morning
- Sajan Nauriyal
- Tenielle Neda
- Jonathan Ogden
- John Mark Pantana
- The Pharaoh Sisters
- Chris Renzema
- Sarah Sparks
- Trulah
- John Van Deusen
2019
- Antoine Bradford
- CityAlight
- The Corner Room
- Greg LaFollette
- Hallowell
- Isla Vista Worship
- Jess Ray
- Josh Gauton
- Latifah Makuyi
- Parallel Stereo
- Psallos
- Russ Mohr
- South of Royal
- Zambroa
