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Brandon Lake’s Latest Teasers Prove the Hype Around His New Country-Christian Album is Justified

October 16, 2026 4:43 pm GMT

Brandon Lake just treated us to a dizzying array of new songs from his forthcoming album, with the ‘Gratitude’ hitmaker offering fans a sneak peak at some unreleased material.

And rather than focussing on the big-name collaborations he has up his sleeve, such as his Dan + Shay link-up and his long-teased HARDY duet, ‘Bones and Boots’, Lake has shared some of the more personal solo cuts from the highly anticipated record.

There is, however, an eye-catching co-write with Lainey Wilson, ‘The Voice Of Jesus’. It sounds like Wilson might also be singing harmonies on the soul-searching offering, which finds Lake meditating on how, if we can manage to tune out the relentless noise of the modern world, then we can start to listen to a much wiser voice.

Another undoubted stand-out is ‘Baby Boy’, a heartbreaking reflection on being a parent, as well as other visceral odes like ‘Praying with Fire’, ‘Bible with Your Name On It’ and ‘Bubba’.

The latter, in particular showcases how Lake is following through on his promise to explore the intersection between Contemporary Christian Music and modern country.

‘Bubba’ is country through and through, as the title suggests, with this track highlighting how, amid all the genre-blurring and boundary-pushing Lake has been exploring throughout his career, he always manages to ensure it's authentic to him.

‘Hard Side Of Heaven’ flows more in the vein of Lake's previous record, King of Hearts, with the ‘Praise’ singer-songwriter ensuring the new material will still appeal to his existing Contemporary Christian Music fanbase. What's striking throughout these demos is how malleable Lake's vocals are, with the South Carolina crooner able to tap into the soul-stirring, rousing energy of a piano ballad that carries a grand, orchestral feel, before flitting easily across to a raw, rough-around-the-edges, country-rock anthem, like ‘100 Lives’, a touching ode to his wife, Brittany.

Ben Fuller makes an appearance on the energising ‘Dead Man Risen’, while another tribute to Brittany - the heartwarming ‘Down to Earth’ - feels more intimate and pared-down.

Lake's country adventure isn't a mere attempt to jump on the bandwagon of a popular genre, rather, he really is a country boy. He lives on a farm, he goes hunting, and at any given moment, you can virtually guarantee at least one item of clothing will be camo.

But ultimately, these are just exterior, surface-level signifiers of someone being ‘country’. As Lake has explained in recent interviews, the real reason he feels called to venture into this space is the fact that there is already such an overlap between CCM and country.

The values are similar, and there's an emphasis on family, prayer and humility. You could argue Lake has been making country music his entire career - just without the steel guitar.

‘Why Would I’ completes this round of teasers, and with the arrival of Lake's new single, ‘Changing’, today (Friday, October 16th), it's safe to say the ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ chart-topper is giving us good reason to feel excited ahead of his new album.

It's hard to pick a favourite, but it definitely feels like ‘Bubba’ is the most overtly ‘country’ offering among these demos, with the wonderfully pared-down track carrying a sense of swagger and a rasp in Lake's delivery that feels reminiscent of early Chris Stapleton.

There's no release date just yet for Lake's new album, but based on these unreleased teasers and the singles so far - such as the enchanting ‘The Jesus I Know Now’ with Wilson and the moving ‘How Good God Is’ - we'd tentatively earmark Lake's country-Christian crossover project as an early Album of the Year contender. Every song he's sharing is authentic, spiritually compelling and - crucially - infectious.

Written by Maxim Mower