70 K LOVE FANAWARDS . COM ”hope in front of me” Danny Gokey @dannygokey It was Danny Gokey’s first wife, Sophia, who initially encouraged him to try out for “American Idol.” One month before auditions, Sophia passed away, leaving Danny with a broken heart and a new story of God’s faithfulness to share from the “Idol” stage. Now, years later, Gokey is remarried and has two children. “Hope In Front of Me” simply looks back on the unexpected path he’s walked. “When we went to write this song, we wanted a song that reflected that journey I’d walked through,” Gokey explains. “This song is not only my journey, but a reflection of so many people’s journeys.” The song was written by Gokey, Bernie Herms and Brett James and stayed at the top of the Christian radio charts for four weeks. ”fix my eyes” for KING & COUNTRY @4kingandcountry “Fix My Eyes” was actually written a year-and-a-half before brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone officially recorded it for their sophomore album, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. Meanwhile, the duo was testing the song live for audiences on their first headlining tour. As they traveled across the country in a 15-passenger van and dealt with Luke’s diagnosis of a digestive disorder in October 2012, the band penned the words to the song, which they recently performed on “Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda.” “We just asked ourselves, ‘After all these discoveries, who are we as a band, what do we want to say, what do we stand for?’ And we came up with a list of sorts,” Joel explains. “‘Fix My Eyes’ is now an anchor for us as a band.” ”he knows my name” Francesca Battistelli @francescamusic Francesca Battistelli’s song “He Knows My Name” resonates with self-awareness of social pressures and the immense need to remind listeners that their identity is found solely in Christ. “I really hope this song can become an anthem for people,” Battistelli says, “because for me, I know my whole life I’ve struggled with believing what other people say about me — whether it’s good or bad, putting too much stock in what other people think; but this is a song that celebrates what God calls us.” Fans will quickly identify with the real-life stories of four Mercy Ministries graduates featured in the 12-minute long form music video for the single. ”do something” Matthew west @matthew_west Matthew West’s “Do Something” is based on the story of Andrea, a young woman from Colorado who traveled to Uganda originally for class credit. When she arrived, she discovered an orphanage where children were abused and neglected. She called her father and told him she wasn’t coming home. Andrea relentlessly pestered the Ugandan government until they eventually shut the facility down and entrusted 40 children to her care, none of whom had ever slept in a bed. Today, Andrea runs an orphanage that houses more than 120 children. “Andrea’s story floored me,” says West. “Today, so many of us talk so much about being the hands and feet of Christ but never really display what that looks like. Andrea has gone to the extremes to show us all what wild abandon to the cause of Christ looks like. It’s not about talking; it’s about doing.” ”greater” MERCYME @mercyme “Greater” brings the message of grace and the band’s influences of Americana-flavored groups like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers to the forefront. Front man Bart Millard hopes listeners can believe the promise that “You are holy, righteous and redeemed.” The singer has already seen the lasting effects of the song through the eyes of his middle son, Charlie. “One day I was trying to tell my son, because he has a stuttering problem, ‘Buddy, people may make fun of you, but you have something inside of you that is telling you you’re something different, that you’re stronger than that and that you’re beautiful,’” Millard shares. “From time to time, I can hear him singing this song in the house, and I’ve thought, That’s the reason to make a record.” ”we believe” NEWSBOYS @newsboys “If Billy Graham could sing [professionally], I believe he would sing these words,” offers Newsboys lead singer Michael Tait of the band’s anthemic single “We Believe.” With lyrics that reflect the believer’s creed, the song has become one of the biggest hits of the band’s career to date. Ironically, it was the final cut they recorded for the group’s album Restart. “It’s a great statement of our faith,” affirms longtime drummer Duncan Phillips. “A lot of times, I think we have the culture screaming at us [ just the] opposite of that… It’s black and white… I think why it resonates with so many people is it’s just something they can get behind.” 7 0 K L O V E F A N AWA R D S . C OM # K L O V E F A N AWA R D S 7 1 NOMINEES S O N G O F T H E Y E A R
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