ZAHRIYA ZACHARY RELEASES STUDIO VERSION OF “BACK TO LIFE”

Bethel Music Collective artist Zahriya Zachary has released the studio version of “Back To Life.” The release comes after an incredible response while leading the song live including a moving moment of testimony in her hometown of Houston during the Come Up Here Worship Nights tour. “Back To Life” serves as a reminder that what once was dead is made new and brought back through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“”Back to Life” is based on Galatians 2:20, the good news of the gospel and the power of how Jesus has changed us from the inside out” shares Zahriya. “Because of this truth we are one with Christ and a new creation. This song has been an encouragement and a reminder for me that Jesus can bring anyone and anything back to life because of the finished work of the cross. He’s done it in my life, and I believe He will do it again for others.”

Born and raised in Spring, Texas, Zahriya Zachary didn’t come from a musical family, but her love of music began at the early age of six while learning to play the piano. She began leading worship when she was a freshman in college after the Lord clearly spoke to her and told her that it was time. Throughout her time in college, she began volunteering on her church’s worship team while the Lord was teaching her more about what it means to have a worshiper’s heart. Zahriya made her Bethel Music debut on Homecoming (2021) where she led “Back To Life” and joined Brian Johnson in leading “Hymn Of Heaven”. Her debut solo single, “Simple Ways”, was released in the summer of 2022 and reflects on the simple joys that often go overlooked in the chaos of day-to-day life. Most recently, she appears on Come Up Here (2023) leading “Surrounded By Holy”. Zahriya believes that worship is the place where we belong and her heart is that people will be led to Jesus through her.

Ryan Stevenson Celebrates His Identity in Christ with New Album

Following a season of listening, learning, and pressing into the promises of God, GRAMMY®-nominated, Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter RYAN STEVENSON returns with ABLE. His fourth full-length Gotee Records release, the highly anticipated eight song set—all co-penned by Stevenson—is a celebration of his identity in Christ.

The album’s opening track and latest digital single, “Closer” was written by Stevenson, Ethan Hulse and The Afters’ Jordan Mohilowski. Featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday Christian and Pandora’s New Christian Music Now, as well as other leading playlists, “Closer” depicts a watershed moment in Stevenson’s understanding of grace.

“I was raised in a strict religious environment, and I saw God through a lens of fear, wrath, and moodiness, thinking He was always disappointed in His creation,” Stevenson explains. “But in this last season, the Lord quietly led me out into a wilderness where He could get face-to-face with me. I believe He did this out of kindness and jealousy for my wholeness, to settle a lot of questions and doubts I’ve lived with for many years.”

“For the first time ever, I’ve become rooted and established in my beloved identity,” he adds. “The Holy Spirit has begun to peel off layers of insecurity and fear of rejection. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says we are ‘the righteousness of God,’ and Galatians 2:20 says we ‘have been crucified with Christ’ and that everything connected with the old flesh has died. This revelation has pierced my heart and brought me tremendous freedom and a passion for helping others see Jesus through the same lens.”

ABLE is also highlighted by the title-cut and debut single, a soul-stirring testimony of God’s faithfulness written by Stevenson, Blake NeeSmith and Jeff Pardo. In addition, the poignant “Carry Me,” which Stevenson co-penned with Micah Kuiper and AJ Prius, holds a particularly special meaning.

“’Carry Me’ is the deepest expression of how I’ve felt over the last three years,” Stevenson shares. “It’s been a daily prayer for me, having dealt with tremendous fear, uncertainty, and feelings of rejection. I experienced a lot of loneliness in this last season, and simply asking God to carry me felt like the prayer of a child longing for his dad.”

https://www.ryanstevensonmusic.com/