Category Archives: Features

BEST OF 2016- PART 5: 15 MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS FOR 2017

It’s been quite a while since we as a site have posted anything (not since mid December), but with busyness in work leading up to the Christmas season, we have since decided to take this time to rest a little. Now with this new post, I have looked forward to the year of 2017, and what it will bring. While 2016 had a lot of great albums released that we could celebrate, I have catalogued 15 album/EP releases that release between now and next year, that I have been excited about, and I’m sure you will be too. While this year has been quite possibly one of my favourite years when it comes to album releases, if these 15 album releases are as great as I reckon they could be, then next year will be one of the best years yet in Christian music!

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW – Danny Gokey’s “RISE” and Grayson Reed’s “Walk”

It’s been quite some time since we last uploaded a ‘first impressions’ review on our site. In fact, I think we’ve only had one- TobyMac’s “THIS IS NOT A TEST” way back in 2015. Now I have since thought long and hard about this new series (though what I am going to write is not a review per se, it is nevertheless my initial thoughts prior to the album releases), and I have decided to indeed revive what was once going to be a tool for us all to use, to see whether an album is even worth listening to as we make our very hard decisions of album purchases throughout the year.

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Top 10 ___: Top Thirty Notable Omissions from past WOW Hits albums!

Welcome to the latest instalment of our most recent blog series Top Tens. Last time, we unveiled 20 Artists and Songs that in our opinion should be present on WOW Hits 2018!

It seems that with the advent of Spotify, and more and more newer artists being present on WOW Hits albums, that there are more radio friendly Christian songs now than ever before. So some would say that it stands to reason that previous WOW Hits albums, especially those made in the 90’s and 00’s, were quite ‘easy’ to choose 30-odd tracks as the ‘best of the year’ without not much glaring oversights in terms of song choices.

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BEST OF 2016- PART 4: TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2016

Another month (or so) gone, another best of post. Sounds about right? Yeah, I reckon so too. It is nearly towards the end of the year, and while during December, many movies are releasing just in time for Oscar period, albums tend to be winding down releases, in the Christian industry at least. So I guess it’s fair to say that my top 30 albums of 2016 probably won’t change between now and a month from now…if they do change, I’ll just amend it in the comments of this post. Now, without further ado, here’s my favourite 30 albums of 2016. May you have many happy hours listening to great music and enjoy the remainder of 2016.

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Top 10 ___: (Christmas Albums: 2011-2016)

5 weeks to the day. That’s it. Exactly 35 days until Christmas Day 2016. Not long to go isn’t it? Pretty soon we’d all be thinking about buying presents for our friends and family, alongside getting into the Christmas spirit by listening to carols and original Christmas songs. Department stores in shopping centres will start playing Christmas songs (if they haven’t already) and sooner rather than later, we’d see the Christmas decorations and fake Christmas trees that’ll be around the main centre courts of the shopping malls we would frequent between now and December 25th. So what does that mean for our next top 10s post here at 365 Days of Inspiring Media? Our favourite Christmas albums over the last 5 years, that’s what! No seriously, there has been a lot of Christmas albums that have released and therefore choosing 10 albums can be difficult. But we have nevertheless narrowed them down, and have made difficult decisions. So without further ado, here are 10 Christmas albums below over the last few years that have been impactful for us (plus 5 albums that are honourable mentions that didn’t make the cut)!

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MESSAGE MONDAYS – FOLLOWERS

Quite arguably one of the best bands that CCM has to offer, Tenth Avenue North started their career on Reunion Records way back in 2008 with their chart topping album Over and Underneath. Now 8 years and another 4 albums later, we see the quintet release one of their most emotive and encouraging albums to date, Followers. One of the most underrated and heartfelt bands over the last 5 years, Mike Donehey, lead singer, has always had something great to communicate across to us all through video devotionals about the band’s songs over the years. And while their most recent 2014 album Cathedrals only spawned 2 devotional videos (of their singles “No Man is an Island” and “Stars in the Night”), as opposed to the 5 from The Struggle (“Losing”, “Where Life Would Never Die”, “The Struggle”, “You Do All Things Well” and “Worn”), we are nevertheless blessed with what the band have to say for these two tracks. “No Man Is an Island” was a reminder to always live in community with one another, as we remember that we were never meant to live our lives outside of fellowship and relationship with our fellow man- we were meant for community just as God Himself is a community (of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit); while “Stars in the Night” was also a comfort- that as we focus our eyes on Jesus and remind ourselves that in the darkest of nights; it is the stars, or rather, the One who created the stars, that will lead us on, from despair into hope, from uncertainty into moments of clarity, from indecisiveness to direction and focus.

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Top 10 ___: (Rap/Hip-Hop Artists)

Last time we took a look at top 10s, we delved into our favourite Casting Crowns songs over the years, in honour of their latest album The Very Next Thing. Now, we have decided to post something that is unique and different- 10 artists whose ministry is primarily within the hip-hop/rap genre. While we at 365 Days of Inspiring Media love our CCM/pop music, we are a bunch of people who can appreciate a rap song whenever it comes on the radio. In fact, our taste of music has changed and evolved over the years, as we find ourselves listening to more and more rap and hip hop over the years. While our focus and first love has been and always will be contemporary Christian music (pop/rock), rap continues to be appreciated and respected at the site more and more. So what are we waiting for? Here they are below, 10 rap/hip-hop artists that we reckon anyone should at least check out, even if they aren’t a fan of hip hop/rap to begin with!

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WOW HITS 2018: WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION (PART 1)?

2 months. 2 months to the date of Christmas Day. That’s how fast the year has progressed. In fact, time has passed so quickly this year that pretty soon, it’d be next year, and we’d all be thinking of…you guessed it, WOW Hits 2018. In fact, I’m sure you all are thinking about which songs are shoe-ins for next year’s compilation even now! Because, let’s be frank and honest here, WOW Hits has always been and will always be the most talked about Christian compilation album released in any year. So, what better time than now to make a prediction of WOW Hits 2018…sure probably half of my predictions will be correct (or maybe even less than half)…but, who knows. WOW Hits has always been known for placing dated songs on the annual WOW albums… So without further ado, here’s my stab and WOW Hits 2018, and stay tuned to more predictions later this year and into next year! Happy predicting!

Sound off in the comments whether you agree with our selections. We will be reviewing WOW Hits 2018 in early August 2017, when the track listing releases.

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BEST OF 2016- PART 3: TOP 30 SONGS OF 2016

It’s been about a month since my favourite 20 EPs of the year were posted on the site. Now towards the end of October, I figure it’s time to make my choices. Below are my favourite 30 songs of 2016. Obviously there are a whole lot more songs that sadly couldn’t be represented within my top 30, considering the amount of music that is released each week throughout the year. Yet hard choices were made. Feel free to comment below about what your favourite music of the year is. Below will be the song, as well as a lyric/audio slide/music video of it, so that you can listen along as well.

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Message Mondays: The Advent of Social Media

Yes, I know this is a topic that will surely unite of divide us, regardless of where we all sit in the spectrum of the issue, but nevertheless, the issue needs to be discussed. Now more than ever, social media and the consumption of it by the generation of tomorrow is more prevalent than ever. I see toddlers even now being inserted an iPad as a babysitter, I see young people with headphones on listening to music on their phone 24/7, I’ve even heard the effects of what Pokemon GO can do and how it stops traffic around the world, even leading people to undertake tasks that are dangerous, all in the name of receiving a few more Pokemon.

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