Katy Nichole – Jesus Changed My Life (Deluxe Edition)

Centricity Music

Release Date: March 15th 2024

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Katy Nichole– Jesus Changed My Life (Deluxe Edition) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

In Jesus Name (God of Possible)
Jesus Changed My Life
God is in This Story (feat. Big Daddy Weave)
Things I Wish I Would’ve Said
Jesus, Thank You
Living Proof
By The Grace of God
Please
Hold On
Take It To The Cross
Turn To Jesus
My God Can (feat. Naomi Raine)
Gonna Be Enough
One Of the Found
Why I Believe (feat. Ellie Holcomb)
Jesus Thank You (feat. CAIN & David Leonard)
God Is In This Story (Strings Version)
In Jesus Name (God of Possible) [Ensemble Version] (feat. Sanctuary Lipscomb and Cremaine Booker)

Anne Wilson. Riley Clemmons. Katy Nichole. Three young women of God, each recording music praising His name, and each of them earnest and heartfelt and passionate in their faith. Each of them also ‘blowing up’ in the CCM market and quite possibly in mainstream too. and though you can read about Anne Wilson in our reviews and posts here, and about Riley here; this post is about Katy Nichole and her deluxe edition of her 11-track 2023 debut album Jesus Changed My Life. Jon reviewed the standard edition of the album here (and I suggest you all go read it, as I won’t be recapping anything on this review, as I agree with what Jon has written!); but what I’m doing for a little bit is to gloss over the extra tracks Katy has written, recorded and since released. Signed to Centricity Music (home of artists like Unspoken, Jason Gray, Andrew Peterson, Lauren Daigle, PEABOD, Apollo LTD and Jordan Feliz, to name a few), Katy’s songs are poignant and compelling, and together with Anne and Riley, we can see three up-and-coming new female singer-songwriter artists that have a great possibility in taking up the mantle of being a female artist representative within the realms of CCM, carrying the torch that was once carried by artists like Natalie Grant, Rebecca St. James, Britt Nicole, Mandisa, Kari Jobe, Nichole Nordeman and Ginny Owens, to name a few.

Deluxe edition albums are a tricky thing- especially if they’re being released around about a year later, like this release. I mean, they have to be ‘really’ worth my time and effort to check out (stream or buy!); and thankfully, Katy’s release, with 7 new songs inclusive of a few duets and a few re-recorded versions, is well worth the wait. “My God Can”, co-written with The Afters frontman Josh Havens (and quite possibly maybe a future The Afters single?), is a powerful and engaging worship/CCM melody, sung with gospel singer Naomi Raine, and inspires us all by proclaiming that Jesus can do everything that we’re unable to do, and that ‘…I might not be able to part the waters, might not be able to calm the storms, might not be able to make my giants fall, but good thing I’m not alone, ’cause there is a power that is greater, so I’m not afraid of what’s ahead, I’m standing in the confidence that even though I can’t, my God can..’; while the piano prominent “Gonna Be Enough” is sung from the perspective of Job in the Bible, as Katy earnestly and vibrantly declares that even if we have nothing, God will indeed be enough for us. “One Of the Found”, a hopeful and enthusiastic prayer to God, asking Him to find us especially in the circumstances where we are in the pit of despair that we have dug for ourselves, inspires us to lean on Jesus in the times that we need to; while “Why I Believe” is an acoustic guitar duet with Ellie Holcomb, and is a testimony-type melody that speaks about the exact reasons why we believe in Jesus, that ‘…I’ve seen lights shining in the darkest of places, I’ve seen Your heart loving, embracing and chasing, the lost and the lonely, the hopeless, the broken and me, and that’s why I believe…’. New renditions of “Jesus Thank You”, “God Is In this Story”, and “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” follow and end an already near-flawless album, and further enhance Katy’s reputation as an artist, and encourage us all to hold on steadfast to the faith and to Jesus, especially when we don’t feel like doing so.

Christian music, especially women in Christian music, is looking bright, with the introduction of artists like Katy Nichole, Riley Clemmons, and Anne Wilson, alongside artists like Lauren Daigle who has gone before. Church Pew, Jesus Changed My Life (Deluxe Edition) and REBEL are certain bright spots in CCM this year and last year. Not only that, these three projects from up-and-coming artists, are just good, and exciting, fun, and hopeful. Long has it been said that CCM where it stands, is a tired and cookie-cutter music genre. With the introduction of Riley, Anne, and Katy…well, not anymore. These women of God have changed the game of CCM (if CCM was even a game in the first place), and have breathed life into a genre, that could’ve been interpreted by people as being ‘tired’. There is a resurgence within the music genre, and Riley, Anne, and Katy are leading it- this worship album being the proof of Katy’s prowess as a singer, songwriter and worship leader as well. Well done Katy for this stunning, prolific, and compelling 18 song deluxe edition album. Looking forward to seeing whatever the Lord has in store for these songs in the upcoming weeks and months ahead.