Capitol CMG / Sparrow Records
Release Date: July 12th 2024
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Riley Clemmons– Jesus Cries (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Jesus Cries (Single Version)
- Jesus Cries (Unplugged Version)
- Jesus Cries (Instrumental Version)
- Jesus Cries (Album Version)
Bursting on the scene when she was just 18 years old, Riley Clemmons wowed us all with her duet with Social Club Misfits called “Misfit Anthem”, then her debut solo single “Broken Prayers” via Capitol Christian Music Group, and also her self-titled debut album in August 2018. And just from these impacting and compelling melodies alone, there’s absolutely no doubt that Riley has an extremely bright future ahead of her, as she steps into the doors God has opened for her. Still relatively new in the CCM industry (even after 3 albums!); I think the first time I heard her voice on the radio (or internet or wherever you can hear music these days), was with Fern and Marty from Social Club on “Misfit Anthem” early in 2017. Since then, Riley’s music has been a revelation- and you can read my brother’s review of Riley Clemmons’ debut album here; but now the time has come for brand new music. Since Riley’s debut album, she unveiled the singles “Fighting For Me”, “Free”, “Over And Over”, “Healing” and “Keep On Hoping” (you can read those reviews here, here, here, here and here!); while Riley also released her sophomore album Godsend in 2021 (as well as a deluxe edition of the album reviewed here!). Jon also blogged about Riley’s burgeoning influence in a blog in 2021 also; and he delved deep into his own thoughts on Riley’s latest single “Headspace”. We also reviewed “For The Good”, a worshipful single which released in 2022 (we actually reviewed the single twice- once as a song and another as an EP!); while in 2023, Riley unveiled to us a brand-new single “Loved By You”, a direct and vertical worship song directed to God about His unending, undeniable, unquenching and unbridled love for us!
So soon after “For The Good”, so soon after Godsend and the deluxe edition of the same album; here we were with “Loved By You”- you can read our thoughts on the song here. And as Riley released another single in “Miracle” in June 2023; the time came in 2023 for the third full length album, titled Church Pew. With a vibrant sound and a jovial and bubbly personality, Riley delivered a near flawless masterpiece in this CCM album- and one of my favourite CCM albums since MercyMe’s Always Only Jesus from 2022. We reviewed Church Pew here but now it’s time to voice our opinion about Riley’s latest single “Jesus Cries”.
With the 4 track single comprising of the single version, instrumental version, album version and unplugged (acoustic) version of the hit single, “Jesus Cries”, a country song through and through, lifts the lid on the topic of hurt and pain and sadness and feelings of anxiety and every other complicated emotion that you might feel in a day or a week or a month, with Riley reassuring us that even though we may feel like there’s no way out, Jesus is right with us and Jesus cries with us in our pain and sadness too. It’s a song the provides a lot of comfort and healing and hope and reassurance; that Jesus indeed understands our pain and walks in it with us, calming us down and giving us His peace. And though this single is present on Church Pew, the other 3 versions deepen the meaning of this melody, as Riley encourages us to lean on God for all of our failures and our successes.
With Riley Clemmons also having released powerful and impacting music videos for quite a number of her singles, and with Riley delivering in spades in this feel good album of eternal truths about Jesus; I believe that the only way to go for Riley is up and up. Hopefully Riley will be the next name on everyone’s lips in maybe both Christian and mainstream markets very soon… So what more can I say? That Riley’s soothing and captivating voice makes me want to listen to her debut project and her sophomore project over and over; as well as her third album over and over as well? As well as ever other single as well? Because it does! So, check out Church Pew and “Jesus Cries” pronto! Well done, Riley, can’t wait for more and more new music!
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Lauren Alaina, Francesca Battistelli, Selena Gomez, Lauren Daigle, Britt Nicole