The Blessing (song)
"The Blessing" is a song performed by Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes and Elevation Worship, released as the lead single from Elevation Worship's twelfth live album, Graves Into Gardens, on March 20, 2020. The song was written by Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe and Steven Furtick. Chris Brown handled the production of the single.
"The Blessing" was a commercial success upon its release, having debuted at No. 3 on the US Hot Christian Songs chart. It peaked at No. 2, and No. 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.
Background
Initially, "The Blessing" was released as music video on Elevation Worship's YouTube channel in early March 2020, with Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes leading the song in a worship service at Elevation Church's Ballantyne campus on March 1. Jobe, Carnes had written the song together with Steven Furtick and Chris Brown in a writing session on Thursday, February 27, 2020, at Elevation prior to leading it at Elevation's Sunday service on March 1, 2020. The song became popular on YouTube, leading to the release of the live audio recording on March 20, 2020, to other platforms. The song's music video had garnered over 3 million views on YouTube at the time of its release."The Blessing" was serviced to Christian radio stations on May 1, 2020.
Composition
"The Blessing" is composed in the key of B with a tempo of 70 beats per minute and a musical time signature of. Carnes' and Jobe's vocal range spans from F♯3 to E5.Commercial performance
On the Hot Christian Songs chart dated April 4, 2020, the song debuted at No. 3, while also peaking at No. 4 on the US Digital Song Sales chart. The song had sold 12,000 downloads and garnered 1.3 million streams in its first week, and thus becoming Kari Jobe's and Elevation Worship's fourth top ten hit on Hot Christian Songs and Cody Carnes first top ten on the chart, as well as the highest debut for all three acts. The song is also the highest-charting faith-based song on Digital Song Sales chart in four years since Jordan Smith's rendition of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" peaked at No. 3 in December 2015.Music videos
On March 6, 2020, Elevation Worship released the live music video of "The Blessing" featuring Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes recorded at Elevation Church's Ballantyne campus on its YouTube channel. Cody Carnes released a "Live from Home" performance video featuring Kari Jobe to YouTube on March 19, 2020. On March 31, 2020, a "Living Room Session" performance video of the song was uploaded by Elevation Worship to YouTube. Kari Jobe published the lyric video of the song on YouTube on April 8, 2020.Track listing
Charts
Release history
Cover versions
- Bethel Music and We the Kingdom collaborated on a rendition of the song which was released on Bethel's album, Peace. Bethel Music artist Sean Feucht released a live performance cover of the song featuring Emmy Rose to YouTube.
- On April 9, 2020, a women's choral group from Brazil released one of the earliest cover versions of The Blessing song, calling it the Northeastern Blessing.
- On April 10, 2020, one of the first group of churches in unity to produce a cover of The Blessing song was called The Pittsburgh Blessing, and was released on YouTube.
- On May 3, 2020, The UK Blessing channel released a collective version that included contributions from over 65 United Kingdom churches and movements, and tens of other individuals, coming together to sing the song online, with the aim of spreading hope and encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video included the message: "Churches around the UK have come together at this time, to sing a blessing over the nation"; and, "Our buildings may be closed, but the Church is Alive".
- On May 10, 2020, the Haitian Creole cover version of The Blessing, called Benediksyon, was released. Included with the video were lyrics in Haitian Creole.
- On May 11, 2020, a continent-wide version of Spanish speakers in Latin America released their The Blessing cover, noting that this initiative was crucial in uniting churches from their area.
- On May 11, 2020, Sasai TeamTalk made possible the publishing online of their national version of The Blessing song from Zimbabwe, announcing: "Zimbabwean musicians heeded the call to unite and come together as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic."
- On May 13, 2020, Hawaiian Islands Ministries released a collective version featuring worship leaders from Hawai'ian churches. The YouTube notes with the video included this message: "A gift from the Churches of Hawai‘i, The Hawai‘i Blessing was recorded during the first week of May 2020 by worship leaders from 25 churches across all 6 major islands of Hawai‘i. During this time of sheltering-in-place, isolation and uncertainty about the future, we could all use a blessing and a sense of togetherness. In Hawai‘i, we call that ‘ohana - family."
- On May 15, 2020, a version was released from Malaysia, which included 120 singers from 80 churches and movements, as they offered their version of The Blessing song in seven languages: Malay, English, Mandarin, Tamil, Kelabit, Dusun and Iban.
- On May 16, 2020, Canadian churches released their version of The Blessing, noting: "The Church in Canada is beautiful, broad and diverse and it is a nearly impossible task to accurately represent the full breadth of true diversity within the church in Canada from coast to coast to coast."
- On May 22, 2020, Tamil church members, pastors and worship leaders presented a cover version which was coordinated by Rock Eternal Church.
- On May 23, 2020, hundreds of singers representing Sweden realized the release of their national version of The Blessing song. Lyrics in Swedish were also included with their video presentation.
- On May 29, 2020, Selena Gomez released a video performing a cover of the song with Anna Golden and Liz Golden at home on Instagram.
- On May 31, 2020, the French national version, called "La Bénédiction", appeared online performed by singers representing more than 100 churches of France.
- On May 31, 2020, believers in Nigeria, after coming together to sing The Blessing song over their nation, presented their work online. This statement accompanied their release: "This prophetic word has been translated into different Nigerian languages and dialects, yet carrying One Sound."
- On May 31, 2020, from Singapore came their version in which 750 singers representing 177 churches had gathered to perform The Blessing song in English, Mandarin, Bahasa, Tamil, and sign language.
- On May 31, 2020, the following statement was put online from a South African collective song group, noting: "During the April 2020 lockdown people from across South Africa united to sing a blessing over our nation. The heart of this is to bless you - to give you hope and peace! Sing this in your homes, proclaim it over your family, your community, your city, your province - over our nation and our continent Africa! Share this with your friends..."
- On June 5, 2020, the Ghanaian version of The Blessing was presented from the West African nation. The following was included in their version: "Worshippers across our nation have come together to join hearts with Christians all around the world to speak life and the blessing of God over our country and the world..." Lyrics in several Ghanaian languages were also included with their video presentation.
- On June 6, 2020, over 300 local churches offered their performance after uniting together in Australia, thus releasing a premier collective version on behalf of their nation, noting: "This is the first time this has happened... Our desire is to shine the light of Jesus in a time of darkness. We hope that this song will fill you with peace and encouragement. We pray it blesses you, your children and your children's children."
- On June 6, 2020, a virtual choir from Spain of about 150 singers and instrumentalists representing 67 local churches, groups, choirs, and movements released their version of The Blessing song.
- On June 7, 2020, a cover version was released, which presented 67 people from 16 Arab nations coming together to record The Blessing song, as well as this note: "Many other versions of this blessing are being recorded around the Arab world. May all who hear this song truly receive a blessing." Lyrics in Arabic were also included with the video presentation.
- On June 9, 2020, approximately 20 churches and organizations from the nation of Lebanon released their cover version, noting: "At this very difficult time for Lebanon, both with COVID-19 and the economic situation putting huge pressure on people and families, some followers of the Great King have come together to sing a song of blessing over this beloved country and the people of this nation. We are nothing special, He is! Some of the voices are spectacular, some are normal but all sing the love and longing that the Master has for us : He is for you!"
- On June 12, 2020, the Uzbekistan cover version of The Blessing was placed online. Included with the video were lyrics in Uzbek.
- On June 14, 2020, a cover version was released, which presented 72 singers worshipping in 20 languages of Indonesia to record The Blessing song.
- On June 15, 2020, a virtual choir from Nepal offered their performance online from both inside and outside of the country to sing and proclaim The Blessing over the Nepali nation. Lyrics in Latin, thus non-Devanagari, script of the Nepali, were also included to their video presentation.
- On June 20, 2020 "THE BLESSING for Sri Lanka - ආශීර්වාදය - ஆசீர்வாதம்" with English, Sinhala, Tamil sung vocals and Hebrew spoken content was released on YouTube. This project came about from a vision to see the Body of Christ in Sri Lanka come together in the unity of the Spirit to bring healing and transformation to their country.
- On June 21, 2020, the Egyptian cover version of The Blessing was released.
- On July 20, 2020, the Kenya cover version of The Blessing was published online. Worship leaders across the country came together to sing the blessing in Swahili, the country's lingua franca over their nation.