Anthony Evans will release Real Life/Real Worship on April 8 through Fair Trade Services, bringing the singer’s experiences in church, Los Angeles and reality television into the same 11-song collection.
The album is Evans’ first studio release since appearing on the second season of NBC’s The Voice, where his performances earned the attention of Christina Aguilera and introduced him to an audience beyond the gospel and worship communities.
That expanded audience influenced the way Evans approached the new record. He did not want to abandon the faith at the center of his music, but he became more conscious of using language that could connect with listeners who may not share his church background.
“Living in L.A. has made me think more progressively,” Evans said. “I want to make sure I’m not compromising my message or my faith, but I also want to speak in terms that connect with people who don’t necessarily go to church.”
That tension gives Real Life/Real Worship its title. Roughly half of the album deals directly with experiences such as love, breakups, failure and uncertainty, while the rest responds to those experiences through worship. Evans’ argument is that the two categories are not as separate as they sometimes appear on a church record.
“Sometimes it takes that real life to understand the meaning of real worship,” he said.
Evans worked with Los Angeles producer Max Stark to give the project a contemporary pop and soul foundation. Synthesizers, programmed rhythms and R&B arrangements place the album outside the traditional live-worship template while leaving room for Evans’ gospel-rooted vocal style.
The writing team includes Martha Munizzi, Danielle Munizzi, Cindy Morgan and Krissy Nordhoff. Together, they helped Evans build songs that address both congregational worship and the considerably less organized parts of ordinary life.
“Greater Is He” is expected to serve as the album’s first radio single. The song pairs a direct worship refrain with an upbeat pop arrangement, while “What Could Have Been” moves in the opposite direction, examining the words someone wishes he had said before an opportunity disappeared.
Other songs on the album include “Never Fail,” “Something Beautiful,” “I Found You,” “Somebody to Call Home,” “Ask,” “No Condemnation,” “All Things New,” “I Won’t Forget” and “Mercy Tree.”
Evans said the album’s personal writing is intended to remind listeners that a worship leader does not live outside the experiences he sings about.
“While I may come from the church, I go through the same things they do: love, breakups, failures, triumphs,” Evans said. “We are all in this together, and they aren’t alone.”
Watch Evans discuss the making and purpose of Real Life/Real Worship below.
Real Life/Real Worship will be released nationwide April 8.