Anthony Evans will release Real Life/Real Worship on April 8 through Fair Trade Services.
The 11-song project is Evans’ seventh studio record and his first since appearing on the second season of NBC’s The Voice. His time on the show introduced him to listeners beyond gospel and worship music.
That larger audience also changed how Evans approached the new album. He did not want to compromise the faith at the center of his music. However, he became more conscious of using language that could connect with people outside the church.
“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.”
Anthony Evans Brings Real Life Into Worship
That tension gives Real Life/Real Worship its title. Roughly half of the album deals with experiences shared by people inside and outside the church.
Meanwhile, the rest responds to those experiences through worship. Evans’ point 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,” Evans said.
Evans worked with Los Angeles producer Max Stark to give the project a contemporary pop and soul foundation. Together, they built an 11-track album around Evans’ gospel-rooted vocal style.
The writing team also includes Martha Munizzi, Danielle Munizzi, Cindy Morgan and Krissy Nordhoff. As a result, the album draws from both congregational worship and the considerably less organized parts of ordinary life.
‘Greater Is He’ Leads the New Album
“Greater Is He” is expected to become the album’s first radio single. By contrast, “What Could Have Been” looks back at words left unsaid before an opportunity disappeared.
Other songs 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.”
Ultimately, Evans wants the personal writing 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.”
Real Life/Real Worship will be released nationwide April 8.