Lauren Daigle has become the first artist to hold the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Christian songs, or any Billboard chart for that matter, for 100 weeks. Her song “You Say,” which has turned into a massive crossover hit, has reached the triple digits, putting Daigle in a category all her own and placing her among the most successful Christian recording artists of all time.
Released on July 13, 2018, as the first single of her sophomore album, Look Up Child, “You Say” took about three months to rise to the #1 spot, which it has held ever since. When Daigle heard the good news, she took to Instagram to thank her fans. She wrote:
“When I was a little girl, I would dream of moments like this. Upon hearing the news, I called my family. We laughed. We cried. We made jokes. We celebrated. I am so honored and want to thank all the people involved in achieving this accomplishment.” She added, “To be a part of a song that has not only made history but has lived inside the homes of families raising babies, widows needing comfort, teenagers needing a friend, those who have lost and those who have gained, that is a gift I’ll never fully put into words.”
The Christian Post points out that Daigle’s success has been thanks, in part, to the exposure the song was afforded on television shows like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. The song was also covered by Kelly Clarkson, to accompany a video tribute to first responders during the COVID pandemic. These appearances helped to make the Christian-themed song popular with secular audiences as a crossover hit.
The song is a powerful tune, driven by Daigle’s smokey yet powerful voice. The accompaniment builds continuously throughout the song, with wonderful orchestration and a full chorus that really fills out the sound with jarring exclamations on the refrain. Lyrically, the song is rich with Christian themes of finding faith through a struggle and reaching the light of God in the depths of despair.
This latest honor caps off an impressive list of awards for “You Say,” which earned two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Contemporary Christian Musical Performance/Song and Top Christian Song, as well as the GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year, 2019.
And today we celebrate...