Six time Grammy® winner Amy Grant's newest music video for her hit single "Better Than A Hallelujah" premiered exclusively online at Ladies' Home Journal's website. The song "Better Than A Hallelujah" comes from Grant's acclaimed March release "Somewhere Down the Road." Christian and pop star's first new radio single, non-holiday music in seven years garnered praise from People magazine saying "this is a soothing set of inspirational pop, as the pure-voiced Grant exudes a simple warmth on tracks."When Grant's manager, Jennifer Cooke, emailed her the song, she knew she had to record it. "The honesty of it, the vulnerability of the lyrics, the beautiful melody, and that the song found me right where I was in my own journey was incredibly powerful," says Grant, admitting the song resonated strongly with her as she dealt with the death of her longtime friend musician Ruth McGinnis. "The song is just so poignant and redemptive. In the lyric there is no religious code or lingo going on and the message is true, it's good news. I love every scenario it's painting." She could easily rest of her considerable laurels, but the dawning of a new decade finds her as passionate as ever. "It's all about the idea," she says. "I love the song 'Better Than A Hallelujah.' I love the opportunity to get to do a song with my daughter."
The new video tells a story and gives a message, as good as the song and folks, it's a tearjerker, so be sure to have your tissues handy. "Better Than a Hallelujah" falls into the Soft Rock genre, but its message is far from soft. As in any music video, this one started out with the band getting ready to play in a typical, everything-is-white room in dramatic black and white. It even starts when someone pushes play on a recorder for the drum sound. It really starts when it switches over to watching an old man rediscover an unopened letter given to him by his wife when he was about to leave for war. Then, the words of the song truly come to life. Grant starts to sing about how God loves our suffering and cries. It sounds ridiculous for the Lord, the God of infinite love and understanding, to enjoy our suffering. Still, the song is soft, and the words start to take on greater meaning than the imagined cackle.
Conventional wisdom has it that Grant put Contemporary Christian music on the map. She surely did that, achieving such breakthroughs. Affectionately referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop," it's impossible to mention Christian music and its impact on culture without making reference to Amy Grant. With six Grammys, numerous Dove Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and numerous other accolades to her credit, Grant is an American music icon who has erased lines between genres and earned the respect of fans and peers with her honesty, vulnerability and ceaseless creativity. Grant's artistry has continually resonated with audiences since she first hit the national spotlight as a fresh-faced teen with a guitar three decades ago. Grant has always aimed for authenticity in singing about God, faith and everyday life.
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