Artist Spotlight: Brandon Heath

By Claire Walden

We sing for many reasons, but most of the time it is because words alone don’t fully express our meaning behind them. Brandon Heath uses this outlet with his singer/songwriter style. His sophomore album, “What If We,” is filled with more original and inspirational worship songs. The decision to make the album title an open-ended question was purposeful in setting the tone for Heath’s thought-provoking lyrics. Breaking it apart, the collective pronoun “we” alludes to the importance of community that Heath promotes through his works. His use of the phrase “if we” means we are open to so many possibilities to make changes in this world together.

The first track on the album reinforces this theme with “Give Me Your Eyes.” The entire song is a prayer for God to break our heart for what breaks his. The lyrics go through various, unsettling moments in time that we might not always recognize without God’s help. However, Heath points out that being aware of the circumstances is not enough; we need to do something to make a change. “Wait and See” has another message of hope that God is continuously doing a work in us. He describes the uncertainty of life and the fears and doubt that we may have, but through it all God doesn’t forget about us and will use us for his bigger plan.

Overall, this album is a true reflection of Heath and his passions. This Nashville native is using his talents to reach others and encourage them to act on what we claim to believe. His talent has been recognized by others with numerous nominations and a Dove award to show for it. Check him out at www.brandonheath.net.