Christian Music of the 2010’s: Decade of the Female Vocalist

Christian Music of the 2010’s:  Decade of the Female Vocalist

Although the Christian Radio airwaves were top-heavy with music from the male alto sound over the past 10 years, the decade truly belonged to the women of Christian music.  While collecting my favorite singles of the decade, I realized how lopsided my list was between male and female vocals.  As I collected information to put together some ‘end of decade blogs,” I also realized how the following 10 female vocalists fell into a particular signature year, each year, from 2010 to 2019.  So without further ado, my top picks for signature female vocalists of the 2010’s:  

2010:  JJ Heller

Heller released 4 albums in the previous decade, and came on the radar in 2008 with her surprise radio hit “Your Hands.”  Although Heller has released several stellar albums, her 2010 album “When I’m With You” is arguably her signature album, with enduring hits like “Control” and “Boat Song,” and “What Love Really Means,” a re-release of her 2006 album “Only Love Remains.”  Folky and perky, Heller remains one of my favorite artists of the 2010’s.  

(Favorite Songs:  “You Would Love Me Too,” “Boat Song,” “Control,” “If You Fall”)  

2011:  V Rose

I discovered V Rose music a couple of years later when searching for ‘related content’ while watching Beckah Shae videos.  After watching the music video “Surrender” by Flame, Ft. V Rose, I was an instant fan.  V Rose has the talent of coming up with ‘current’ events, releasing music that talks about selfies, trying to go viral, and of course her faith.  While I’m more a fan of her first half 2010‘s decade music, V Rose has endured for the whole 10 years with 4 albums, and over a dozen collaborations with singles of other artists.  

(Favorite Songs:  “Forever Endeavor,” “Am I Trending?” “King Kong Skyline,” “Bottom to the Top” and “Surrender.”  (Flame)

2012:  Blanca Callahan (Group 1 Crew)

After 2010’s album “Outta Space Love,” Group 1 Crew went from a trio to a brother/sister duo, after Pablo Villatoro bowed out of the band.  Still their 2012 release “Fearless” still produced some solid gems such as “The Difference” and “Freq Dat.”  “He Said” was possibly one of the group’s best singles, and showcased Callahan’s strong soaring vocals; this song enjoyed some radio exposure, but was quickly and unfairly swept under the rug, in favor of formula.  Callahan also left the band shortly after this album, but has gone on to make 2 solo releases of her own.  

(Favorite Songs:  “He Said,”  “Movin’” “Manipulation,” “The Difference”)  




2013:  Brenna Carnuccio (Coastalrise)

“Call of the Sea” was the best music album of the decade.  This 10-song set of near music mastery, alternated vocalists Tim Whiting and Brenna Carnuccio into a journey of pure listening enjoyment.  Carnuccio led in the tunes “Contretemps” and “Baby”, while tag teaming Whiting in “Prime Colors.”  The band broke up a short time later, which was an absolute crying shame.

(Favorite Songs:  “Lovely Avenue,” “Contretemps,” “Beach Bike Bandit”)  

2014:  Moriah Peters 

Like many artists before her, Peters shed her ‘good girl’ image with her sophomore album.  “Brave,” her album and title track, contained an empowering message for women everywhere, and featured a music video with an all-girl backup band.  Peters went on later to form TRALA with two of her friends, and her band continues to release new singles into the 2020’s.  

(Favorite Songs:  “Brave,” “Creature Machine (TRALA)”

2015:  Dawn Michelle (Fireflight)

Dawn’s band Fireflight first made its rocking debut in 2006.  The band’s fifth album “Innova” came out in 2015 to mixed reviews, but its risky departure from their louder previous 4 albums, actually turned out to be their best all around album of their collection.  While no new albums have been released since Innova, Fireflight have released several new singles, and Dawn Michelle has gone on to produce her own solo worship album in 2019.  

(Favorite songs:  “Desperate,” “Escape,” “Keep Fighting”)  

2016:  Lauren Daigle

There’s no denying the impact that Daigle has made on the music industry over the latter half of the current decade.  While her later sophomore album would quickly become her defining commercial breakthrough, it was the year after her (arguably better) debut album “How Can It Be” was released that put Daigle on the map with single after single hitting the airwaves.  

(Favorites songs:  “First” and “Dry Bones” )

2017:  Hollyn

Hollyn rocketed onto the scene in 2015 with her self-titled EP debut, and multiple appearances on Tobymac’s “This is Not a Test” album.  Hollyn was at the top of her game in 2017 with her edgy February album release of “One Way Conversations,” and later collaborations with Capital Kings with the wild “All Good” song and music video.  

(Favorite songs:  “Alone,” “Nothin’ On You,” “All Good (Capital Kings),” “Lights Shine Bright (Tobymac)”

 

2018:  Riley Clemmons

Coming onto the scene in early ’18 with her radio hit “Broken Prayers,” Clemmons went out on release the best Christian pop album to come out in years.  “Drop Everything” may be my favorite single sung by a female since Nicol Sponberg’s “All That I Believe In.”  Clemmons continues to release new quality singles in 2019 and is poised to be one of Christian music’s bright spots heading into the next decade.  

(Favorite Songs:  “Broken Prayers,” “Drop Everything,” “Fighting For Me”) 

2019:  Emily Hamilton (For All Seasons)

I first discovered For All Seasons in 2018 with their “Clarity” EP.  Although the band’s experimentation with one single/music video a month in 2019 ended abruptly in mid-summer, Emily’s smooth vocals and high quality recordings, make this band one of the bigger bright spots in Christian music in 2019.  

(Favorite Songs:  “Higher,” “Speak to Me”)