GRAMMY, Billboard Music, Stellar, and Dove Award-winning musician and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard unveils “HYMNS (Live)” the biggest gospel album of the year – out today via Motown Gospel. There’s something utterly timeless about Leonard’s extraordinary new work; something at once both warmly familiar and breathtakingly fresh.
Captured in front of a live audience of more than 3,000 at The Greenwood Oasis on the campus of New Life Southeast in Chicago, the record is a larger-than-life reimagining of classic hymns of love and grace, one that speaks to our modern world even as it reaches far beyond it. The arrangements are sweeping and cinematic, drawing on worship and gospel and even hints of country, pop, and R&B, radiating an undeniable sense of joy and fellowship at every turn. HYMNS touches all corners of gospel greatness, featuring extraordinary guests: Jennifer Hudson, Kierra Sheard, The Walls Group, Ricky Dillard, and even Mary Mary, who haven’t released music in over 5-years!
“I want there to be an overwhelming sense of God’s love and kindness and grace towards us in these songs,” says Tasha Cobbs Leonard. “I want to remind people that even when we feel undeserving, He sees us and we’re the apple of His eye. Through the highs and the lows, we have a consistent friend and father in God.”
Ahead of HYMNS release, Tasha Cobbs Leonard appeared on the Tamron Hall Show to showcase and discuss her new LP, giving a breathtaking performance of “The Church I Grew Up In” that made Tamron erupt in tears and praise. Cobbs Leonard was also joined by her husband, Kenneth, who sat down with Hall for a candid conversation about finding purpose and keeping faith. They also dive into a conversation about how they expanded their family via adoption after struggles with infertility, and balancing their work and home life.
Adding to a very exciting release, earlier this week, Tasha Cobbs Leonard made her debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry for an emotionally reverent three-song performance. The soul-stirring setlist included her 2017 hit “You Know My Name,” 2013 global sensation “Break Every Chain,” and “The Church I Grew Up In,” an offering from the new LP out today.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard garnered two nominations at this year’s Dove Awards – Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for her strength and perseverance anthem “Gotta Believe” and Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for “Lift Every Voice.” She originally recorded “Gotta Believe” as part of NPR Morning Edition’s Song Project, a series launched during lockdown to provide an outlet for artists to write and perform an original song as a way to reflect the times. In an interview about the song’s origins, Tasha opened up about some of her personal struggles, including losing family and friends to the COVID pandemic. NPR has also dubbed Cobbs Leonard as a “Gospel Sensation.”
Stream HYMNS here.
