Christian singer Ann Wilson acknowledges that a song with “whiskey” in the title might give some fans pause and make them wonder if she’s compromising her beliefs.
To which Wilson responded: “Just ask.”
song is, Songs about whiskeyis featured on Wilson’s new album. traitorIt reached number one on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart and number ten on the Top Country Albums chart. The music video shows Wilson performing the song in a bar.
The song debuted at number 30 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart.
“I’ve already had some fans reach out to me and say, ‘Yeah, I’m just worried, have you gone crazy? Have you left God behind?’ And I’m like, ‘Hold on, listen to the song and then come back,'” she told Crosswalk Headlines.
In fact, Songs about whiskey is a whimsical reflection of common themes in country music, highlighting the focus of many country songs on alcohol. In contrast, Wilson’s blend of country and Christianity focuses on Jesus. The chorus declares, “I’ve heard the Jack Daniel’s song/I’ve heard the Jim Beam song/I’ve heard the one night of regret/Neon and nicotine. I guess I’m just clinging to the only thing that’s ever kept me grounded/So I sing a Jesus song, not a whiskey song.”
“I’ve played it in bars, I’ve played it in churches, and the reaction is the same both times,” Wilson told Crosswalk Headlines, “and I love that about it. … I was like, what am I going to be bold and write a song about? The things I love, in life, my faith and my family. It’s a fresh take on a song about whiskey that I don’t think anyone’s written before. It’s a lot of fun.”
Wilson won Female Artist of the Year at this year’s K-Love Fan Awards, which comes after she was nominated for a CMT Music Award in the Breakthrough Female Video of the Year category. Rain in the rearview mirror.
Though her music is seeping into mainstream country music, Wilson says her beliefs remain unchanged.
“I’m doing this for Jesus and his glory,” she said. “…I have an amazing family that keeps me humble and grounded.”
Photo credit: ©Josiah Weiss, K-LOVE Fan Awards
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
