As Riley Clemons puts it, she grew up in a lot of “attention.” She walked her first red carpet in 2018, released her first album a few months later, and turned 19 that fall. She released her second album at 21. Now 24, she says she’s changed a lot. She’s still singing about the love of God, but she has a different approach and style to music. Her third album, Church Chairsfell at the end of last year.
“I grew up in Nashville, I was surrounded by music, and I wrote this record out of a really bad situation,” Clemons told Crosswalk Headlines.
“Growing up in the music industry and growing up on Christian music has been such a blessing, but, you know, I also grew up in front of a lot of people. And it’s been a big evolution. I’m 24 and I’m totally different than I was when I was 18.”
Her songs of 2019 Fight for me has been streamed over 160 million times worldwide and has been certified RIAA Gold. In 2021, she was nominated for Female Artist of the Year at the K-LOVE Fan Awards.
Her new song will be released in the fall of 2023. Loved by you It quickly shot to the top of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, where it still remains this month.
She said she recorded her latest album after going through the worst period of her life.
“I was burnt out, and the worst part was realizing that my whole sense of self, my whole sense of purpose, my whole body of work came from success,” she said, “…so I spent about a year writing. Church Chairs Drawing closer to the Lord and truly re-establishing that value is something that only the Lord can give.”
“There was a lot of anxiety associated with it,” she says.
“I’m a naturally anxious girl,” she says, “and that’s always been something that’s been bothering me, but I think over the last few years I’ve really learned how to use my anxiety as something that inspires my art and inspires a closer connection to my faith.”
Church Chairs She said the album was a “musical reset” in her career, in which she discovered what she liked best, both stylistically and lyrically.
Meanwhile, Clemons continues to encourage fans to get closer to the Lord.
“One of the biggest things I’ve implemented into my life that’s been helpful to me personally is finding and scheduling time to be intentional with the Lord,” she told Crosswalk Headlines. “Putting that on my calendar, reading the Word, and really living out what I believe has changed my world, and it has changed my relationship with Jesus, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Watch: Riley Clemons – Loved By You |
Photo credit: ©Capitol Christian Music Group
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.
