High ‘Praise’: Elevation Worship, Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore Hit No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs

Elevation Worship’s “Praise” — featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Chandler Moore — rises to No. 1 in its 42nd week on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart dated March 16.

During the March 1-7 tracking week, the song surged by 30% to 3.3 million official U.S. streams and 27% to 1,000 downloads sold, according to Luminate. On Christian Airplay, it rises 21-20 for a new high, up 49% to 1.6 million audience impressions.

Elevation Worship frontman Brown co-wrote the song with Lake and Moore, as well as Pat Barrett, Cody Carnes and Steven Furtick.

“It is such an honor to be No. 1 again,” Brown tells Billboard. “We’re blown away by what God has done with ‘Praise,’ and we’re thankful for everyone who has streamed, tuned in and shared the song. We hope it is a great reminder of all the reasons to praise God not just for what He’s done, but for who He is.”

The latest gains for “Praise” were sparked by the March 1 release of the five-song Praise EP featuring five different renditions of the song, including its rootsy “Carolina Version,” the Spanish-language “Alaba” take and the dance-driven “Alastair Remix.”

“Praise” marks the third Hot Christian Songs No. 1 for the Charlotte, N.C.-based Elevation Worship, the fourth chart-topping billing for Lake and the first each for Brown and Moore.

Meanwhile, “Praise” dethrones Lake’s solo hit “Gratitude” after a 28-week reign.

Gavin Leads ‘Again’

Kelontae Gavin banks his third total and consecutive No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart with “Live Again” (up 2% in plays).

Jekalyn Carr, who has notched seven Gospel Airplay No. 1s as a recording artist, solely wrote the song.

The 24-year-old Gavin, from Charleston, S.C., previously led the list with “Great” for a week in December 2021, and “Hold Me Close” for one week, that February. His first of four chart entries, “No Ordinary Worship,” became his first top 10, reaching No. 5 in February 2019.

Jim Asker

Billboard