Jelly Roll & CCM Artist Brandon Lake Tease New Version of ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’
The Billboard 200 chart-topping country singer and the CCM hitmaker have teamed up for a soulful, rock-fueled collaboration.
Jelly Roll is teaming up with Contemporary Christian Music hitmaker Brandon Lake for a new collaboration on a fresh version of Lake’s hit song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Both Lake and Jelly Roll teased the song on social media this week, and the collaboration will officially release Feb. 7.
In November, Lake earned his Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which also became his sixth No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. The song’s sound and message resonated with listeners, prompting Lake to release his eight-track EP Hard Fought Hallelujah: Heavyweight Edition, featuring various versions of the song, including live, demo, acoustic and instrumental versions.
Lake shared a video snippet of the song on his Instagram, and Jelly Roll’s wife Bunnie XO commented on the post, writing of her husband Jelly Roll, “My baby is fineeee.”
Written by Lake with Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Elevation Church singer-songwriter Chris Brown and Rodrick Simmons, the song features lyrics including “I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail, story-to-tell hallelujah.”
“I wanted to give my fans a taste of something special while on the road,” Lake shared of the song, according to CCM Magazine. “This song is about the battles we face, the grit throughout the fight for faith and the praise that comes after. I hope it resonates deeply with everyone.”
The collaboration seems a natural pairing for the two artists, as Jelly Roll often includes faith-centered references in his own music, while Lake’s brand of worship music wraps in hard rock and soulful influences. Jelly Roll’s current album, Beautifully Broken, topped the Billboard 200 last year, while Lake most recently earned Grammy nominations for best contemporary Christian music album (Coat of Many Colors) and best Contemporary Christian music performance/song (for “Praise”). Lake also picked up songwriter of the year (artist) and Pop/contemporary album of the year (for Coat of Many Colors) trophies at the 2024 GMA Dove Awards.
See a preview of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” below: