It's been interesting following Nashville acts pivot to worship music. Oliver Anthony is really spearheading the movement nowadays, shying away from his sudden hit "Rich Men North of Richmond." Similarly, Granger Smith was a notable name to depart from country in order to focus on ministry work. Now, an American Idol contestant who transitioned into country has decided to devote his music exclusively to Christianity.
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Recently, Trent Harmon, best known for his run on American Idol in 2016, spoke to the Christian Post. There, he explains how he's wrapped up his country stardom ambitions to create worship music. He didn't set the world on fire after his run on the reality TV competition. Moreover, he seeks more fulfillment out of the music he makes. Consequently, he's letting God in the studio with him to create some gospel.
Apparently, this is something Harmon intentionally separated during his American Idol days. Moreover, he also notes that when he played a record dedicated to his faith, he saw how much it resonated with people. "It was like, 'That has its own thing. Keep it over there.' I remember sitting around sharing songs with several contestants one night... and I played a worship song. There was a different feeling in the room. I thought, 'You know what? That left a mark tonight,'" Trent recalls.
American Idol's Trent Harmon Pivots From Country to Worship
That moment led him to wanting to incorporate his spirituality in his performances. However, after a while, Harmon realizes that his heart didn't lie in country anymore. As a result, he gives himself completely towards worship music. "I kept wanting to go do more shows that were more spirit-filled; I feel most at comfort whenever I'm playing songs that I know have a purpose, have a meaning behind them. I realized I was writing more and more faith-based stuff in my own time," Trent says. "These songs are the ones I wanted to end my show with. Then I kind of realized, I wanted my whole show to be these songs. When you have kids, you want to leave a legacy."
It may not be as obviously lucrative than sticking around in Nashville. However, after a recent performance at church, it didn't matter. He feels much more fulfillment with his current batch of worship songs than in the past. "It was a smaller church, but I didn't care if it had been 2,000 or 200 people. I just thought, 'I feel comfortable doing this, man. I'm back to my roots, I'm playing the music that I know the words to. I'm not having to change any lyrics so that my mom won't be upset if she sees it online later,' I'm at peace with the songs and the music that I'm making right now," Harmon adds.
