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Chris Tomlin

Christian music singer Chris Tomlin enlists country hitmakers for 'Friends: Summer EP'

Matthew Leimkuehler
Nashville Tennessean

Chris Tomlin's circle of friends in country music keeps growing. 

The best-selling worship singer expands his 2020 "Chris Tomlin & Friends" project — where listeners heard him sing alongside Nashville hitmakers Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, RaeLynn and more — with a five-song follow-up "Chris Tomlin & Friends: Summer EP," out July 2. 

For his encore "Friends" installment, Tomlin enlisted Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, reigning ACM Awards' New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen and chart-topping  "Love You Like I Used To" singer Russell Dickerson for appearances. 

The initial album was born out of backstage handshakes and chance run-ins that evolved into real-life friendships for Tomlin, a Grammy Award-winning Christian singer based in Nashville. With "Summer EP," Tomlin said his friendships grew as he doubled-down on genre-bending "no rules" fun he and collaborators first experienced writing "Friends" songs. 

"This is not about country and Christian or pop or R&B," Tomlin told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. "This is just about some friends (and) artists ... getting together and sharing songs of faith." 

Chris Tomlin

He added, "This faith that we have, this God that we worship and serve, is so much bigger than we ever imagine — and is doing so much in so may peoples' lives. I think that's what the connection has been. And hopefully the songs are good, too." 

The messages on "Friends" resonated with listeners to the tune of roughly 150 million digital streams to-date, per Tomlin's team. "Who You Are To Me," his 2020 radio single with trio Lady A, spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Christian Airplay chart and crossed last year into Billboard's Hot Country Songs. 

Tomlin aims to next send Rhett and Florida Georgia Line collaboration "Thank You Lord" to Christian radio. The songs has been one of the most sought out on streaming since releasing "Friends," he said. 

"The heart of ('Friends') has been — more than anything — a bridge builder," Tomlin said, adding: "There are people of faith, people who really have a strong faith in God and are living that out in a really great way, in all genres." 

Chris Tomlin performs during his 'Good Friday Nashville' concert at Bridgestone Arena on April 19, 2019.

He reunites with Florida Georgia Line's Hubbard on "Summer EP" opening track “Good To Be Loved," a co-write with Nashville artist Blessing Offer and project producer Corey Crowder.

Hubbard grew up listening to Tomlin, he told The Tennessean. Working with the singer to pen messages of faith tapped into a "whole different meaning and purpose" for songwriting, he said. 

"It's bold and courageous and really cool," Hubbard said. "I remember our first time hanging out, him talking about really wanting to expand his message of hope and love and Christ. ... ('Friends') opened a lot of doors for Chris and basically — in a really cool way — brought two worlds together even more." 

And Tomlin stands at the forefront of an expanding intersection between popular country artists and contemporary Christian musicians. Earlier this year, Carrie Underwood released a Christian album, "My Savior"; Carly Pearce joined Matthew West for duet single "Truth Be Told"; and Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox released an EP of Christian-country collaborations last month. 

Still, no artist may have contributed to intertwining these genres in the last year more than Tomlin, who dreamed as a kid of being a country music singer and can now call some of Nashville's biggest stars by a different name — friend. 

"These people are so gifted and talented," Tomlin said. "I love that when you just get in and connect with people heart-to-heart ... it just works." 

'Chris Tomlin & Friends: Summer EP' 

(songwriters in parenthesis) 

  1. “Good To Be Loved” feat. Tyler Hubbard (Chris Tomlin, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Blessing Offor)
  2.  “Talk To Him” feat. Russell Dickerson (Chris Tomlin, Russell Dickerson, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Ashley Gorley) 
  3. “Love People” feat. Jimmie Allen (Chris Tomlin, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Dave Barnes) 
  4. “Thank You Lord” feat. Florida Georgia Line & Thomas Rhett (Chris Tomlin, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, David Garcia) 
  5. “Sing” feat. Russell Dickerson & Florida Georgia Line (Chris Tomlin, Corey Crowder, Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Cary Barlowe) 
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