Home Christian News Lauren Daigle Tops Charts, Helps Those in Need

Lauren Daigle Tops Charts, Helps Those in Need

Lauren Daigle is making headlines again, this time not for saying anything controversial, but for setting records with her music. This week, her hit single, “You Say,” has been at the top of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart for the 26th week in a row. This means that Daigle has tied with Carrie Underwood for being a woman with the longest running single on that particular chart.

“A segment of our audience is familiar with Lauren Daigle from Christian radio, but whether they know her or not, the song connected quickly,” said an assistant radio program director in Minneapolis, according to Billboard.

Growing Success and Giving Back

Daigle has achieved significant success (she’s garnered several Grammy nominations) since her 2015 breakout album, How Can It Be. But it’s really her most recent album, Look Up Child, that has brought her into the national limelight. One way Daigle is using her new-found fame is to help those in need. She has chosen to support Bob Goff’s organization, Love Does, which works to defend human rights and educate children in conflict zones.

In a video Daigle posted on her social media accounts, she says,

When we hit a million followers on Instagram, I had the thought, let’s give back to the community, let’s give back to everybody at large….And at the top of the year, we are giving to Love Does, one of my favorite organizations. I think it’s amazing, the work that they do around the globe.

Daigle has created a poster from pictures on her Instagram account and will donate all the proceeds to Love Does.

Topping the Hot Christian Songs list is not the only record Daigle is setting. “You Say” has crossed over into adult pop radio and broken into the top 40 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 list. Daigle also came in third on Shazam’s top 10 most shazamed artists for the week of January 14th, beating out Ellie Goulding and Meek Mill.

It’s “A Hit”

What is the reason for her single’s mainstream success? It’s possible Daigle was aided by having vocals that remind listeners of Adele. But there’s no question that people simply like her song. According to Billboard, KHMX Houston’s Program Director, Chase Murphy, said,

We put ‘You Say’ into research to see if our audience was aware of it, since only the Christian station in town was playing it and we share very little audience. Research confirmed that this was a song we needed to embrace sooner rather than later.

Another program director says, “Programmers who are ignoring the song because ‘it came from Christian radio’ are being silly and short-sighted…‘You Say’ sounds great on the air. Quite simply, it has all of the signs of a hit.”