The gospel singer-songwriter opens up about purpose, collaboration, and what the new album holds
Some songs take years to write. Others arrive the moment you understand who you are. For Grammy and Stellar-nominated gospel singer-songwriter Renee Spearman, You Chose Me is both. Named one of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel, Spearman brings together Montell Jordan and Kim Burrell on a record that was always bigger than one genre.
How did You Chose Me come together?
The song came by just knowing who God is, and knowing how He loves us, and all of us that has been born into the earth. He has a purpose for our lives, and so He’s chosen us to do things, and to be creative, and to work for Him. Thanking God that He chose us to be a part of whatever it is that He has assigned us to do in life.
What was it like working with Montell Jordan and Kim Burrell?
It was so amazing. I worked with Kim on a previous song, and so I asked her to do this song. Our last song went number one. It was called Tap Into It. I was so excited, she was excited, and then we wanted to be able to reach others outside of just the gospel community. So we asked Montell Jordan to be on board, and because he is a Kim Burrell fan, he said “yes.” It was just a blessing to work with them both.
The song has beautiful call-and-response harmonies and alternating leads. How did that happen in the studio?
It was just great. Kim, she can do a song so quick. In the studio for her, it was just so quick. That’s just her nature, she’s born to do what she does. And of course, Montell Jordan, everyone knows him from his hit song. So it was just like a piece of cake for both of them to do what they do. They just collaborated and did their own thing, and it worked.
What do you want listeners to feel when they hear You Chose Me?
We just want everyone to understand that everyone has a purpose in life. If you were born, and if you are still on this earth, you have an assignment from God to do what He’s called you to do. Whatever He has chosen you to do, whatever genre it’s in, you can be a pastor, you can be an artist, you can be a singer, what He has called you to do, you have to do it, and you have to do it to the best of your ability, and just be grateful to God for choosing you for your assignment.
You Chose Me follows a number one Billboard hit and a top 5 record featuring Hezekiah Walker. How do you keep raising the bar with each release?
I just pray, and I ask God to give me favor. A lot of times, people don’t understand that a lot of the relationships that we have, and things that we can get other artists to do, is through relationship. With Bishop Hezekiah Walker, we are very good friends now, but it came from me asking someone that knew him to be on the song, and he said “yes,” and from there, we developed a relationship.
I just spoke with him the other day, and he was just saying how proud he is of me with this song. This whole industry is relationship-driven, so we have to do everything that we need to do to build relationships. To pray, ask God how He wants us to do things that He wants us to do, and not so much ourselves.
You were recently named one of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel. How did that feel?
I was so shocked and so honored, because writing is a blessing for me. I love to write. That’s one of my great passions, writing. When I found out that I got a BMI Trailblazer Award for a song that I wrote, that’s just one of the best honors that you can have.
What can fans expect from the full album?
I’m so excited about my full project. Most of the songs are gonna be choir songs. All the songs are a little different from You Chose Me. I am a choir head. I grew up in the church, my father was a pastor, I directed the choir. Choir music is coming back as well. It kind of went away for a while, but now I just think the time and the season that we are living in, choir music is great. My project is gonna redirect towards choirs, praise and worship, but mainly choirs.
Is there one song on the album, apart from You Chose Me, that you want fans to really sit with?
There’s a song called New Attitude. It actually speaks about when, prior to us giving our lives to God, we may have been a different person. New Attitude is really talking about when God changes our lives, and the way we talk to people, the way we act. All of that changes when God works in us and gives us a brand new attitude.
When can fans expect the album and where can they find you?
The album will be released in the fall. The title of the album, of course, will be You Chose Me. You can find me on all social media outlets, Instagram, Facebook. Just look me up, and I will be letting you guys know when the project will be released. It’s Renee Spearman under all the social media platforms.
