Singer/Songwriter Jennifer Marie Releases New EP Featuring the No. 1 Title Song, 'You Can Whisper'
Singer/songwriter and worship leader Jennifer Marie released her new EP, You Can Whisper, on Friday, May 19, 2023.
The project, which follows the success of the title song, the gorgeous ballad, "You Can Whisper," which hit the No. 1 spot on the weekly Christian Radio Chart, delivers a hopeful reminder that when life is at its lowest, even the softest prayer can make a significant difference.
“After having our second daughter, I felt the need to put my writing and music on hold to raise my young family,” says the mother of two, who first put her music-writing pen to paper at the age of 15. At the time, as she regretfully laid down her God-given gift of music, she felt like a flame went out in her heart.
But she rekindled that fire during her family’s annual vacation in 2020. During the week, sitting alone by the fireplace at a secluded cabin in the Minnesota woods, the Lord made it very clear to her that it was time to begin writing again.
The collection of songs she began writing at the cabin that evening is featured on her new project, You Can Whisper, produced by Sean Hill (Jamie Grace) and Beck Nebel.
With a diverse palette of creative influences, ranging from gospel/CCM greats CeCe Winans, Natalie Grant, Nichole Nordeman, and Kari Jobe, to pop stars like Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, and Sara Bareilles, plus a lifelong love for classic Disney, Jennifer Marie’s potential to reach within and beyond the church walls is immediately apparent from the moment her magnetic voice and passionate playing delivers a series of deeply personal lyrics.
While each song on the EP has a different theme of love, hope, or longing, the overarching messages of this project are rooted in both fresh beginnings and finding one’s greatest purpose through a steadfast faith. Given its ability to ever-so-eloquently touch on all of those themes, the title track was a natural place to start as the lead single.
“I have been a believer most of my life, but I can still easily get caught up and forget to prioritize God in my day-to-day activities,” says Jennifer Marie of the song’s subject matter. “The song, ’You Can Whisper,’ was written on a scratch piece of paper as I sat alone by the fire at the cabin back in 2020, returning to the Lord’s calling on my life: to go back to my love of writing music after several years of walking in the wilderness of life. I prayed for God to help me remember, to whisper into my heart the purpose and plans He made me for.”
Besides that thought-provoking ballad, which showcases her gentle, gorgeous vocals, the track listing includes the momentum-building believers’ anthem cry, “Breathe A Miracle,” which paves the way for the just-as-pristinely-produced “Keep It From Me.” “Keep It From Me” is a contemporary pop gem with a contemplative tone, and lyrics that focus on how the Lord is ultimately in control of everything in our lives.
There’s also the angelic delivery and breezy rhythms of the unwaveringly optimistic “Good Will Come,” the piano-centered beauty of the encouraging “Hold On,” alongside the chilling, ethereal closer, “Deep Waters,” a rejuvenating prayer of God’s faithfulness.
In “Keep It From Me,” Jennifer Marie reveals she isn’t afraid to tackle the toughest topics with honesty and authenticity. “‘Keep It From Me’ was written directly from my feelings of frustration that the Lord wasn’t taking something away that was painful in my life, while at the same time, trusting that He would keep me from something that wasn’t meant for me,” she remembers. “Those are really hard lessons to learn.”
“’Hold On’ was written for the person grappling with life when the bottom has fallen out,” continues Jennifer Marie. “I wrote this song for a person very near to my heart who had just lost a child, and it was difficult for me to know how to help her. When a couple endures the loss of a child, their pain feels endless. How can I plead for someone to hold on to hope when life can be so painful? Too often we believe the lie that God doesn’t want to be involved in our story, but as the song says, He sees you / He hears you… I wanted to encourage her to hold on to the truth that our heavenly Father saves every tear that falls. There is no circumstance beyond His love.”
As Jennifer Marie keeps moving forward in faith towards her calling, live audiences and online followers alike are joining her on the journey and embracing her heartfelt musical expressions.
“I’ve found that my God is constant and true. I bring my worries to Him and pray to be still enough to hear His voice,” she sums up. “My hope and prayer is that when someone questions the purpose of their life, or wants to understand why bad things happen, God will use these songs to touch their hearts and calm their uncertainty.”
