Singer/Songwriter Chris Renzema Receives 8.75+ Million Streams For 'Let The Ground Rest'
Recording artist and songwriter Chris Renzema released his sophomore, full-length album and Centricity Music debut, Let The Ground Rest, April 24 amidst acclaim. After week one at retail and streaming outlets globally, the album has already logged more than 8.75 million streams across multiple platforms.
“Acoustic/folk artist Chris Renzema has been one of the best-kept secrets of the independent music scene in the last few years,” says Jesusfreakhideout.com, labeling him “a breath-of-fresh-air to Christian music listeners… In a word, this album is prescient. He couldn’t have known it at the time, but his personal struggle with allowing ‘the ground to rest’ during the creation of these songs would be a very apropos message for what the world has experienced so far in 2020.”
“‘Springtime’ is such an appropriate opening for Let the Ground Rest,” adds The Phantom Tollbooth. “Not only does it coincide with the current calendar season, but it offers hope for what ills the world ‘cause death is dead and gone with the winter.’ That may seem like wishful thinking in light of the news, but even now We will sing a new song … Reaching towards the light/Your love is like springtime.”
“Chris Renzema offers us is a project that speaks to hope,” agrees NewReleaseToday.com as Renzema’s authentic artistry continues to resonate with an ever-growing audience. The latest to discover his music are the more than three million listeners to the Air1 Radio Network. Although not serviced as a radio single, the network discovered and began playing Let The Ground Rest‘s lead track, “Springtime,” this past week.
“The heartbeat behind Let The Ground Rest is the idea that growth comes from periods of rest, of barrenness,” shares Renzema. “It’s a process to exist, to learn and understand God’s love. While His love is not seasonal, we go through seasons as we understand and experience it. Spring is not spring without winter, and that process is a good thing.”
In between the opening and closing tracks, Renzema shares real-life, hopeful messages along with worship in singles like “17” and “Better.” The latter song was written “as a sort of ‘get well soon’ card to the world, having no idea I’d be releasing it during a worldwide pandemic and a national quarantine, but here we are,” says Renzema. “I hope this song can be a prayer for tired hearts in this crazy time, but if not that then at least a small note from me to you, saying, ‘I hope you get well soon.’”
Connecting with thousands of fans during an Instagram Live virtual listening party when the album released, Renzema is also giving away over 140 gift cards to coffee shops across the US in markets he was originally scheduled to perform before the pandemic hit, including San Diego, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Columbus and more. “In order to both celebrate the album release and support local businesses, I decided that I want to buy you a cup of coffee for when this is all over,” says Renzema on his Instagram.
