The King is Still the King – Chris Tomlin
****
Chris Tomlin returns with The King is Still the King, his eighteenth studio album, and first since 2022’s Always, which featured the song “Holy Forever”. The new album features sixteen new recordings, including four emoji-titled interludes.
I’ve long enjoyed and been blessed by Tomlin’s music. This new praise and worship album is an excellent addition to his catalog and will surely be on my top albums for 2025.
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- More of this review and a review of Wings (Deluxe Edition) – Wings
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Sandra McCracken
Here are a few comments about, and a key lyric from, each song:
How Good It Is – The album’s lead single was written by Tomlin, Jess Cates and Jordan Mohilowski, and produced by Tomlin, Mohilowski and Jonathan Smith. It is an upbeat joyful anthem inspired by Psalms 92, 98, 100, and 113. It sounds like a classic Tomlin song.
Key lyric:
Oh, how good that it is to sing praise to the Lord
Oh, how great is the name above all names
From the rising of the morning sun to the setting of the same
Oh, how good that it is to sing praise
How good it is
Doesn’t He – This uplifting song was written by Tomlin, Patrick Mayberry and Jess Cates, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The song is about how Jesus is the only one worthy of our worship and praise. The song features a choir.
Key lyric:
Praise Him with a hallelujah
Praise Him with a thousand tongues
Praise Him in the light of morning
Praise Him when the night is long
Doesn’t He? Doesn’t He?
Doesn’t He deserve it all?
Still the King – This worship song was written by Colton Price, Jess Cates and Kaelob Mecum, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. Jesus is worthy of all our worship and the praises we bring.
Key lyric:
For the blood is still the blood
And the King is still the King
Rivers of Joy – This upbeat and joyful song was written by Tomlin, Jason Ingram and Pat Barrett, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. For the thirsty heart, and the soul that’s dry, Jesus is the rain in the desert, the fountain of life.
Key lyric:
I got rivеrs of joy down in my soul
Like nothing I’ve ever known
I got rivers of joy deep in my bones
Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow
He Has Done Great Things – This reimagined Bethel Music song was written by Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Jonas Myrin, Phil Wickham and Brian Johnson, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The beautiful song which references Psalm 103:12, features Phil Wickham and Tomlin singing accompanied by acoustic guitar and strings, and later joined by a choir.
Key lyric:
As high as the heavens above
Great is His everlasting love
Rivers of mercy
Run over us, run over us
As far as the East from the West
He has removed all our sin
We are forgiven
By His blood
Jesus Saves – This upbeat gospel music song was written by Tomlin, Chris Davenport, Jason Ingram, Phil Wickham and Ben Fielding, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The song features a choir and hand claps. Anyone can be set free by confessing and believing in Jesus.
Key lyric:
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
His mercy came running
When I called His name
Help My Unbelief – This song based on Mark 9:24, was written by Tomlin, Ben Johnson and KK Johnson, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The song features a choir and hand claps.
Key lyric:
When my eyes can’t see, God
Light my way, give me the faith to say, “I believe”
You Are My King (Amazing Love) – This acoustic guitar driven song was written by Billy Foote, and has previously been recorded by the Newsboys. The chorus uses lyrics and melody from Charles Wesley’s hymn, “And Can It Be”. The song was produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith, and features backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Amazing love
How can it be
That You my King would
Die for me
Amazing love
I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do I honor You
That’s Who He Is – This upbeat and joyful song was written by Tomlin, Jonathan Smith and Jeff Pardo, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The is a worship song to the Father and Son.
Key lyric:
The only One True God
That’s who He is
The First Hymn – This worship song was written by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding based on the earliest known copy of a Christian Greek hymn dating back to the 3rd Century. The papyrus manuscript was discovered in 1918. The song features Fielding, and was produced by Jonathan Smith.
Key lyric:
All powers cry out in answer
All glory and praise forever
To our god
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen, we sing, amen
Coming Soon – This song about the return of Jesus was written by Tomlin, Chris Davenport and Nick Herbert, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The song builds powerfully toward the conclusion.
Key lyric:
We don’t know when, but we believe it’s true
He is coming soon
This is My Father’s World – This song is based on the 1901 hymn written by Maltbie D. Babcock, and produced by Tomlin and Jonathan Smith. The song features Aodhan King, Jamie MacDonald and CalledOut Music and includes a new chorus.
Key lyric:
This is my Father’s world
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. My favorite songs would be:
How Good It Is
Doesn’t He
He Has Done Great Things
Jesus Saves
The First Hymn
Coming Soon
Wings (Deluxe Edition) – Wings
****
The Wings anthology is the definitive collection of the band that Paul McCartney formed in 1971, a year after the breakup of the Beatles. The collection was personally curated McCartney, and comes at the same time as a book about the band – Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, and just before the 2026 Prime Video documentary Man on the Run (see the trailer here).
Wings began after 1970’s McCartney and 1971’s RAM, with 1971’s Wild Life and finished with 1979’s Back to the Egg, for a total of seven studio albums. There were also two previous “greatest hits” compilations, a triple live album, and the 2024 release of the 1974 recording One Hand Clapping. Although there were several personnel changes in Wings, the constants were Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine.
The new collection comes in different formats. I listened to the deluxe digital edition. The mixes sounded excellent and the 32 songs, representing nearly two and a half hours of music, are not in chronological order. Band on the Run (McCartney’s best post-Beatles album), has the most songs from any album, with 7, if you include “Helen Wheels”, which was included in the U.S. edition of the album, but not the British. McCartney still plays a lot of Wings material on tour, with seven Wings song on his current Got Back North American tour setlist.
The 32 songs feature well-known chart-topping songs as well as some deep cuts. I would recommend the deluxe edition for McCartney/Wings fans and the single album for those who are just getting introduced to Wings.
- The Marching Song of the Reformation: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. Stephen Nichols writes “In 1527, Martin Luther wrote his most beloved hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” now a staple for Reformation Day services around the world. It is arguably one of the top ten hymns in church history.”
- The Mercy of God. Enjoy the lyric video for “The Mercy of God” by StillCreek. The song was written by Aaron Williams, Bryan Fowler, Colton Price, David Aubrey, and Matt Armstrong.
- Holy Forever (Christmas). Here is a Worship Together Christmas version of “Holy Forever” from Chris Tomlin. The song was written by Tomlin, Brian Johnson, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson and Phil Wickham.
- Each of Us Has a Singing Ministry. Matt Boswell writes “Engaging in the work of congregational singing is one way every believer builds up the body of Christ. Not everyone preaches. We don’t all pray or publicly read Scripture. But each of us who is in Christ can have an effective ministry edifying the whole church through song.”
- Where You Call Home. Enjoy NEEDTOBREATHE’s new song “Where You Call Home”.
- We Were Jesus Freaks. I enjoyed this article from Trevin Wax.
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Sandra McCracken
This week’s song of the week is “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Sandra McCracken. The song was recorded at the 2025 Sing! Getty Music Worship Conference in Nashville. Lyrics were written by Fanny Crosby, and a new fourth verse was written by Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, and Kristyn Getty based on this quote from Crosby: “If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind…for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior”. The music was written by William H Doane. Watch the live video here.
Vs 1
Jesus, keep me near the cross
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain
Chorus
In the cross, in the cross
By my glory even
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river
Vs 2
Near the cross my trembling soul
Heard the Savior calling
There He died that I may know
Grace and peace abounding
Vs 3
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me
Vs 4
Near the cross! My heart will stay
Hoping, trusting ever
Till my eyes shall see the face
Of my blessed Savior
