Even if you had plenty of reasons before, you will feel like you have 10,000 new reasons to praise the Lord after listening to Matt Redman’s eighth album, 10,000 Reasons. The album was released on July 12, 2011, and this best-selling hit climbed high, maintaining top 10 popularity on the Christian Billboard charts. Redman also won two Grammy Awards in 2013: one for 10,000 Reasons and a second for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.
For more than 15 years, Matt Redman has been putting out hits like “The Heart of Worship,” “Better Is One Day,” “Undignified” and “You Never Let Go.” According to the singer, there is nothing more powerful than a group of believers singing worship to their God. In an effort to capture this spiritual tone, the album was recorded live in Atlanta, Georgia, during a LIFT worship conference with Passion City Church.
The album’s success is no surprise, because to many, the songs featured on 10,000 Reasons were already familiar. Whether you realize it or not, you have probably sung along to the lyrics and tunes of a Matt Redman song––his music is heard and sung in church services around the world every Sunday.
When Redman doesn’t have a song in his heart, the London-based worship leader turns to the ultimate song writer’s lyrics––the books of Psalms. When he came across words of praise in Psalms 103, he knew there was a song in there worth singing. He read:
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. —Psalms 103:1-2, KJV
The Psalmist goes on to describe the benefits of living in God’s favor, including: forgiveness, healing, redemption, crowing with loving kindness and tender mercies, satisfying our mouths with good things, renewing youth like the eagle’s and the promises that continue down the list through verse 22. Like King David, who was stirring his soul for praise by bringing to mind all the good God offers, Matt’s desire is to cause listeners and worshipers to become conscious of all the 10,000 and more reasons to praise the Lord in day-to-day life.
What’s better than singing songs of praise from the Bible itself? This is exactly what the Psalmist has done – written soul-stirring lyrics to be set to music of praise, and Matt Redman has followed in King David’s footsteps.
Redman also put the words to a tune that Jonas Myrin had already written and presented to Matt to turn it into a work of art. The song became the title song of the album, and is listed as track four, but it didn’t stop there.
While the quality of the musical compositions is excellent and certainly concert-worthy, Matt desires to focus his lyrics and music toward his God. He continues to instill biblical inspired lyrics into sincere songwriting and singing as the strength behind his music.
10,000 Reasons presents up-tempo songs, live audience accompaniment and sincere worshipful lyrics. The album also contains a first single, “Never Once,” which is an anthem of worship with a hint of London-style rock. The single speaks of how God is faithful and has never once left believers on their own, abandoned.
The 10,000 Reasons album contains 11 tracks, as follows:
- We Are the Free
- Here for You
- Holy
- 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
- Fires
- Never Once
- Where Would We Be
- We Could Change the World
- Magnificent
- O This God
- Endless Hallelujah
10,000 Reasons was released on the Kingsway Music label. The album is also listed under Sixstepsrecords, Sparrow Records, EMI and EMI CMG. Along with Matt Redman, some other top names in Christian worship music had their hand in the making of the album. Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Tim Wanstall, and Chris Tomlin all contributed.