ITunes and Amazon recognize Catholic musician, Audrey Assad

Audrey Assad, a Catholic Christian artist whose music impresses many fans of contemporary Christian music, has gone above and beyond what even her fans expected in her short career. ITunes and Amazon.com have labeled her amongst the most popular Christian artists in the industry.

WASHINGTON DC (Catholic Online) - Audrey Assad, a Catholic Christian artist whose music impresses many fans of contemporary Christian music, has gone above and beyond what even her fans expected in her short career.

In 2010, Audrey Assad's album The House You're Building, produced by Sparrow Records, was named Amazon.com's Best Christian Music of 2010 and iTunes Christian & Gospel "Breakthrough Album of the Year."  "Restless," a popular song on the album, was given the No. 8 position on Amazon.com's list of "Best Christian Songs of 2010."  According to SoundScan, Assad was named the top selling artist of 2010 in the Christian genre.

In a press release, The Media Collective writes, "The praise for Assad and The House You're Building began at the album's debut in July, and continued as the year went on with Rhapsody.com titling the record No. 7 on their list of the 'Best Albums of 2010: Christian/Gospel' while both Relevant Magazine and Gospel Music Channel online gave it an honorable mention in their "Top 10 Albums of 2010.'"

"I am honored and humbled by the response to The House You're Building," comments Assad. "I spent so much time pouring my heart and soul into the songs, and to know that people are moved by them in any capacity is more than enough reward for those efforts.  2010 was an incredible year for me--I moved to Phoenix, I released a record and I got engaged!  It feels like too many blessings for such a little life, but I am truly grateful."

While many Christian artists having been given honors such Assad's recent accolades, rarely, are Catholics given such high recognition.

Assad's music covers include redemptive suffering, repentance, forgiveness, spiritual growth, and feeling out of place. In "For Love of You," she even mentions Christ's Sacred Heart. With strikingly Catholic imagery she responded to a question regarding the Catholic influence of her music saying, "The specific imagery definitely comes from my Catholic faith, especially ideas like the Sacred Heart. I became Catholic 3 years ago, so I feel like I am playing catch up. This whole new world was opened up to me - these treasures of authors, thinkers, and believers. I'm reading these people that lived centuries ago and my philosophy, my underlying look at life, is being formed and reformed. Some of the ways I think are changing, so that is definitely influencing the way I write music," she said.

The House You're Building conquers more than just finding a catchy tune or finding success in sales--it reaches a place within the souls of her audience. She's currently writing the material for her next album, which will come out sometime this year. 

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Billy Atwell contributes to Catholic Online, and blogs for The Point and the Manhattan Declaration. As a young lay Catholic and two-time cancer survivor he offers commentary on faith, culture, and politics. You can find all of his writings at For the Greater Glory.

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