Cory Asbury Says Forrest Frank Changed His View of Christian Music: 'You Can Keep Your Heart Pure'
The singer-songwriter best known for worship anthems such as "Reckless Love" and "The Father's House" is crediting Forrest Frank with reigniting his passion for Christian music – and for giving him a renewed focus in life.
Cory Asbury won three Dove Awards in 2018 for Song of the Year, Worship Song of the Year and Worship Album of the Year – all stemming from his hit album Reckless Love, the title track of which has more than 350 million streams on Spotify and has been sung by artists inside and outside of Christian music, including Justin Bieber.
But Asbury says in a new interview with ChurchLeaders that he became disillusioned with worship music and stepped away from it for several years.
“When you've been in it a long time, you can get bored with it,” he said. “You can get cynical. You can get jaded.”
Asbury added he had grown jaded at what he called the “industry of worship” and the “business of worship” – and believes songs have the greatest impact when they are born out of life's trials and personal encounters with God.
Asked what concerns him the most about the church today, Asbury responded, “Celebrity culture,” before adding, “I think it's silly, man.”
“Like, get rid of all that crap. There's no 'man of God.' We're all here trying to love Jesus.”
Asbury is in the middle of a tour with Forrest Frank on Frank's “The Jesus Generation” tour with Tori Kelly and The Figs – and credits Frank for helping spark what he calls a "renaissance of the soul."
“He was a big catalyst to show me that, hey, you can be in this thing and you can keep your heart pure. It doesn't have to be cynicism that creeps in,” Asbury told ChurchLeaders. “You can stay completely transparent, completely honest, and completely pure before the Lord, and that's all that matters.”
Frank is perhaps the most recognizable artist in Christian music, drawing massive audiences among children, tweens and teens thanks to hits such as "Good Day" and "Your Way's Better" – and with songs on TikTok that sparked viral dance trends.
Asbury's friendship with Frank sparked his own new music and a new album, "Outsing the Angels," releasing Sept. 18.
Asbury said watching his teen son and his friends encounter Christ renewed his own passion for the Lord.
“I think it reminded me of what it was like for me as a kid getting encountered by the Lord for the first time and that raw passion and that love and that exuberance,” Asbury said. “I think this song and this album is hopefully a reflection of that.”
He wants his new music to rekindle awe for God's glory.
“I want people to get enraptured by the glory of God again,” he said. “I got to say, 'Holy God,' that people would just get fired up about the beauty of Jesus.”
Photo Credit: ©Instagram.com/coryasbury
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 30, 2026.
