Joel Houston Believes Christian Music Is Ready for a Creative Revival
The singer best known for worship anthems such as "Oceans" and "So Will I" says he's optimistic about the future of Christian music and believes a new generation of artists is ready to break out of the genre's current mold.
Joel Houston became one of Christian music’s most recognizable voices through his work with Hillsong UNITED, but recently stepped into a different musical direction with his solo project, AMXNradio, releasing a string of songs over the past two years that sound nothing like mainstream Christian radio. AMXNradio has a new album, "Silhouettes."
Houston told Relevant that he believes Hillsong UNITED broke through because he and his fellow Australian band members didn’t realize they were doing anything different. In other words, they were creating a fresh sound without intending to – and millions around the world liked it.
“We listened to Radiohead, and we listened to Blink-182,” he said. “That’s the music we liked. We weren’t into DC Talk. And then we started making music for a youth group, and it was like, yeah, these are really genuine songs to God, but they sound like – we didn’t know you couldn’t do that.”
He believes the Christian music industry has since become too cautious, making it harder for artists to take creative risks.
“Everything got really safe,” he said of the Christian music industry. “I understand both sides of it. But I’m deep down – I just feel like that 2 percent needs to grow.”
Houston said a new generation of young Christian artists who grew up in the streaming and TikTok era is poised to challenge those conventions. Relevant recently spotlighted that trend with a cover story on singer Allison Eide and “Christian music's new indie wave.”
“God’s just going to breathe something new in the next generation,” Houston said. “They’re going to break the rules, not know they’re breaking them. And then everybody’s going to come around and try and figure out how to pull that in. That’s always been the way.”
Houston told Relevant he’s been studying the Psalms and thinks most of them wouldn't fit within a typical modern worship service.
“There should be a soundtrack for all those other moments,” he said, referencing everything people do Monday through Saturday. “Music is such an incredible gift that God’s given the world. For us to limit that to just what works in a church service or on Christian radio – we’re missing out on maybe the breadth of what music can do.”
Christian music, he said, should reflect the full range of life experience rather than being confined to what works on a Sunday.
“We need fearless creativity in the kingdom,” he said. “And more of it.”
Photo Credit: ©AMXNradio
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 August 07, 2026.
