Songfacts®:

• "The Author" pairs Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas on a confessional ballad that wrestles with identity, self-doubt, and the idea that we might not be the ones holding the pen after all. Lake and Jonas frame life as a book being written not by the individual, but by a divine "Author." Having struggled to write their own narrative, they find peace in relinquishing that control.
• The song reimagines the biblical parable of the prodigal son through the lens of self-surrender, exploring themes of worthiness and trust in a higher power.
  
  So who am I? Who am I?
  Am I just a poor preacher's prodigal son?
  A troubled child, running wild
  
  Both Lake and Jonas are sons of pastors, which gives the song the air of two men comparing notes from the same spiritual family album, only with slightly different captions scribbled underneath.
• For Jonas, the themes cut particularly deep. His father, Kevin Jonas Sr., served as senior pastor at the Wyckoff Assembly of God in New Jersey for a decade. Shortly after the Jonas Brothers signed with Columbia Records in 2005, Kevin Sr. was effectively forced to resign by factions within the congregation who resented the family's growing fame, and the family lost their church-owned home. The betrayal caused Nick to question his faith for a period, making his participation in "The Author" - with its themes of returning to God after going astray - a particularly personal statement.
• "The Author" was written during a late-2025 writing camp hosted by Lake, with Jonas among the participants. Early 2026 saw both artists teasing the collaboration with cryptic social posts before its eventual release as Lake wrapped his King Of Hearts Tour with homecoming shows in South Carolina.
• The song was released on May 1, 2026, alongside a revamp of Jonas' track "Hope" from his February 2026 solo album Sunday Best, a ballad in which Jonas recalls his younger days singing in church and prays "the devil loosens up his hold." Lake and Jonas trade verses and join forces on the soaring chorus of that remix.
• "The Author" continues Lake's run of collaborations with artists outside of traditional Christian music. His duet with Jelly Roll, "Hard Fought Hallelujah," picked up a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song along with multiple GMA Dove Awards honors and a CMA Award nomination. Other team-ups include ones with Cody Johnson ("When A Cowboy Prays"), Bailey Zimmerman ("Just Believe"), and Lainey Wilson ("The Jesus I Know Now," released on Good Friday 2026).
• Lake and Jonas co-wrote the song with Benjamin William Hastings, Trannie Anderson and Micah Nichols, with Nichols also handling production.
  
  Benjamin William Hastings and Micah Nichols are Lake's frequent songwriting partners, including "That's Who I Praise" and "Hard Fought Hallelujah."
  
  Trannie Anderson is a frequent Lainey Wilson collaborator (notably on "The Jesus I Know Now") and established Nashville songwriter.