What a Beautiful Name

Album: Let There Be Light (2016)
Charted: 107
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "What a Beautiful Name" is the lead single from Let There Be Light, the 25th live album released by Hillsong Worship. The record was recorded during the 2016 Hillsong Conference at the Qudos Bank Arena in early July 2016.
  • The song is sung by Brooke Ligertwood, who is one of several worship pastors from the Australian Hillsong Church. He co-wrote the track with his Hillsong worship pastor colleague Ben Fielding. Among Fielding's other writing credits is "Mighty to Save", which won the Worship Song of the Year at the 40th GMA Dove Awards.
  • The song spent eight weeks atop Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart, the hybrid ranking that combines airplay, streaming and sales data.
  • Ligertwood and Fielding penned the song specifically to be sung at the Hillsong conference with no thought of commercial success. Lighterwood told Billboard magazine: "You know, foremost, Hillsong is a church, the group Hillsong Worship is part of the church, so we set out to write songs that connect with the people there. So chart success is not really a part of the conversation, but listening to that, it's just great that so many people are hearing the song and that it might then work in their own lives, connecting them to God."
  • This was named both Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year at the 2017 Dove Awards.
  • This won for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the Grammy Awards in 2018.
  • The song draws inspiration from three scriptures: Hebrews 1:1–1:4, Colossians 1:15–1:20 and Colossians 1:26–1:27. Ligertwood told The Christian Post "What a Beautiful Name" has a "balance of sound theology about God revealing himself to humanity in and through Christ, personal lyrics about what that means for the individual, and then strong corporate confession about what that means for us today."

Comments: 2

  • Khethokuhle Madlala from PietermaritzburgPlease make the best lyrics ever
  • David from ColoradoMost of the song is great! But that one line about Jesus not wanting Heavin without us is so terrible I won't sing it as written. Stay with me, because I have a solution. But first let's acknowledge the gravity of that error. Clearly it does not align with the truth of scripture. Quite the opposite, it contradicts scripture, I won't list all the passages it contradicts, but I will call out Jesus words, "Behold, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again". Jesus is not sitting around in Heaven wishing we were there. He, in his love, grace, and mercy determined that He would prepare a new place for us, since we destroyed the first.

    It also places the importance of man above that of God. As if we could somehow fulfill God himself???!!! We should be terribly humbled by a God who is willing to make a new heaven and a new earth, after our own actions brought destruction upon His perfect act of creation. "You didn't want Heaven without us" does not reflect an ounce of humility.

    But, again, the rest of the song is great and God honoring. What should we do? Throw the whole thing out? I suggest there is an easy way to fix the song, so we can sing it in church -- knowing that we are fully glorifying our King and our Savior with our words. Simply re-write that one offending line to align with Truth. Everyone makes mistakes, just as the author of this song made a grievous error. That is part of being human.

    A simple fix: "We couldn't see Heaven without You". Shift it back to Him, away from us
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

Amanda Palmer

Amanda PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo.