Waymaker

Album: Awaken: The Surrounded Experience (2020)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Waymaker" is a contemporary worship song exalting God for who He is.

    Way maker, miracle worker
    Promise keeper, light in the darkness
    That is who You are


    The song describes God as One who makes a way for us, works miracles, keeps His promises, and defeats darkness with His light.
  • Nigerian gospel singer Sinach wrote and originally recorded "Waymaker" in 2015. It was an immense success in her home country, and in March 2019, the song's video reached 100 million views, making Sinach the third Nigerian singer to accomplish the feat.
  • Michael W. Smith covered the song in 2020. His seven-minute live version recorded during the Awaken: The Surrounded Experience at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena in August 2018 features the voices of his backing singer Vanessa Campagna and worship leader Madelyn Berry.
  • Smith also did a four-minute studio version, which is a duet between him and Vanessa Campagna, produced by Kyle Lee. They recorded it in late 2019. Smith recalled to Billboard: "Kyle did a lot of the mixing in his studio in Texas and Vanessa and I sang our parts in my studio in Franklin. So, we did a little juggling through the Internet that I generally don't like to do, but we felt like time was ticking away and needed to expedite things."
  • Smith and Campagna laid down an Italian version in response to the Italian people going through such a rough time during the Coronavirus pandemic. They released it on March 27, 2020 as "Aprirai Una Via."
  • The song topped Billboard's Christian Airplay tally to become Smith's first ever leader on the chart, which launched in 2003. (Back in the '80s and '90s, Smith regularly topped other Billboard Christian listings).
  • Other artists who have covered the song include Leeland, Christafari, Mandisa, Bethel Music, and Passion (featuring Kristina Stanfill, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes). Leeland's version reached the Top 10 of Billboard's Christian Airplay chart.

Comments: 1

  • Pastoress from IndianaCan anyone tell me which movie was the video clip from in the video Waymaker. It was the parting of the Red Sea. Thank you!
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