Singer/songwriter, and new Centricity Music signee, Katy Nichole created her now viral song “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” from words in her prayer journal that were written in the midst of a global health crisis and in response to her own story of suffering, hope and healing. The 21-year-old has reached well over 150 million people with the chorus to her debut single and the song climbed to the second highest position on the iTunes’ overall Top Songs chart while remaining No. 1 on the iTunes Christian & Gospel chart following its release. After an organic add on K-LOVE, Air1 Radio Network and numerous other outlets nationally added the song to rotation, making it the Most Added single at Christian AC radio earlier this month. While her first single is a worshipful anthem ready-made for roomfuls of people to sing, it only reveals one facet of this multi-dimensional artist who is working on her debut album now, again drawing from her journal and well of life experiences. In this TCB Exclusive, Katy opens up about how witnessing healing in her own life inspired this impactful track. She also reacts to the enormous listener response to the song and how God used a seemingly ordinary TikTok to bring about a spirit of praise and prayer.
Congratulations on the recent release of “In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)!” Why is the message of this track so important to you personally?
This message is a message of healing. I’ve needed healing in my own life in so many different ways; I deal with anxiety and depression and broken relationships and health issues, and all of these things I’ve cried out to God. I’ve needed healing and I saw the healing happen. Healing is a journey when it happens over time, and I’m still in a place of healing right now from so many different seasons.
Is there a recurring lyric or theme you have noted from the listener responses you’ve received?
I’ve seen lots of different stories – so many different stories coming through and each is unique in their own way. But the one thing that I see as a pattern through all these stories is that they are encountering the Lord. They are experiencing Jesus for the first time, or for another time in their life if they already knew Him. But there are a lot of people seeing Jesus. Maybe they haven’t even recognized it yet, but it’s a start and a step in the right direction, which I just think is really cool.
If you can go back to when you were first creating this music. Did you anticipate the success, that it would go viral on TikTok and chart on iTunes?
Not at all! The TikTok video that started this was a routine video. I create content every week and it felt normal, like any other day that I was posting a video. I didn’t have any expectations. But I do remember I took a long time to film that video. There were a lot of distractions going on – cats walking through – and it was a funny video. But I could have never expected the reaction it’s been getting in my wildest dreams.
How has this success impacted your definition of ‘success’ for this single?
I just want people to continue to praise the name of Jesus. There is power in that name. The only goal I had when writing this song is for people to hear that name and be curious if they didn’t know. That’s where it all starts – questioning things is really good and looking into things to understand them. Everyone needs prayer and that was part of the writing process. What does the world need right now? – prayer. Moving forward with the new music I’m going to create, I just want people to feel that healing presence. Whatever the story I may be telling, I want them to feel the healing presence.
You co-wrote the track. How do you think the sound and overall quality were enhanced by collaboration?
It changed quite a bit. The original song was called “God of Possible,” so “In Jesus Name” is completely different, and I don’t know a lot of people know that. It was a different song and the bridge was something we really wanted to use, which is what was posted on TikTok. And it ended up becoming the chorus in “In Jesus Name.” The song originally was to talk about how God is the God of possible, and truthfully it’s still that idea, but it’s more personal. It’s coming straight from my prayer journal from a time where I was using my prayers as a weapon. These were the words I was using, and I feel there was power in those words that God is now going to use in someone else’s life.
As your debut single, how does this preview the music you create/want to continue creating?
This song is a special song. It didn’t come up as one of the ones we were going to record a few months ago, and now moving forward, the music is going to be authentic to me and who I am. If I am telling a real story, then that’s the music I’m going to create. Coming up I have some really cool songs I can’t wait to share, and it’s the power of Jesus and His healing. The style is a little bit worshipful, and I’ll leave the rest as a surprise.
Who, or what, is currently providing inspiration for you, either musically or spiritually?
I draw inspiration from a lot of my favorite artists. I love Maverick City Music; they are just incredible, and I love how spontaneous they are. They record their videos live, which is just so raw and authentic. For me, that’s important, for my music to be raw and real. And I draw inspiration from watching movies and documentaries and seeing the experiences of others as well as from my own life.
What are you most expectant for in 2022?
Some people have a word for each year, and my word for this year is STRENGTH. I just want to grow stronger in my faith, grow stronger in the things that I do, music or hobbies. I just want to continue to grow and always rely on the strength that God gives me to do those things.