Pop singer/songwriter and recording artist Sean BE stands poised to enter a fresh season of music and ministry with the autobiographical new track “Step Into My Story,” available now from WieRok Entertainment/Syntax Creative. The hope-fueled anthem—penned by Sean BE and multi Dove Award-winning hit songwriter Tony Wood—chronicles the artist’s own journey of surrender, offering encouragement for all who struggle. A former children’s pastor and youth leader whose high-energy live performances have captivated audiences around the country, Sean BE’s mission is to inspire a new generation to find their identity in Christ. In this TCB Exclusive, Sean BE talks about the writing/recording process for his new single and how he hopes the song impacts listeners.
Can you share a little about the timeline for the conception of “Step Into My Story” and what you remember about the writing/recording sessions?
This song is really cool to me because I wouldn’t have been able to do it – it’s a team thing and a God thing 100%. It started from my move to Tennessee; I’m originally from Denver, CO. God opened doors and challenged me to step out in faith. So I closed my eyes and jumped and he let me land on my feet. I was able to work with a great group called WieRok Entertainment. They really started into the ministry and calling that I felt God had on my heart. They saw it and believed in it as much as I believed in it. I also partnered with a great writer named Tony Wood. He has an accomplished career and has a great heart. So when I heard they were trying to pair me with him, I wasn’t sure he would be interested or have the time. We came up to this song in the cowrite and I wanted to be vulnerable. We wanted to pull from the past experiences where we thought what we had for ourselves was somehow better than what God had for us – the timing that we wanted was better than the timing God had. We wanted to be open and vulnerable about that. So the song became one of surrender to God, but then also a declaration of His purpose He has in our lives. And that was actually the first song that I wrote when I moved to TN. All of it came together in this perfect formula where God dropped this song right in our laps. The cool thing about everyone that I worked with is that nobody was afraid to try things. There wasn’t a bad idea until after we tried it. It was just a great and open creative process.
How do you hope this song will impact others?
There are a lot of different ways that I hope that piece sticks. The first is that I want the audience to connect with the good news that they aren’t the only one struggling. People get that in their heads all the time, and we are all still people. The fact that we may think our way is better or forget to lean on God is not uncommon. In everyone’s story, you are not the only one struggling like that. Someone has been there before. But I want people to hear and declare the message you hear in the bridge – “we did not come this far just to come this far.” I want people to hear that and sing it with their hearts to believe it. It is reinforcement that Jesus is leading and writing my story. When Jesus has your story, He can even repurpose the past. There isn’t too much damage that Jesus can’t take the “you don’t know what I’ve done” and show what He can do with that. It takes the bad experiences and transforms them so we become the living testimony of the grace of God. You can see where we’ve been and where we are, and that incredible transformation can only be explained by God. With Jesus in your story, everything has purpose.
I was going to ask if there was a lyric you felt was most impactful, but I think you’ve already shared which that is.
That’s the one. God has just put that lyric on my heart so strong. I have seen things that I’ve done be used to help people. Back in Colorado, I was a children’s pastor and youth leader. One of the biggest reasons for me doing that was I was able to take my experiences – the lessons I learned the hard way and the victories – and I wanted to pass them down to the next kid, the next teenager. Being able to share and use my story to impact theirs for the better. So that lyric really sticks with me because it says to use everything God gave you, not just the good. Use the bad, use the times you questioned, use the victories, use the lows because it was not for nothing. It was all for the glory of God. He’s used the change He made in my life for others as well.
How does this single preview what listeners can expect from you in the future?
I never thought I needed to do this journey on my own. But a big prayer for me has been for God to send me the right people. There are so many people, and I could have so many relationships, but I prayed for the right relationships. Not just because someone is cool or knows a lot of people – but I wanted it to be about growth. So I learned from people who have gone before me and are willing to pour into me. I learned so much working with WieRok and Tony Wood – the lessons from business, relational, and personal. To take those lessons and hold on to them going forward just makes me more excited. I’ve been blessed to meet so many great writers, so it’s really cool to take this experience and snowball to see how far this will run.
You’ve been doing some festivals and live performances recently. What stands out to you from these experiences?
The live stuff has got to be my favorite part of it! You get to see new places, but more than that you get to meet new people. Just being able to meet people you otherwise wouldn’t have met is one of the coolest things. And having a great live show is being able to translate that feeling of joy. Joy can be contagious and it’s what I’m feeling when I create and sing the songs. If you’re having a good day, I want to make it better. If you’re having a bad day, I want to make it less bad. Live concerts also let the ministry of youth and kids go further too. It opens the door for influence and to speak life. It all comes back to people. God calls us to love and impact people. So the live concerts are a ton of fun and present a lot of ministry opportunities!
Who, or what, is currently providing inspiration for you, either musically or spiritually?
Biggest inspiration in the music industry is TobyMac. The way that he runs his ministry and the songs that he writes and continues to make these hit songs. TobyMac was out when I was a kid, and now I’m in the industry and he’s still killing it. What you can see is his passion – he believes in what he’s doing and he believes in God. We are just blessed to get to do what we do. And I believe Toby has this attitude that I want to continue to develop and hold close to my heart. We are blessed to be able to sing and speak to people, not the other way around. You don’t last as long as he has without that. So from his innovation in music and his attitude and how he takes care of his people is just something I look up to. This is music but it’s also ministry and if we’re not taking care of people and loving people along the way, then we are just doing music, and it’s more than that.
What are you most expectant for in the remainder of 2022?
When I moved to TN, I had my prayer list. I did some fasting time and praying time and I had set things on my heart that I was praying for. And God has blown those out of the water. There has been no bigger verse on my heart lately than “All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, will do far more than we can ask for or imagine.” That has been the biggest verse on my heart because it has proven so true in this season. So what I’m expecting for, hoping for, praying for God already did that. So now it’s just continuing to be obedient and saying yes and keeping a humble and thankful heart. I want to continue to work on my heart and lead my team in the same direction.
