"Lion" (stylized in all-caps) is a song performed by American

contemporary worship Contemporary worship is a form of Christian worship that emerged within Western evangelical Protestantism in the 20th century. It was originally confined to the charismatic movement, but is now found in a wide range of churches, including many w ...

band

Elevation Worship Elevation Worship is a contemporary worship music collective from Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The collective leads worship in weekend church services at Elevation Church, as well as performing concerts and tours around the U ...

featuring Chris Brown and Brandon Lake. The song was released as the fourth track on the live album of the same name on March 4, 2022. The song was written by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, and

Steven Furtick Larry Stevens "Steven" Furtick Jr. (born February 19, 1980) is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor, author, and songwriter of Elevation Worship. He is the founder and senior pastor of Elevation Church, based in Charlotte North C ...

. "Lion" peaked at No. 16 on the US

Hot Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs ...

chart.

Background

Chris Brown of Elevation Worship shared the story behind the song, saying:

Composition

"Lion" is composed in the key of D minor with a tempo of 67 beats per minute, and a musical time signature of .

Critical reception

Timothy Yap, reviewing for JubileeCast, opined about the song: "The title cut "Lion," with its various depictions of Christ as presented in the book of Revelation, shows depth and maturity in the team's scribing skills." In an Afrocritik review, John Augustina said ""Lion" comprises high-octanes, and is beautifully crafted to encourage high praise followed by tranquil moments. Somehow, writing this, this track found its to way into my favourite playlist as I couldn’t help but listen over and over again. The vocal energy produced as they scream roar comes with a force that beckons even the hardest of souls." Jonathan Andre of 365 Days of Inspiring Media described the song in his review as "an anthemic, powerful melody." Gerod Bass of ''Worship Musician'' magazine wrote in his review: "The signature song on the album is the title track which begins with a piano ballad as Brandon Lake confidently-declares the majesty and power of our God as the lamb who roars for us with resurrection power."

Commercial performance

Following the release of the album, "Lion" made its debut at No. 17 on the US

chart, concurrently charting at No. 2 on the Christian Digital Song Sales chart.

Music videos

On March 4, 2022, Elevation Worship published the lyric video for the song on YouTube, later releasing the official music video for "Lion" that same day. The video shows Chris Brown and Brandon Lake leading the song during an Elevation Church worship service. On August 19, 2022, Elevation Worship published an acoustic performance video of the song on YouTube. The video was recorded in the loft of a recently restored barn in Charlotte, North Carolina, showing Brown and Lake leading the song.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2022 songs Elevation Worship songs Brandon Lake songs Songs written by Steven Furtick Songs written by Brandon Lake