Cory Asbury Targets Algorithms, ‘The Enemy’ After New Single Gets Zero Playlisting

Published: July 6, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

Christian music artist Cory Asbury released a new song that is a “departure” for him.

His new song, “Holy God,” is not focused on “I,” “me” or “us.” Rather “every line points up.”

“There isn’t a single word about us in the entire song,” Asbury said in a post on Instagram. “That’s the point. He’s the subject, the object, the whole song because he’s worthy of it. So I find it curious that this is the first song I’ve ever released to get almost zero playlisting. Nothing. Call it what you want — algorithm, timing, coincidence.”

“I think the enemy doesn’t love that I’m back making music for Jesus, and it shows,” the singer suggested.

“I’ll be honest, at first it discouraged me. Then I realized what it actually is: the setup for the undeniable God story, the kind where only He gets the credit,” Asbury reflected.

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The artist challenged the audience to share the song with someone if they enjoyed listening to it.

“So, here’s where you come in. If this song hits you, share it. Send it to one person who needs it. Be the playlisting it never got. Let’s see what He does with it,” he said. “There is no one like Him. This song is our weak attempt at saying so.”

Asbury had stepped away from the Christian music scene in recent years, but the “Reckless Love” artist recently released “Outsing the Angels,” his first “comeback single that doubles as the title of his forthcoming album, slated for release Sept. 18, 2026,” Air 1 Radio posted on Instagram.

In a video Asbury posted on social media, he talked about how God directed him away from a major country album and brought him back to worship.

“So it’s been a bit since we’ve talked,” Asbury said. “The last thing that you heard from me was I’m throwing away a country album to pursue this worship thing. I gave you no details, no backstory, none of the lore, none of the stuff that was going on. And so here I am to bring you up to speed with what God’s been doing.”

“Basically, I was running from my calling,” he admitted. “I was really frustrated by the industry of it all. Making money from worship music and the gospel was just such a weird feeling for me in my soul.”

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Asbury ran as far away as he could.

“I said, ‘You know what, man? I’ll retire. My family’s taken care of. I don’t have to do any of this stuff.’ And in that running, I was just getting cynical and jaded and bitter and frustrated at the church. The truth is, though, no one wants to live in that place. No one wants to wake up every morning wondering how they can tear it apart,” he added.

Asbury had accepted a $500,000 advance to make the country album, when he felt God tell him to give it all back and to make a worship album instead.

“We’re sitting in John Foreman from Switchfoot’s studio,” he remembered. “The Lord whispers to my spirit in an instant and says, ‘Be done. Stop running, move on to what you’re supposed to do, what you were made to do, what you were created to do.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, dang.”’

Despite the lack of initial industry support, Asbury is choosing to embrace his true calling by returning to his roots and trusting God with his new worship music.

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