Josiah Queen Captures Joy, Surrender, and Belonging In New Album Mt. Zion

Josiah Queen has always written like someone who’s chasing something bigger than himself. On “Mt. Zion”, he finds it- a home in God’s presence, expressed through songs that range from playful and triumphant to deeply reflective. Even from the first listen, it became clear to me that Queen’s 12-track major-label debut album is not just any Christian album- it is a surrender to the Lord and a testament to the joy that comes from that surrender. Let’s walk through the album track by track and see how that surrender comes to life in song.

Yesterday Is Dead

Written by: John Michael Howell, Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson
Produced by: John Michael Howell, Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson

As one of the first singles for this album, “Yesterday Is Dead” has already become a key part of Josiah Queen’s discography, and rightfully so. This upbeat and triumphant song is so fun to listen to, and hones in on a profound truth (found in Colossians 3:5-10): that life with Jesus is found in putting to death the old self, and putting on the new.

Watch Your Mouth

Written by: Elijah Queen, Jared Marc Condon, Josiah Queen, Romeo Barela
Produced by: Jared Marc

I was originally caught off guard by the title and first line of this song, but as it went on, the whole thing made a lot more sense to me. It’s about our own guilt and negative self-talk, and how God feels about it. This upbeat track speaks to the fact that we are God’s prized creation, and by speaking poorly about ourself, we are speaking poorly of His favorite thing He’s ever made.

Can’t Steal My Joy (ft. Brandon Lake)

Written by: Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Josiah Queen
Produced by: Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley

This song is also one of the original singles for this project, and is still a really fun listen for me. Its message is a simple one, but is still profound nonetheless: that life with Jesus equals constant, unshakeable joy. The Brandon Lake feature is also a fun addition, and though it feels a little bit like a play for streams, it does add to the song to have another voice on it.

Two Wooden Beams

Written by: John Michael Howell, Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson
Produced by: John Michael Howell

On this song, Josiah takes a step back for the first time on the album into a more introspective and personal position. I LOVE this track- it’s beautiful and simple and points to the proof of God’s love for us, found in His son's crucifixion. I also think the chorus melody and hard-hitting moments hit so hard and really add to the track.

Mt. Zion

Written by: Josiah Queen
Produced by: Jared Marc

As the title track of the album, “Mt. Zion” is both literally and figuratively the heart of this album, and captures what I think is the central message of the project, that the belonging we are looking for is found in the presence of God. Though it feels like one of the simpler songs on the album, the catchy melodies and comfort found in the lyrics have made it a highlight for me.

Dusty Bibles

Written by: Dylan Thomas, John Michael Howell, Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson
Produced by: John Michael Howell

If you haven’t heard this song, you’re probably living under a rock- since the song was released, it has quickly shot up on Josiah Queen’s top songs, and has been all over social media. Personally, I find the writing to be a little weak in a few spots, but I love the message of it that has clearly resonated with a large portion of the population: the peace and security that our generation is looking for in all the wrong places is found in God.

Cloud And Fire

Written by: Dylan Thomas, John Michael Howell, Zac Lawson, Josiah Queen
Produced by: John Michael Howell

This song was also a pre-album single, but sadly flew under the radar a little bit. Despite this, it’s one of my favorite songs on the project- the chorus melody and strings on this song are BEAUTIFUL, and capture the winding, beautiful journey that is following Jesus through the highs and lows. I would love to hear more like this from Josiah in the future.

Slow Down, Please

Written by: Jared Marc, Joel Houston, Josiah Queen
Produced by: Jared Marc

Josiah follows the slow, beautiful truth found in “Cloud And Fire” with another ballad-type song in “Slow Down, Please,” another track that I will definitely be returning to in the future. It speaks to our tendency to strive to get God’s attention and His approval, despite His desire for us to just stop and be with Him. In my journey with mental health and work/life balance, this is a truth that I need more of in my life, and I’m sure many of you can relate.

I’ll Fly Away (ft. Benjamin William Hastings)

Written by: Benjamin William Hastings, John Michael Howell, Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson
Produced by: Zac Lawson

As soon as I saw that Benjamin William Hastings was going to be a feature on this song, I was extremely excited to hear what they cooked up, and this song does not disappoint. As an homage to the classic 1929 hymn by the same name, this song captures a familiar truth and joy that many of us grew up singing, but in an updated and joy-filled way for a new generation.

The Meaning Of Life

Written by: Angelo Espinosa (Strings and Heart), Josiah Queen
Produced by: Ben Foster

In my opinion, some of the best Christian songs are so incredible because they are literally just scripture word-for-word put to melody, and this song is one of those. Written by Josiah and Strings and Heart front-man Angelo Espinosa, these two writers literally just took every word of this from the book of Ecclesiastes, and in doing so captured the “vapor” that life is apart from God.

Thief In The Night (ft. Gable Price)

Written by: Angelo Espinosa, Gable Patrick Price, Josiah Queen
Produced by: Ben Foster, Gable Price

If I were to rank the songs on this album in terms of how well I feel like the songs were written, this would undoubtedly be at the top. Written by Strings and Heart front-man Angelo Espinosa, Gable Price, and Josiah, this track plays on 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, in which “the day of the Lord” is described as a thief that could come at any moment. Instead of following that train of thought though, they use the phrase to describe how Jesus breaks into our lives and takes everything that is bad for us, leaving us with goodness and truth.

Adonai (Lord of My Life)

Written by: Jared Marc Condon, Josiah Queen
Produced by: Jared Marc

I think this song was a great choice to close out the album- it’s sweet and simple, and captures the theme of surrender that is woven throughout all 12 songs. The ukulele is really fun, and the closing line (seen above) is a beautiful way to leave the listener.

Some Closing Thoughts

As someone who I consider to be a front-runner of this New Wave of Christian music that has been bubbling up over the past few years, I was both excited for this album and nervous about the direction that it would be taken in. Up until recently, when Josiah signed with Capitol CMG, (the largest and most successful Christian record label in the game right now), he had been releasing music and promoting it independently. As I’m sure I’ll explore in future articles and posts, one of the many benefits of independence is the ability to retain creative control and to stay away from being swayed by money or people with other motives. The fact that this record turned out as good as it did is really comforting to me, and gives me assurance that Christian record labels are willing to release music that isn’t straight up CCM and does wrestle with faith.

This album is also very comforting to me on a more personal side- I can so easily get bogged down by the heaviness of life and the complexity of life with Jesus that I forget how simple it can be, and that the joy of Jesus is sitting there waiting for us. Thank you Josiah for allowing me to sing, dance, and sit in the presence of God, and I can’t wait to continue to do so with this album and the many songs to come.