{"id":46313,"date":"2025-09-05T10:19:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=46313"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:19:52","slug":"bodie-opens-up-about-fear-faith-and-the-conviction-that-led-him-to-christian-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2025\/09\/bodie-opens-up-about-fear-faith-and-the-conviction-that-led-him-to-christian-music.html","title":{"rendered":"Bodie Opens Up About Fear, Faith, and the Conviction That Led Him to Christian Music"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
@bodie \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Bodie Kuljian\u2014known simply as bodie<\/em>\u2014talks about the turning point in his career, he doesn’t start with chart-topping singles or high-profile performances. Instead, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter points to an unforgettable moment of conviction when the Holy Spirit redirected his path.<\/p>\n

“I’d always loved Jesus, but I was afraid to switch to Christian music,” bodie told The Christian Post.<\/em> “I didn’t want to lose the audience of people who hated Jesus and hated the Church. I still wanted to write music that gave them glimpses of hope.”<\/p>\n

But in prayer, he said, the Holy Spirit made things clear: “You don’t choose who you reach. I choose that.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“That completely humbled me,” he reflected. “And shortly after that, I signed with Provident, a Christian record label. Since then, God’s reached more people than I ever could have imagined\u2014those who love the Church, hate the Church, and everyone in between.”<\/p>\n

A Leap of Faith<\/h2>\n

That leap of faith led to No Skips<\/em><\/a>, bodie’s first full-length album, which is now released through Provident Entertainment\/Sony. The project follows a string of chart-topping singles, millions of streams, Dove Award nominations, and a win at the International Songwriting Competition for his breakout song, Whisper and the Wind<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Authenticity, he said, is the heart of his creative process. “Sixty to 70% of the songs weren’t written with an album in mind,” bodie explained. “I was just writing songs that were true to me, things God had put on my heart. Later, when it came time to think about an album, we picked the songs that made the most sense together.”<\/p>\n

Though the process felt unplanned, the final project surprised him with its cohesion. “Each song represents a different season of someone’s life\u2014navigating what it looks like to be human, figuring out how to walk with God, how to navigate relationships with others and with yourself,” he said.<\/p>\n

Songs of Redemption and Honesty<\/h2>\n

One of the most vulnerable tracks, Heaven Knows I Tried,<\/em> candidly recounts bodie’s pursuit of fleeting pleasures before finding restoration in Christ.<\/p>\n

“It’s important to write songs that acknowledge, ‘Hey, I’ve messed up, and I still do sometimes,'” he said. “But God redeems everyone. No one is unredeemable.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Whisper and the Wind<\/em>\u2014a song that climbed into the Top 10 on both Billboard Airplay and Mediabase Audience charts\u2014reminds listeners that God often speaks in subtle ways. “Sometimes He’s there in the quiet whisper,” bodie noted.<\/p>\n

That single has since amassed over 23 million global streams and earned him the grand prize in the International Songwriting Competition, which was judged by Tom Waits, Nancy Wilson of Heart, and members of Linkin Park and Sugarland.<\/p>\n

“I knew from the beginning it was a song that would move people,” bodie said. “I didn’t think it would move 23 million people.”<\/p>\n

From The Voice<\/em> to Worship Stages<\/h2>\n

Bodie’s journey into Christian music may not have unfolded without his breakout run on Season 22 of NBC’s The Voice.<\/em> His powerful cover of Brandon Lake’s Gratitude<\/em> in the finale revealed a side of him fans hadn’t seen before.<\/p>\n

“I’d always been a worship leader alongside making secular music,” he explained. “Singing Gratitude<\/em> in the finale was really the start of God working on my heart. That moment on The Voice<\/em> was like a magnifying glass; it gave me a platform, but it also set me on a new trajectory.”<\/p>\n

At 30, he was older than many of his fellow contestants. “I already knew who I was as a man, as a Christian, as an artist,” he said. “The show wasn’t my big break, but it gave me the opportunity to grow my audience and capture people’s attention. And then God redirected my heart.”<\/p>\n

Music That Changes Lives<\/h2>\n

Now, touring has become an essential part of bodie’s ministry. After wrapping up his Murder My Ego Tour,<\/em> he hits the road with Elevation Rhythm and later Seph Schlueter for a string of fall dates. And wherever he goes, he insists on meeting fans face to face.<\/p>\n

“Until I can’t do it anymore, I stay until I’ve met every person who wants to meet me,” he said. “If my music is helping people fall more in love with Jesus, it’s an honor to hear their stories.”<\/p>\n

Some of those stories have been deeply moving\u2014fans sharing how his songs helped them through suicidal thoughts or mental health struggles. “When someone says, ‘Your music saved my life,’ I don’t take that lightly,” he said. “It reminds me it’s not about money or career\u2014it’s about the songs God appointed me to write, actually changing the course of someone’s life.”<\/p>\n

Others, he added with a laugh, have been more surprising: “I’ve had about four or five fans tattoo my logo or autograph on them.”<\/p>\n

A Time of Opportunity<\/h2>\n

Though initially hesitant about entering the Christian music industry, bodie now believes it’s the perfect time to be a CCM artist. “People just want authentic music they can relate to, regardless of labels,” he said. “And sonically, you can do whatever you want. The lines are blurred across genres, and that’s exciting.”<\/p>\n

With No Skips<\/em>, bodie hopes listeners walk away with more than catchy hooks. “I hope their ears are ringing because they played it super loud,” he said with a smile. “But deeper than that, I hope they feel understood in their faith journey. I hope the songs encourage people to process how they see the Holy Spirit and maybe fall more in love with God.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Bodie Kuljian\u2014known simply as bodie\u2014talks about the turning point in his career, he doesn’t start with chart-topping singles or high-profile performances. Instead, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter points to an unforgettable moment of conviction when the Holy Spirit redirected his path. “I’d always loved Jesus, but I was afraid to switch to Christian music,” bodie told…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":46316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nBodie Opens Up About Fear, Faith, and the Conviction That Led Him to Christian Music<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Singer-songwriter bodie shares how the Holy Spirit led him to Christian music and his debut album No Skips, filled with faith and hope.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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