A decade after âAmerican Idol,â Danny Gokey seeing fruits ...

it would be convenient to see the message in singer Danny Gokey's new album, "Haven't considered It Yet," as a proclamation of failure.

As in, Gokey hasn't seen the platinum-checklist success of both guys who comprehensive ahead of him on the eighth season of tv's "American Idol" a decade in the past — Kris Allen and Adam Lambert.

but Gokey says the album, released in April, is just the contrary: a press release of how the best part of his profession continues to be forward.

"Whew, the place do I even delivery?" Gokey says of the album in a mobile call from Nashville, where the Milwaukee native has lived for 10 years. "It's a undertaking that I've viewed so tons boom on. I've worked with a lot more newer americans than I've ever worked with earlier than, and i'm in reality happy with the outcomes — the messages, sonically, the sound, the vibe.

"that you may inform I'm transforming into, I feel like, a greater subtle, greater mature artist. It's funky, it's soulful, it's very hopeful — very, very hopeful."

Gokey will, little doubt, function music from the new disc when he performs at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8 at Bethany Wesleyan Church in Cherryville.

The album, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Christian Albums chart (and gave Gokey his fourth No. 1 Christian chart hit with the title song) does, certainly, proceed Gokey's increase as an artist.

It's a path that all started in 2014 with the liberate of his first Christian album, "Hope in entrance of Me," which topped the Christian chart and gave Gokey his first No. 1 Christian hit with the title track. Then a 2d Christian chart-topper, "inform Your heart to Beat again," grew to become a gold list.

He adopted up with a properly 10 Christian chart holiday album, "Christmas is here," in 2015 and a Spanish-language re-subject of "Hope in front of Me," "La Esperanza Frente a Mi," in 2016 before he had the greatest success of his profession, the album "rise," in 2017.

"anytime i'm going to make a record, I simply delivery praying: 'God, what do you want to see out of this checklist?' because God gave me the means to do tune," Gokey says of his method to "upward thrust."

"So I'm always going to head to Him and simply say, 'i want your support with this assignment. and give me the phrases to say, the individuals to work with.' And that's kind of the enjoyable thing — the place you're in the stage you don't know what's going to come back out of it, but you're in reality happily stunned at what does in reality come out of it. And the americans I've been able to work with.

"And so I consider there's several types of more mature lyrics — and by using mature I suggest you see, like, a really knowledgeable … I've turn into greater professional at how I write because I have extra follow. I've turn into greater skilled at how we produce as a result of I've had greater adventure in these areas. so you all the time hope that there's more and more boom with every listing."

Gokey's course to success wasn't all the time as effortless.

After finishing third on "American Idol," Gokey signed with a rustic track label, RCA Nashville, at the advice of a visitor judge on the exhibit, Randy Travis.

"I best did one classification of music earlier than I ever came on the exhibit, and that become worship — cause i was a worship chief," Gokey says. "however I listened to plenty. I simply think because it changed into my first journey stepping out, Randy Travis mentioned that I should still try nation. and i listened to country tune turning out to be up. He noted I should try country 'trigger it changed into missing the soul that I had.

"well, I went out and i did it and it didn't work. and i simply adored that, despite the fact that it didn't work."

Gokey's debut disc, 2010's "My premiere Days," hit No. three on the nation chart and No. 4 on Billboard's universal chart, but most effective had one single that broke the properly 30, "My superior Days are forward of Me."

He even toured with country's biggest acts, opening for Taylor Swift and lady Antebellum (with whom he played Allentown fair in 2010). however the album directly dwindled, and so did Gokey's presence on the tune scene. The record enterprise dropped him in 2011.

He foundered a bit, self-releasing a 2012 EP, "Love again," that back to his first love of contemporary Christian music.

at last, Gokey changed into signed by Sony BMG.

"right here's a little secret that people may be stunned at," Gokey says. "The guy who signed me — i love him to at the present time, however he in fact didn't understand. My manager become in reality convincing him, and he at last sat down and instructed my manager, 'I don't know why I'm signing Danny Gokey, however I suppose like I'm speculated to.'

"He goes, 'just please don't let me lose any money off this listing.' The listing label was nervous to sign me because I failed. And so it changed into a big risk for them to sign me.

"I consider, for me, I simply needed to work out who i was the longer route. And that's adequate — I think lots of people are like me in this world, who just don't have all of it figured out and still, you recognize, you take tasks to determine it out, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, you recognize?"

however "Hope in front of Me" became such a hit that Gokey become nominated for most fulfilling New Artist and "Hope in front of Me" for music of the 12 months at Christian song's Dove Awards.

For "upward push," Gokey says he took some chances. He says the title music, which speaks of "a brokenness interior of you/There's a wound that nevertheless reminds you/Of the concern, shame and rejection" changed into "written from a really own journey."

"I think for those who write from a personal experience, you're in a position to in reality reach peoples' hearts at a unique level," he says. "I did some basically intimate songs on that one."

Gokey says, "duets have been actually one of the things i wished to center of attention on," and the disc blanketed duets with "American Idol" winner Jordan Sparks on "Chasing" and gospel singer Kierra Sheard on "superior Than I found It."

"upward push" additionally topped the Christian chart and had two good 10 Christian hits, together with the No. 1 hit title music. It obtained him nominated for Dove Awards for modern Christian Artist of the year and modern Album of the year, and for a Grammy Award for top-rated modern Christian Album.

"i was shocked, to be sincere. That stunned me," he says. "Pleasantly shocked to be nominated for a Grammy."

That disc also gave Gokey the probability to undertake his first headlining tour, which stopped at F.M. Kirby core in Wilkes-Barre.

"We put plenty into that and that i love attending to share with the people and that i love the journey," he says. "I obtained loads of journey from that tour. We took lots of dangers — I'm a possibility-taker at coronary heart. It's like, 'go big or go domestic.' lots of instructions learned — as a result of to any extent further, I'll be doing my very own headlining tours. And that one simply, it really made experience to me within the experience that I got to dream, and i received to peer 'this is what my imaginative and prescient would look like if I did a tour.'"

Gokey says he took the equal prayerful method to the new album, and accomplished it "truly, really short. Which become wonderful. ... you could suppose the extra time, the better it comes out, but that's no longer always the case."

the new album expands Gokey's musical palate even more — showing one of the most R&B and soul leanings that Gokey showed on "American Idol."

"through the years, you are attempting to be taught and you develop," he says. "lots of instances there are certain issues you could liberate to Christian radio, however there are different definite songs you put on a listing that would by no means make radio. … They're now not as 'in a field,' I may still say. so you get to see a bit further in case you come to a are living exhibit, examine to if you simply hear it on the radio."

Gokey says he realizes many americans nevertheless understand him essentially from "American Idol," and says, "I don't intellect it."

"I'll tell you this: The goal is to create work that's backyard of that," he says. "I'm good enough if you remember me from that, however confidently I've made an have an effect on past that, because the day prior to this should now not be my greatest moment.

"and that i suppose americans should look at day after day as, like, your most suitable is yet to return. no longer, 'Oh the decent old days.' You be aware of, it's a tricky … The decent historic days we should still look again and smile, but we shouldn't seem to be back and say, 'Man, that was the most effective life needed to present.' I all the time are looking to preserve enhancing extra, and becoming improved at leaving a legacy past that."

Gokey's world is expanding in alternative ways. In August, his wife, Leyicet, gave delivery to their fourth child.

"It's magical. I suggest, it's sacrificial, that's for certain," he says, laughing as he loads a son in his car. "however we're simply enjoying the season we're in. You comprehend, it's funny as a result of elevating [four] kids right now is a lot of work. ... however I consider like I'm planning for my future. I consider like the greater children, the merrier. You just gotta get through the season of, like, no sleep. And that lasts for fairly some time."

Morning name Lehigh Valley tune reporter and columnist John J. Moser will also be reached at 610-820-6722 or jmoser@mcall.com

DANNY GOKEY live

When: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8

the place: Bethany Wesleyan Church, 675 Blue Mountain power, Cherryville

Tickets: $20.50-$forty four.50

data: bethanywes.org/pursuits, 610-767-1239

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