When most people think about non-secular music, they typically think of Hillsong United or Elevation Worship. Which, OK, is valid. Those two groups have dominated the worship music scene for years, with numerous controversies that have made them recognizable to anyone, regardless of their religious affiliation.
But with Generation Z entering the sphere of worship music, they have begun to shift from what is considered “traditional” in the genre — mainly songs that one would hear sung in church or at a Bible study — to songs that are deeply emotional, personal and relatable.
From these artists, the best to emerge is Allison Eide.
Eide first came onto the music scene in 2020 when she released a cover of “Mary Did You Know” with her father, Peder Eide. For the next three years, she released Christmas music until her first single, “Love Who I Am,” in late 2023. The song talks about insecurities and people pleasing, but through her faith, she knows who she truly is inside.
Eide didn’t blow up overnight. Instead, she spent her time crafting her music and relating to the struggles modern Christians face: expectations on social media, struggles with mental health and the growing discord around faith.
In September 2024, however, Eide’s music reached not just her usual Christian listeners but also those from other faiths or who may not be religious when she released her song “Truth Is (Liar).”
The song speaks of the lies that are put in our heads from outside sources and how they can be flipped on their head to prove the source wrong.
That energy comes through especially in the bridge, where Eide flips criticism into empowerment: “You list ’em off, everything that I’m not / A-B-C, one, two, three, ‘monologue’ / But I list ’em off, everything that I got / Look at me, I’m free and you’re not.”
This is the song that introduced me to her music, and every song from her discography has slowly infiltrated my playlists.
Eide’s most vulnerable song, however, proves to be her newest single, “why, why, why.”
Released Nov. 7, 2025, it speaks about her father’s death after his battle with cancer, as well as recounting the time she spoke to a young girl dying of AIDS. Across the song, Eide wrestles with silence — God’s, the world’s and her own — as she faces pain, suffering and the weight of mental health struggles.
It’s a raw, tear-streaked reflection that strips away performance and pride. Eide knows what it means to question faith and still cling to it. In an October teaser, she shared a preview of the chorus with the caption: “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. it’s time we stop coming to Him like He isn’t.”
And honestly? I have yet to listen to it without being brought to tears. It’s rare to find music that makes one feel seen in faith, doubts and grief, but Eide does exactly that.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu
