Melody Noel – Back To Praise EP

Released: May 2, 2025 (Influence Music)

4.6/5

Written by: Mike Laxton (May 6, 2025)

After eight years of shaping the sonic and spiritual identity of Influence Music from behind the scenes, Melody Noel steps boldly into the spotlight with her debut solo Christian EP, Back To Praise. More than just a personal milestone, the five-track release is a refreshing and intimate offering of worship — born from both experience and encounter — that testifies to God’s presence, goodness, and grace.

The opening track, “Closer Than I Know,” sets the tone with a deep sense of spiritual vulnerability. Built on a soft piano foundation and laced with spoken Scripture, the song immediately invites listeners into a sacred space. Melody’s voice carries a gentle authority — not performative, but ministering. Drawing from Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, and Psalm 23, she paints a vivid picture of a God who is near in both our dancing and despair. It’s a modern-day psalm — raw and real, but full of hope.

This intimacy transitions seamlessly into “So Good,” a track that lifts the tempo and tone. Here, Melody exchanges reflection for rejoicing, proclaiming the breathtaking beauty of God’s creation and His undeniable goodness. The energy shifts, with vibrant instrumentation and metaphor-rich lyrics that move listeners to worship with both mind and movement. Where “Closer Than I Know” whispers assurance, “So Good” shouts praise — and together, the two serve as the emotional and spiritual axis of the project.

Then comes the title track, “Back To Praise” — a poignant reminder that praise isn’t reserved for the mountaintop moments. It’s a return. A reorientation. Even when we’re in the valley, we’re going back to praise, echoing a theme that’s desperately needed in today’s spiritually distracted world. The track captures the heartbeat of the entire EP: that no matter our circumstances, worship is our response, our weapon, and our way home.

“God’s Got This” continues the theme with a slightly more contemporary pop approach, offering encouragement to those who feel overwhelmed. It’s less about polished theology and more about the daily confession of trust — the kind that arises when life doesn’t make sense, but faith endures. The message is simple yet powerful: God can handle it all. That reminder, delivered with Melody’s smooth yet earnest vocals, makes the track both accessible and anthemic.

The EP closes with “Beautiful Life (Roses and Candles),” a hopeful and celebratory reflection on the joy that comes from living a life surrendered to God. Its melodic warmth and lyrical simplicity make it an ideal closer — a final deep breath after a journey through reflection, praise, surrender, and trust.

What sets Back To Praise apart is not just its musicality — though the echoes of early 2000s singer-songwriter influences like Sara Bareilles and Natasha Bedingfield give it a nostalgic yet fresh quality — but its sincerity. These are not songs written to chart. They are testimonies set to music, shaped by a woman who has both seen and stewarded revival through Influence Music and is now offering her own personal soundtrack of faith.

In our Kingdom Builder conversation with Melody, she shared how these songs weren’t crafted in a vacuum but were born from real-life encounters with God’s nearness and goodness. That authenticity bleeds through every lyric and phrase. Her desire to create something “life-giving” is evident not just in the tone of the project but in its purpose — these songs redirect hearts to that which is praiseworthy.

From writing Billboard-charting pop tracks and collaborating with Jennifer Lopez, to establishing a worship movement that’s reached hundreds of millions of streams, Melody Noel’s journey has been anything but linear. Yet, Back To Praise feels like a homecoming. A declaration that, after all the platforms and milestones, true peace and purpose are found in worship.

For those looking for songs that speak to both the storm and the stillness, this EP is for you. It’s worship music that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable — a rare balance that Melody Noel manages with grace and conviction.

With Back To Praise, Melody Noel doesn’t just deliver a strong debut — she offers an altar. And through every track, she invites us to meet God there again.