By Carrie Brown McWhorter
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist
Strong lyrics with an upbeat spin have put the music of Love Displayed on the worship playlist at many churches. The duo’s recent release is just a peek into their next album, a project whose pop sound provides the backdrop for a solid Christ-centered message that contemporary Christian music fans will love.
Love Displayed’s deluxe single, a double-feature download of “All Power,” the highest selling song from their 2016 album “You’re the Only One,” and a new song, “Walk on Water,” offers a preview of the upcoming album, “Eyes on You,” set to release in May 2017.
Zak Huffman — who along with his wife, Amy, makes up the husband/wife team that provides vocals for Love Displayed — says the two songs complement each other but are very different. Zak Huffman describes “All Power” as worshipful, one reason the song is popular among church music leaders. “Walk on Water” combines a pop flair with lyrical depth.
The Huffmans wrote the song during a difficult time in their lives, and Zak Huffman says the bridge lyrics came to them during a time of praying and playing music in their basement: “Even in the crashing waves / Even when I’m so afraid / I will always hear You say / Don’t look down, keep your eyes on Me.”
“Everybody can relate to the song because it’s about going through any type of storm or trial in life and keeping our eyes on Jesus,” he said. “We built the song around that theme.”
Fans have responded well to the new single. A music video for “Walk on Water” released on YouTube got 40,000 views in the first two days and 130,000 views within five days, which was “very exciting,” he said.
“We were very happy about that response.”
“Eyes on You” will feature several other new songs written by the Huffmans, including the title track, “Eyes on You,” another song that emphasizes Jesus as the anchor in the raging seas of life. The album will include some old favorites too, including an upbeat remake of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” that Zak Huffman says stays true to the original but will be fun for churches to sing in worship.
The Huffmans also are excited about the opportunity to spread the word about Spirit of Adoption Ministries (SOAM), a missions-focused nonprofit they founded to focus on caring for the needs of the poorest of the poor around the world. Proceeds from their albums support SOAM partnerships with missionaries and ministries in the couple’s hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia, the mid-Ohio Valley and around the world.
In addition to their scheduled performances at church events, worship nights and conferences, Love Displayed is planning a tour in 2017 in conjunction with the release of “Eyes on You.” The tour will offer several opportunities for the Huffmans to get together with their fans, who they consider family, and encourage them in their daily spiritual walk.
“We live in a world where there’s a lot of bad news, but when people listen to our music, we want them to feel peace and remember the promises of the Lord,” Zak Huffman said. “We want to remind them that everything is going to be okay.”
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