Israel & New Breed

Emerging victorious after one of the most spiritually and emotional challenging seasons of his life and career, six time Grammy Award winner Israel Houghton launches his third decade as a recording artist with an empowering single that speaks to his faith in the Lord’s relentless pursuit of those who have gone temporarily astray – and the divine love which will stop at nothing to bring His children back home. Bringing the depth of his own experience at the spiritual crossroads to every impassioned note, his fresh, soulfully transcendent re-imagining of Cory Asbury’s #1 Billboard hit “Reckless Love” takes it to a whole new heart-penetrating realm. Immediately upon its March 2018 release, Houghton’s version topped Billboard’s Gospel Digital Tracks chart.
As the leader and visionary force behind the globally acclaimed ensemble and ministry organization Israel & New Breed, the gospel legend has written or co-written some of the most widely sung praise and worship songs of the era, including the GMA Dove Award winning hits “Again I Say Rejoice,” “Not Forgotten,” “Turn It Around,” “Say So” and “The Power of One (Change the World).” While Houghton rarely records the compositions of other artists, Asbury’s song impacted and lifted him the same way Chris Tomlin’s “Our God” did when the singer chose to record it for his groundbreaking 2010 solo album LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE: THE LONDON SESSIONS, which won a Dove award for “Best Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year” and a Grammy award for “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.”
“I felt the same way when I included ‘Here I Am To Worship’ as part of a medley on Live From Another Level, thinking all along how excited I am going to be singing it live,” says Houghton, who has performed extensively throughout North America, Africa, Europe and Asia over the years while releasing critically acclaimed, award-winning albums like the gold selling ALIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA (2005) and COVERED: ALIVE IN ASIA (2015). “If a song hits me in a way that speaks to me first, that’s a good indication that it will speak to others.”
“With ‘Reckless Love,’ I wanted to create a version with a vibe that would distinguish it from Cory’s incredible recording but also support and add to its legacy,” Houghton says. He adds, “Its message speaks to me every day, having gone through these intense, perception shifting seasons in my life. Everybody needs to be reminded that with God, you can always come home – and if you choose not to turn and run in that direction, He can pursue you anyway like in the parable of the Prodigal Son. In trying to put my feeling about this love in contemporary terms, I made a social media post comparing this spiritual phenomenon to Liam Neeson’s character in the film ‘Taken.’ God will stop at nothing to reach us, find us, transform us. As Cory wrote so brilliantly, it’s all about the ‘overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God.”
For Houghton, “Reckless Love” kicks off a rollout of several upcoming singles in anticipation of an upcoming studio collection, due later this year. He is working on tracks with a handful of renowned fellow genre artists, including urban contemporary gospel band The Walls Group, gospel reggae singer Chevelle Franklyn (who was featured on Houghton’s Grammy winning 2009 collection THE POWER OF ONE) and seven time Stellar Gospel Music Award winner Travis Greene. Greene and The Walls Group appear on the recently released Houghton produced collection EVIDENCE by Elevation Collective. In addition, Houghton and his wife Adrienne Bailon – a former member of multi-platinum Disney sensation The Cheetah Girls and current co-host of the syndicated talk show The Real – have recorded a song titled “Secrets,” about God’s ability to take our masks off to lovingly reveal our deeper truths.
Combining music and ministry like no other ensemble in Christian music, Israel Houghton & New Breed is a movement for those who believe that worship and justice go hand in hand. Their mission has long been to reflect the heart of God and His love for the nations, the poor, the lost and the forgotten. As they have collectively stated, “We are not defined by the petty price tag mentalities of society. Our inheritance lies far beyond eternity. There are no limits when it comes to our destiny. As the deep goes deeper we find our name. We are New Breed.... Are you?”
Since the release of WHISPER IT LOUD in 1997, Israel & New Breed have achieved a synthesis of music and message that has elevated and galvanized audiences both within and outside of traditional church walls. Recording most of their albums before live audiences to capture their high energy and powerful synergy with audiences, the group’s songs have become standards in houses of worship around the globe, tearing down the walls of racial divide in the church. In addition, Houghton’s music has long been an integral part of the worship experience for countless now generation churches. With joy, purpose and conviction-infused voices singing over global-minded arrangements with African, Middle Eastern and South American influences, Israel & New Breed have amassed a legion of enthusiasts that transcends generational and cultural lines. In addition to their numerous Grammys and 11 Dove Awards, they have earned two gold-selling albums, two Stellar Awards (from 19 nominations) and a Soul Train Award.
The challenging circumstances surrounding the first months of Houghton’s life make it clear that God had expansive plans for him from the beginning. By the time Houghton was born in Oceanside, California, his 18 year old mother had split up with his birth father. and many were trying to convince her to give him up for adoption. He lived with another family and had a different name the first month after his birth, but having never formally signed away rights, she reclaimed her son and raised him as a single mom for a year before marrying his stepfather, whose last name was Houghton. Raised in Globe, Arizona (ages 5-13) and Santa Fe, New Mexico (13-18), the singer grew up in the non-denominational church his parents established.
At home, he heard and was influenced by everyone from Christian and gospel legends Keith Green and Andre Crouch to secular greats like the Beatles, Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder. He started playing drums around five or six, then piano at 12-13 and picked up the guitar on a bet when he was 16. In his early teens, he felt his first true encounter with God and became a committed Christian, but he was more excited about baseball than thinking about pursuing a career in music or the ministry, despite his ever-expanding love of God. Everything changed when he entered a school talent show in the seventh grade and sang “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.” The overwhelming reaction from the audience – especially the young girls – to his singing a gospel song laid the foundation for his later success as an artist in that genre.
Once music grabbed hold of him in his mid-teens, his passion became his “ministry expression” and it never let go. He began leading worship at his parents’ church, and joined the worship team at The Eagle’s Nest (now Church for All Nations) as a drummer while attending Arizona State University; by 19, he was their worship leader. “My goal was never to be a recording and touring artist,” he says. “I was open, however, to blooming where God had planted me. I enjoyed being worship leader at that church and was blessed to have so many new opportunities and platforms open up that ultimately allowed me to take my passion for ministry and music all around the world.”
“The role of a gospel music artist,” Houghton adds, “is to create art that disseminates hope for people everywhere, and with that comes great responsibility. It’s a beautiful thing to be part of the soundtrack of people’s lives. I never get tired of hearing that a song I’ve written has met someone in the darkest times of his or her life, and helped bring them into a hopeful, more vibrant place of perseverance and faith. What I personally went through these past few years made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in the business and commerce of church, chasing the musical dream, doing the work of the Lord without being in touch with the Lord of the work. Through a forced sabbatical and other significant changes in my life, I was able to confront my weaknesses and learn to trust God like never before. All thanks to his ‘Reckless Love’ and grace that never gave up on me.”