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Katy Nichole, whose breakthrough hit “In Jesus Name (The God of Possible)” took the Christian music world by storm in 2022, has released her first studio album, Jesus Changed My Life, and its leading single is another hit in the making. With the song, titled “Hold On,” Nichole gets a little more personal, sharing with her fans her own experience of being pulled out of anxiety and depression thanks to the grace of God.
"Hold On" is a lovely tune with a beautifully shot music video. It begins with Katy dressed up in a painted world that projects a wonderful scene of the singer standing in an enchanted looking forest. When the curtain pulls back however, we see that this outward presentation of perfection belies a more depressed reality, one where Katy is alone in a spartan room with only her music for company.
The video creates a striking juxtaposition between the presented painted world and the reality of Nichole's solitude. As the story progresses, we see Katy begin to break down and even carry a bottle of pills to the bathroom as she contemplates self-harm. It is in the grips of this depression that the pills spill across the bathroom floor, which Nichole recognizes as a sign that she is being pulled back from the brink of disaster, at which point she disposes of the pills in an emotional scene.
In an Instagram post, Nichole revealed that “Hold On,” is more biographical than anyone could have imagined. She shared to her followers:
“This song is incredibly important to me, and it’s a little bit harder for me to talk about because it’s such a deep part of my story and it is a little bit darker.” The singer explained in a hesitant tone. “I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression in my life and even at one point had suicidal thoughts. There was one point where I picked up a bottle of pills and I took it to the bathroom, and when I did—there was nothing in my path—but that bottle of pills fell onto the floor and spilled.”
In continuation, Nichole explained that she immediately recognized this accidental spill as a sort of divine intervention:
“In that moment I felt God saying to me, ‘Hold on, I’m not done yet.’ I picked up those pills and threw them in the trash can because I knew that God still had a plan and a purpose for my life,” the singer said. “I hope this song can encourage you and remind you that your life matters so, so much and you can hold on because you have a purpose.”
Katy Nichole is one of those rare artists who never expected anything from her music. She erupted into the music scene in 2022, when she made a brief TikTok video of he song “In Jesus Name (The God of Possible),” which promptly reached #1 on all Christian music lists. This places her in a position where she can cover the topics that are important to her, rather than fulfill the wishes of a record label, and drive them home with her genuine faith and innocent demeanor. Here, this position has allowed her to create a song that can bring hope to those in desperate times.
We can’t wait to see what else Katy Nichole has in store for us as her music career progresses. Hear more from Nichole on her official website, YouTube Channel, and anywhere that streams good music.