Same as the secular list, except obviously with worship songs. Music was pretty dry on the worship side as well, so there will also be no honorable mentions here either.
#10: Sunshine- Nia Allen Ft. Jor'Dan Armstrong (Original Review)
Like my secular list, at least 2 of these were placed on the list out of needing material and not because I genuinely connect with the song. Though this is the case with Sunshine, that does not mean the song is not good. In fact it is very joyous. The song has a warm and inviting presence, which makes sense considering the song’s namesake. I have not been the nicest towards Jor’Dan Armstrong, and this is the only time I’ve liked his work. Though this isn’t even his song, it’s Nia Allen’s. This does have some generic tendencies, but they are relatively overshadowed by the lighthearted tone and pure-hearted joy felt throughout the song. Sunshine may have been placed on this list as a filler, but it does not take away from the song’s qualities. It is a very nice song as a whole and It will bring you joy for the Lord.
#9: Do It Again- Kirk Franklin (Original Review)
Another song that was placed solely out of needing material for this list. But even though I was not super impressed with Do It Again, I won’t deny that it was very catchy and super fun. Again, Kirk Franklin is known for making these types of worship songs (I even called him out during a music review for another song). He’s also responsible for making some of my favorite songs EVER, which is part of the reason why I’m so hard on this one considering I know what he’s capable of and probably when he’s trying too hard. But Do It Again is a fun listen and probably has the best production I’ve heard from last year. Does it represent Kirk at his best, no. But it is Kirk at least on a good day and I would not take issue with listening to it again. Just not on a daily basis given his EXTREMELY impressive library.
#8: Heal- Jamal Roberts (Original Review)
You know someone’s cover of a song is special when the audience is so mesmerized by the performance that they remain silent after waiting for more. That was pretty much the case for Jamal Roberts when he did an INCREDIBLE cover of Tom Odell’s Heal. The song had already been covered on Idol before by Leah Marlene, and that cover was pretty amazing as well. But what added more to Robert’s rendition of the song was that it was reinterpreted as a prayer to God asking him to take away all of his sin and depression. That is creative. Roberts’ rendition obviously made an impact, otherwise we would not have a studio version. Roberts would go on to win the competition and currently has a Grammy nomination. Not for this song, but I’m still happy for him regardless. Way To Go Jamal!
#7: I Prayed For You (Said A Prayer)- Major (Original Review)
I don’t have much to say about this song. It is still strange to me but I still like it. I do not hear a lot of country-like songs from Gospel artists. Most of the time when I do hear a worship song with a country music sound, it’s from a CCM artist. So I guess in some ways this is unique among Gospel and I would not be surprised if this artist took some inspiration from Shaboozey considering the mega hit that is A Bar Song (which was on my secular “Best” list from last year). Major just added some Jesus to the sound. Would I listen to this on a daily basis, no. But regardless, this is one of the better songs I listened to last year in terms of worship music. But obviously my lack of desire to listen to this more often can only get the song this high on my list. Not at all a bad listen as a whole, I’ve just heard better.
#6: Well, Well, Well- Maverick City Music Ft. Nick Day, Roman Collins, & Za Smith (Original Review)
So if you remember during my Idol commentaries in 2024 (I think), I was very fond of Roman Collins due to his vocal abilities, natural charisma and his love for Jesus with no shame. He also returned to Idol with Cece Winans (who will appear later on this list) for the finale after getting eliminated and the 2 even reunited for last year’s finale. I am very happy to see him on the charts. And as I mentioned in the original review, he’s the best part of this song. His enthusiasm is infectious and I respect pretty much anyone who’s got joy for the Lord. And I really like the hook of the chorus. In some ways, I do find it creative. This is another song I probably would not care enough to listen to on a daily basis, but overall it is both a fun song and one I think has the capabilities of bringing more people closer to Jesus.
Cece strikes again, but this time for unique reasons. To be honest, the melody is not my favorite and I’ve heard Cece do better. However I do like that it somewhat has an “old-churchy” vibe (which I mentioned in the original review). What gives this song a higher ranking is the impact of the lyrics. Given the cultural climate, I would not be surprised if a lot of Christians felt this way currently, so this song came out at the right time. The third verse is probably the most powerful, because we do not know exactly when Jesus is coming back. It could be in 1000 years, it could be tomorrow. This may not be one of Cece’s best, but it is definitely needed in this current toxic world. So that’s pretty much the main reason it is on the list and ranked at a respectably high spot. Obviously there are 4 more that are better, but don’t pass on this song.
Zacardi Cortez barely even did much on this song except several runs and repeating the name of the song. It doesn’t even build up in the end nor does it have a bridge or verses. So why on earth does this somehow work? This should’ve been one of the worst songs I heard from last year as this sounds like he was improvising (he probably wasn’t, but I don’t know that). Not to mention, his vocal dynamics might appear to some people (especially if they’re not Christian) as showing off. This song should not work, yet somehow it does. It’s probably the most simple song on this list. And in some ways, its simplicity makes this even more powerful and it's what makes it a standout on this list. Not a lot of songs (worship especially) can do that properly. It is very rare, so I applaud Zacardi Cortez for achieving this.
I did not expect this to go on the list, guess that’s another example of how lackluster 2025 has been. But that does not take away from the song. I find the hook clever because saying that you will never be the same because of Jesus is one thing, but saying you are going to change “in Jesus’ name” is kind of brilliant to me. It’s like you are declaring that you will let Jesus guide you by any and all means necessary. I find that to be really clever and probably my favorite worship lyric of the year. The main reason I thought this would not make the list is because I first listened to it so early in the year. So I figured more stronger songs would come. And while more songs did come, most of them were mediocre (CCM especially). So this in some ways stood the test of time, at least for 2025 anyway. Thumbs up for Deitrick.
So I already explained what I liked in particular about Your Way’s Better. Namely its surprise shift in its tone from a soft and generic CCM song to an upbeat bop. But what I really appreciate about the song is that it went viral. 2025 may have been a dry year for music, but it did see the rise in worship music getting more attention. Your Way’s Better is the biggest example of that considering the song got a viral dance. I didn’t even know about that until a few months after I first listened to it. The song brings people to God in probably the biggest way possible (while also pissing people off, which I LOVE). I really love and respect the song as well as Mr. Frank for this and I’m grateful that it even exists. This probably should’ve been #1 given its impact. But for now, I’ll give it a very respectful #2.
As I mentioned earlier, no honorable mentions..........................................
This song is also somewhat simple, but it does not need to do much in order to move you. Again, it is repetitive and simply describes the different names and characteristics of Jesus. But the way that is an advantage for this song is that some of the characteristics might specifically be what Jesus is in your life. Yes, He is everything, but at the same time you may feel like Jesus mainly provided a certain role in your life that you really needed. You may mainly see Him as your healer, you may see Him as the only thing that has been faithful in your life, and so on and so forth. That to me is what makes this song so powerful and why it does not feel the need to try and be more flashy. And while this song is about a year old (maybe longer), it feels like classic modern Gospel to me. I really enjoy this song and it is my favorite worship song of 2025.
Like always, the Google slides link is down below and feel free to checkout my secular list down below as well. Thanks For Reading
Google-https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v8VPgejfEAZoAQbA_nuni6Gx5jt0ckSPzz4ZiW3sQGk/edit?usp=sharing
Secular list-https://naesnotlikeyou.blogspot.com/2026/01/my-top-10-best-hit-songs-of-2025.html
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/naomi.chadwick.58/
TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@nae_not_like_you?lang=en
Email-naenotlikeyou@gmail.com
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