Olaide Banks is a talented artist, worship leader, and associate pastor based in Houston, Texas. Committed to achieving social justice through diverse music, sharing the Word of God, and community outreach and education, Banks and his ministry team, The One Worship Movement, are taking the next step toward reaching people across the U.S. with a message of inspiration and hope. The July 6th release of Banks’s debut single, “Story of My Life,” marks the beginning of that new journey. It’s rare these days that you find a Christian artist that will do more than soothe you into a comfortable positivity. Olaide Banks’ music stands out as an example of how encouragement should be delivered through the conveying of truth and reliance on the Lord’s work to carry us in a broken world.
“Story of My Life” isn’t just music for the sake of music, but worship from the heart. There is also an authentic and resonant quality to Bank’s voice that will bring you a little closer to the heart of God. The sheer depth of his voice and passion in his heart are on full display here.
The transition from the bridge to the chorus has a tangible sense of hope pouring out from Bank’s that it might cause the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. The jangling acoustic guitar motif and Olaide Bank’s booming voice has a more than vague resemblance to the captivating sound of the legendary Darius Rucker from the secular world.
Singing in the first person and using his own personal experiences, “Story of My Life” is a powerful track about finding help, comfort, and strength in Jesus. It is a track that should gain traction quickly. Its instrumentally simple, low verses gently explode into stronger, richer choruses with a catchy melody and easy to learn lyrics.
More important than the sonic sheen is the message. The singer’s bold acclamations are not just mere rhetoric; rather, they come out of a personal testimony, where Banks has had to lay down many of his hurts, questions, failures and disappointments before God.
One of the greatest allures of “Story of My Life,” is the emotional transparency that Olaide Banks puts on display. Banks doesn’t just sing about holiness, you can sense he truly wants to be close to God. The song is testimony of how Jesus can make you shine in our dark world.
Lyrically the song speaks in a straightforward way and the simple rhythmic structure, the beguiling majesty of the strumming acoustic guitar, and Bank’s sure-footed delivery really drive home the message to our hearts.
Olaide Banks is just as passionate or perhaps even more on fire for impacting the lives of other people than he is about enlightening himself, and that’s certainly an admirable place to be. In fact, that sentiment is immediately apparent from the minute you press play on “Story of My Life”.
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