For King & Country Says New Song ‘World on Fire’ Offers Hope Amid American Turmoil
Michael Foust
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
When For King & Country's Joel and Luke Smallbone made plans earlier this year to release their newest song during the fall, they had no idea the turmoil America would now be facing. Yet as singer Joel Smallbone notes, quoting Proverbs 16:9, "We make our plans, but God orders our steps."
The Smallbone brothers' newest single, World on Fire, releases Oct. 3, calling Christians to shine their light in every sphere of life and to change the world one step at a time with the hope of Jesus.
Its release comes as America continues to grapple with a series of devastating tragedies: the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte bus, and school shootings in Minnesota and Colorado.
"We started working on this music last year. We planned this date four months ago with no idea, obviously, as to what state we would all find ourselves in in this country and around the world," Joel Smallbone told Crosswalk Headlines.
God, he believes, was "nudging us forward" with a song that could deliver a positive message at just the right time.
"I really feel that the language of the angels and the language of expressing our hopes and hurts and pains can be found in music, and the fact that Luke and I and the band are able to put a soundtrack to what people are feeling and how they can optimistically, thoughtfully, respond out of -- we feel really humbled by the opportunity to put this [out], I'll call it hope on the airwaves."
The drum-driven, toe-tapping track proclaims in its chorus, "I will never dim my light — I'm gonna set my world on fire." Featuring guest vocals from Taylor Hill, the single is expected to appear on For King & Country's forthcoming project, their first studio album since 2022. A release date has yet to be announced.
The song is an anthem for positive change in a culture often overshadowed by darkness and negativity, Joel Smallbone said.
"It does tend to feel like the world is on fire in many ways, [but] this song is talking about something very different, and that is -- my world on fire. What does it look like in the midst of chaos for you to radically have peace, to have joy, to have love? What does it mean to not put your light under a bushel, to be a city on a hill for others to look to?
"What does it mean when the comments section is overloaded with negativity or there's political or racial or social tension, for you to exemplify, and for me to exemplify, this otherworldly way of the upside-down kingdom of loving and looking to someone greater than yourself and finding that ultimate peace?"
Although the Smallbones have taken the season off from touring, Joel noted they haven't been sitting on a beach sipping drinks. Instead, they've been recharging -- spending time with family, working on their new album, and preparing for a limited run of A Drummer Boy Christmas shows this December.
"This was one of the most pivotal years in the journey For King & Country in our lives, individually," Joel Smallbone told Crosswalk Headlines. "And I believe there is another side of this, a sort of For King & Country 2.0, that if we hadn't have done this sort of formation time -- you've gotta pour in, to be able to pour out. And we wouldn't have had anything left to pour out after 12 years of just relentless traveling and working."
Photo Credit: © For King & Country
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
