J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise Essentials

A rich sense of stateliness permeates singer, composer, and director J.J. Hairston and his work with Youthful Praise, founded in 2001. The classic call-and-response vocal arrangements woven into beloved ballads like “You Deserve It” slowly ascend toward the sky like mountain climbers scaling towering peaks. These arrangements are also a prominent feature of the choir's uptempo recordings, like “You're Mighty,” a slice of funky urban gospel that boasts zealously crying horns, and “No Reason to Fear,” which incorporates the laser-focused harmonies of contemporary worship and the big, thumping beats of dance pop.