The Author (song)

"The Author"
Single by Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas
ReleasedMay 1, 2026 (2026-05-01)
Length4:36
Label
Songwriters
ProducerMicah Nichols
Brandon Lake singles chronology
"The Jesus I Know Now"
(2026)		 "The Author"
(2026)
Nick Jonas singles chronology
"Gut Punch"
(2026)		 "The Author"
(2026)
Lyric video
"The Author" on YouTube

"The Author" is a song recorded by the American contemporary Christian musician Brandon Lake and the American singer Nick Jonas. The song was released as a single on May 1, 2026, via Provident Label Group and Sony Music, to digital download, streaming, and Christian radio formats. It was written by Lake, Jonas, Benjamin William Hastings, Micah Nichols, Trannie Anderson, and Antonio AJ Cunningham, while production was handled by Nichols.

Release and promotion

In late 2025, Lake teased the release of a collaboration with Jonas through social media;[1] teasers would continue to be uploaded until the song's official release.[2][3] Upon its release, the track was premiered at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina, a performance which was also incidentally the final location on Lake's King of Hearts Tour.[4][5] That same day, a second collaboration between Lake and Jonas, a remix of the latter's "Hope", was also released.[2] The song was not heavily promoted because the performers wanted to "observe how listeners would respond" to it being surprise released.[6] The song was promoted with the release of a lyric video, which was uploaded to YouTube.[7]

Background

"The Author" is one of several songs released or teased by Lake in collaboration with a mainstream musician.[8] One of the first examples of this includes "Hard Fought Hallelujah", a song by him and Jelly Roll, which was released in November 2024 to great commercial acclaim. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song and completed 2025 as, not only the best-selling Christian song of the year, but also the 84th best selling song of the year overall in the United States.[9][10][11] In addition to these songs, Lake also hosted a writers' retreat in Nashville, Tennessee, in which he and twenty-five other musicians wrote forty-three Christianity-themed songs. Jonas was among the retreat's attendees, as well as other notable musicians such as Thomas Rhett, Tyler Hubbard, Dan + Shay, and Bailey Zimmerman.[12][13][14]

Style

"The Author" has been considered to be a ballad.[2] It is composed using predominantly acoustic instruments, most notably piano, in an attempt to maintain a quiet and traditional sound. Later on in the song, the duo implements the use of drums and background vocals.[1] Lake sings using falsetto, overlaying "gently strummed acoustic guitar".[2] The lyrics to "The Author" demonstrate a confession of Lake and Jonas "surrendering the pen of our own stories to the one who is actually writing them".[4][15]

Commercial performance

"The Author" received noteworthy early recognition, and within a day the track rose to lead Apple Music record sales charts.[16] Within its first charted week, the song debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart and number 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart.[17][18] It also received international success, reaching number 35 on the Recorded Music NZ New Zealand Hot Singles chart and number 29 on the Today's Christian Music Australian Christian Airplay chart.[19][20]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Spotify.[21]

Charts

Chart performance for "The Author"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australian Christian Airplay (TCM)[20] 2
New Zealand Airplay (Radioscope)[22] 24
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 35
UK Christian Airplay (Cross Rhythms)[23] 2
US Christian Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[24] 17
US Christian Airplay (Billboard)[25]17
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[18]2
US Hot Christian Songs (Billboard)[17]8

Release history

Release history for "The Author"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 1, 2026 [21]
United States Christian radio [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Mower, Maxim (May 1, 2026). "'The Author' by Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas". Holler. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kaufman, Gill (May 1, 2026). "Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas Drop Prayerful Ballad 'The Author' and Remix of 'Sunday Best' Song 'Hope'". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ Klett, Leah MarrieAnn (May 4, 2026). "Brandon Lake, Nick Jonas team up for new single exploring faith, identity". The Christian Post. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Witt, Jason (May 1, 2026). "Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas Release New Song 'The Author' May 1". Air1. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ Williams, Lindsay (May 11, 2026). "Brandon Lake Surprises Fans With Nick Jonas Collaboration 'The Author'". K-Love. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ Bajalan, Clara (May 4, 2026). "Nick Jonas Reveals How "The Author" with Brandon Lake Came Together and Why the Message Runs Deep". Jubilee Cast. Hallels. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  7. ↑ Brandon Lake, Nick Jonas - The Author (Lyric Video) (video) (Media notes). Provident/Sony. April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Jessie T. (May 1, 2026). "Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas Release 'The Author'—Jonas Reflects on Church Hurt, Faith Journey". Church Leaders. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  9. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (February 1, 2026). "Here Are the 2026 Grammys Winners: Full List (Updating Live)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  10. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (December 3, 2025). "Brandon Lake & CeCe Winans Shine on Christian & Gospel Year-End Charts: Countdown to Billboard's 2025 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2025". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  12. ↑ Williams, Lindsay (February 18, 2026). "Brandon Lake Plots Country Album Following Writers Retreat With Nashville's A-List". Air1. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ Bromley, Grant (March 10, 2026). "Bailey Zimmerman And Christian Artist Brandon Lake Surprise Sold-Out Crowd With New Song, "Just Believe"". Country Music Nation. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ Brown, Emily (May 4, 2026). "Nick Jonas and Brandon Lake Just Dropped an Unexpected New Collab". Relevant. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  15. ↑ Bajalan, Clara (May 2, 2026). "Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas Unite on "The Author" and Hope Remix in a Stirring Faith-Centered Collaboration". Jubilee Cast. Hallels. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Priyanka Chopra hypes up Nick Jonas as his new single 'The Author' grabs 1st spot". Daily Jang. May 3, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Brandon Lake Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Brandon Lake Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "TCM This Week". Today's Christian Music. Woodlands Media. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026 – via Facebook.
  21. 1 2 The Author - Single by Brandon Lake, Nick Jonas (audio) (Media notes). Provident/Sony. May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026 – via Spotify.
  22. ↑ "Most Added: May 22 2026". Radioscope. May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week beginning 21 June 2026". Cross Rhythms. June 21, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Brandon Lake Chart History (Hot Christian Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Brandon Lake Chart History (Christian Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
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