Brandon Lake’s hometown crowd at Credit One Stadium got something they didn’t see coming! Nick Jonas walked onstage Friday night and joined Lake for the live debut of “The Author,” the new collaboration the two artists released the same day.
Charleston was already a high-profile stop on Lake’s King of Hearts Tour. The May 1 and May 2 shows at Credit One were billed as a homecoming for an artist whose songs now fill churches across the country. Jonas turned it up a notch.
The two also performed a Brandon Lake remix of Jonas’ “Hope,” a song tied to his Sunday Best project. Both tracks dropped May 1, the same day as the concert.
Brandon Lake And Nick Jonas Release “The Author” On May 1
“The Author” was written by Lake, Jonas, Benjamin William Hastings, Trannie Anderson and Micah Nichols. The song leans on a familiar image in Christian music: God as the writer of the story. Lyrics center on surrender, trust, and the pull between wanting to control a chapter and handing it back to God.
That theme fits Lake’s catalog. His songs tend to blend personal testimony with congregational language, and “The Author” follows the pattern.
Nick Jonas Brings Pop Reach and Christian Roots To The Collaboration
Jonas brings something different to the song. His voice carries pop polish, but his presence on a worship stage caught the attention of Christian listeners who remember his upbringing. Jonas grew up in a pastor’s home where church was the family rhythm. In interviews, he has described a season when his family left their congregation after his father’s job ended, including the loss of a church-owned parsonage. That part of his story has shaped how he writes about faith in his recent music.
Speculation about a Lake and Jonas project started circulating in late 2025 after studio footage leaked online. Friday’s release answered the question.
Brandon Lake’s Remix Of “Hope” Pairs With The Single Release
“The Author” pulls Jonas into Lake’s world. The “Hope” remix puts Lake inside a song from Jonas’ Sunday Best era, which has drawn from gospel sounds, choir textures, and family-centered writing.
A crowd-sourced setlist for the May 1 show lists Jonas appearing for both songs. The concert was livestreamed on YouTube, and clips spread across social media.
Why The Brandon Lake And Nick Jonas Collaboration Matters For Christian Music
For Christian music fans, the moment fits a pattern Lake has been building for a while. Worship artists are crossing into mainstream rooms more often. Country artists, pop singers, and Christian songwriters keep showing up on the same tracks. Lake has been one of the clearest examples of that movement.
Most singles don’t get a rollout like this. Lake had a hometown crowd already on its feet when Jonas walked out, and the two of them turned a worship concert into the launch event for both songs.
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