SINGLE RELEASE

It’s been almost exactly two years since Horizon Records’ Lauren Talley released her luminous, intimate version of the enduring “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”—a heartfelt response to the uncertainties that gripped the world during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic—so to call a new single from the acclaimed Southern Gospel singer eagerly awaited scarcely does justice to the impact that “Shut Him Up” is likely to have on audiences more than ready to hear it.

Written by the team of Joseph Habedank and Jimmy Yeary—both accomplished songwriters adept at exploring a broad range of styles to find the best setting for a song’s message—“Shut Him Up” announces its perspective on the Resurrection almost before the first word is sung. As a repetitive guitar figure contrasts with a descending riff to create an almost ominous feeling that underlines the song’s contemporary arrangement, Talley begins with the tension between the miracle of Christ’s birth despite the efforts of King Herod, before moving quickly to the bold lyric of the chorus:

“They couldn’t shut Him up
They couldn’t keep Him down
They couldn’t stop what He was born to do
They tried to silence Him
By crucifying Him
They tried to seal Him in a cold, dark tomb
But when it was all said and done
They couldn’t shut Him up”

A second verse brings the message home with its focus on the stone that was rolled away from His tomb, while a bridge before the final swelling choruses drives the point home:

“From the stable to the Sermon on the Mount
They couldn’t hush Him, couldn’t drown Him out.”

“I’m excited to begin a new era of music with the release of ‘Shut Him Up,’” says Talley. “It’s the first single off my first record as a full-time solo artist. Writers Joseph Habedank and Jimmy Yeary put a clever twist on a familiar story, and producer Gordon Mote helped create a fresh sound that I think fans are going to love. I haven’t had this much fun singing since my teenage years!”