Matthew West and Essential Worship

Before becoming an award-winning CCM star, Illinois native Matthew West began his professional career penning hits for other artists including Billy Ray Cyrus, Rascal Flatts, and Point of Grace. By the mid-2000s, he'd secured a major-label deal and found widespread success in the Christian music market with a string of popular albums including 2008's Something to Say and 2015's Live Forever, the latter of which found its way onto the pop charts, earning him some crossover appeal. His output and work ethic remained consistent, and in 2020 he inaugurated his own label with the r...