Kid Rock launches Christian era with new single ‘James 1:17’

By Adam Graham, The Detroit News

DETROIT — Kid Rock has launched his new Christian era.

Overnight on Thursday, the Detroit rocker released his new single, the praise-heavy “James 1:17 (Jesus is King),” to streaming services. It’s the first single from his new album “Halfway 2 Jesus,” which will be released Oct. 17, according to an announcement on Rock’s website.

The video for “James 1:17” is set to be released at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, Rock said in a video on social media.

According to a video description on YouTube, the video is dedicated to Rock’s longtime keyboard player, Jimmie Bones, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2024, and to Kalvin Lynch, a Kid Rock fan with an inoperable brain tumor, whose Make a Wish was to play drums with Kid Rock. The video was filmed at Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk in Nashville, Tennessee.

“There are some very special people in this video and a real significance to this song and the album to follow,” Rock said in a message posted to Instagram on Wednesday.

“Over the next few days, I’m going to be sharing a lot more of that with you.”

Rock’s website, kidrock.com, was relaunched Thursday, and his store features merch tied to the new material.

James 1:17 is a New Testament verse that states in part, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”

In August, Rock teased he had “a lot of music this next year,” songs inspired by what he called his “spiritual journey.”

“I’m really looking forward to people hearing this. It’s a crazy journey I’ve been on,” he said in August. “I’ve grown a lot stronger in my faith.”

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He has a back-to-basics follow-up record “ready to go after that,” he said.

In February of this year, Rock charted a No. 1 single on the Christian charts when his cover of Cody Johnson’s 2021 hit “‘Til You Can’t” hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart.

He debuted the single on Super Bowl Sunday while performing on Turning Point USA’s “All American Halftime Show.”

Rock’s “Halfway 2 Jesus” will be his first since 2022’s “Bad Reputation.”

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