When Trent Harmon won “American Idol” in 2016, he didn’t hide his faith. He brought his prayer journal to the stage, played worship songs for fellow contestants and even attended a nearby church during grueling taping weeks. Still, he openly shares, back then, it “wasn’t necessarily popular” to be openly Christian on the show.
“It was like, ‘that has its own thing. Keep it over there,’” the 34-year-old artist told The Christian Post. “I remember sitting around sharing songs with several contestants one night … and I played a worship song. There was a different feeling in the room. I thought, you know what? That left a mark tonight.”
Now, nearly a decade later, Harmon sees a clear shift. From Gospel-themed finales to duets with Christian artists like Brandon Lake and Kirk Franklin, faith is no longer an outlier in mainstream music spaces.
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“It’s real. It’s cool again,” he said.
The show itself has embraced faith in ways that were almost unthinkable when Harmon competed.
Season 23, which crowned gospel-rooted singer Jamal Roberts the winner, featured collaborations with CCM artists including Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans and even an Easter special spotlighting worship music.
Contestants like Breanna Nix, a Christian mother from Texas, were celebrated for their outspoken faith. Judges Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan have also supported the growing faith presence on the show, with Underwood’s influence was cited as a key reason gospel and Christian artists are now more visible in the competition.
“I’m sure she probably thinks, ‘Am I making a difference?’ but it showed this year,” Bryan told Billboard, referencing Underwood’s public witness.
Harmon’s own artistic direction has followed suit. On May 30, he’s releasing Scars & Sins, his debut Christian EP. It marks a shift from the country music that earned him chart success and put him on tour with Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay. It’s also a return to his roots: the Mississippi native grew up leading worship and revealed he always felt a tension between mainstream success and spiritual calling.
“I kept wanting to go do more shows that were more spirit-filled,” he said. “I feel most at comfort whenever I’m playing songs that I know have a purpose, have a meaning behind them.”
Scars & Sins is a six-song project featuring both worship-leaning anthems and sentimental tracks like “Make Her Laugh,” which he wrote for his young daughter, Dolly. But the title track, he told CP, is where the heart of the EP lies.
“Scars and Sins really talks about how we all kind of have a moment where we look and we think, man, I’m too far gone,” he said. “But that’s what He’s looking for. … Once we realize you are broken without Jesus, that’s exactly where we need you. That’s how the light gets in.”
The decision to pivot from country to Christian wasn’t made overnight. Harmon said faith-themed lyrics had been “popping up” in his writing sessions for years. Eventually, he stopped resisting the pull.
“I realized I was writing more and more faith-based stuff in my own time,” he said. “These songs are the ones I wanted to end my show with. Then I kind of realized, I wanted my whole show to be these songs.”
The COVID-19 pandemic offered a pause. Harmon spent time with his family, welcomed his first daughter, Dolly, and began considering his legacy.
“When you have kids, you want to leave a legacy,” he said. “Every song I write, I think, ‘Would Dolly be proud of this? Is this something she would want to play for her kids one day?'”
Raised in church, Harmon said the comfort he feels performing Christian music is a matter of calling.
“I played at a church Sunday. It was a smaller church, but I didn’t care if it had been 2,000 or 200 people. I just thought, I feel comfortable doing this, man. I’m back to my roots. I’m playing the music that I know the words to. I’m not having to change any lyrics so that my mom won’t be upset if she sees it online later,” he said, adding that he foresees staying in Christian music.
“I’m at peace with the songs and the music that I’m making right now.”
As the lines between genres are blurring, Harmon said he sees himself at a growing intersection of country and Christian music, a space being increasingly defined by artists like Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake.
“Those two genres have always intermingled and mixed. As far back as Elvis. And I have a foot of fans in each genre,” Harmon said. “That’s something that I’m able to do. I’m proud to do it.”
He’s also proud of the team that helped make Scars & Sins a reality. The EP includes tracks co-written with some of Nashville’s top songwriters.
“These songs are something special,” he said. “Even if they were country writers, a lot of those are faith-based individuals. And we wrote some songs that are pretty doggone good.”
The six tracks on Scars & Sins include “Beautiful Lord,” “Jealous of Angels,” “Forever Home” and “You’ll See My Face.” But beyond the melodies and lyrical hooks, Harmon said his hope is that listeners hear something deeper.
“My hope is that this music will encourage hearts and strengthen faith,” he said. “And it will remind listeners that God is always working, even in the waiting.”
After the whirlwind of “American Idol,” he said it took time to find his footing and even longer to find clarity.
“I feel like I’ve had to wait for just the right stars to be in place. And it’s not about me. Listeners, fans have been waiting also. They’ve been waiting on me to put out a body of work. And I’m proud to say that we got it right.”
He recalled the advice of an early manager: “If you get the music right, the rest is a lot easier. … Be true to whatever music it is you want to make, and it will be a lot easier for everyone to digest, including yourself.”
Reflecting on the spiritual revival he sees brewing in culture, Harmon points to 2020 as a turning point.
“A lot has changed since 2020. … People have been looking for something for the last two or three years, coming out of COVID, trying to recalibrate,” he said. “Whether they know it or not, that thing they’re looking for is Jesus.”
“I think we could be right on the precipice of it happening again,” he added, referencing the revival depicted in the “Jesus Revolution” film. “That was the ’70s. That might as well be the 1870s, but it seems like it could be now.”
Now a father himself, Harmon is more thoughtful than ever about his role as a husband, dad and artist. Scars & Sins, he said, is a manifesto; a reflection of his faith, journey and future.
“I’m not 20 anymore. I was just happy to have a song on the radio as soon as I came off ‘Idol.’ But now, I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. This is what I’m supposed to do.”
“My hope is that this music will encourage hearts and strength in faith, and it will remind listeners that God is always working, even in the waiting,” he added.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
