For the first time in over five years, tobyMac is back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart!  This time, he landed his return to the charts as a solo artist with his new upbeat single, “I just need U”.  In 2012, the 53-year-old’s sixth album, Eye on It, topped the Billboard 200.  Surprisingly, that was an accomplishment that a Christian act hasn’t reached since 1997!  Toby’s long term success leaves many asking how he does it.  A couple of the key players involved in the making of this latest single recently gave us a glimpse into their creative process when they explained to Billboard how the song came together.

Bryan Fowler, the producer of the single spoke about the writing process for the hit single:

“We sat on it, but it took a while to find the verses. I think we had 25 versions of the song to get to this point. But we’ve worked together for a while now and know how to pull the best out of each other. We got into a cool head space and did something we loved. [But] I don’t think either of us assumed it was going to be a single.”
Most artists never know where a song is going to go when they first get started.  It’s clear that even the Cheif Creative Officer of Capitol Christian Music Group had a few doubts about it’s success during the process.  But, his doubts didn’t last too long after hearing the completed single.  Read his statement below as he explained his concerns…

“There was something special about this [song], from what it’s saying to its emotional punch.  At the same time, it was a little dangerous, [because it’s] new territory for Toby.  You can never plan to release the biggest song of an artist’s career, or the biggest song in our format in a long time — they’re nice surprises when you’re doing good work.” – CCO of Capitol Christian Music Group

The success of Toby Mac’s single may have been a surprise to some.  But, his biggest fans didn’t seem surprised at all!  Toby has an almost cult following seems to jumps on anything he releases from his camp.  Whether he’s releasing his own personal content or something fresh from artists under his label, it’s like he can’t disappoint!  His fans are already locked in!  If you have ever been to a Toby Mac concert or seen the crowd reaction when he hits the stage, you know what I mean.

In addition, the 7 time Grammy winner (16 x nominee) continues to gain new fans of all ages each year, which clearly speaks to the fact that he and his team are doing many things right!  If there are any new up and coming artists who are wondering the secret to success and longevity, Toby Mac needs to be on their list of artists to study.

Toby Mac shares the Song Story for his new single, “I Just Need You”

Listen to the full single:

#ThrowbackVideo  “Keep Walking”

You can catch Toby Mac on the road as he continues the remainder of February and March on his “Hits Deep Tour”.
Click here for a list of dates and locations for this tour.

Watch The Tour Promo: