JERUB’s ‘Kumbaya’ is still holding No.1, and at this point, it is starting to feel like JERUB’s chart.
The first artist to top the Official UK Christian & Gospel Singles Chart does not look like he is slowing down anytime soon, and the UK listeners pushing the song are not slowing down either.
After spending the first three weeks at No.1, staying at No.2 for another three weeks, and now returning to the top spot, “Kumbaya” has now spent five weeks in total at No.1. That says a lot about how people have received the song.
Tony Cummings’ recent Cross Rhythms article adds another angle to the story, as he points back to Dennis O’Neil’s interview on BBC Radio 4 about the launch of Britain’s Official Christian & Gospel Singles Chart.
From there, Cummings touches on how some listeners may have reacted when they heard that the first song to top the new chart was called “Kumbaya”. For many people, that title would naturally bring back memories of the old Sunday school song, but that is where JERUB’s version takes its own path. This is not the old church song returning with a new face. As Cummings put it, it is “a new song for a new generation.”
And that is what makes the song interesting. The title is familiar, but the sound and feeling belong to JERUB. Cummings also points to the lyrics as part of what makes the song arresting, with JERUB singing from a place of searching, waiting and wanting to be where God is.
Maybe that is why the song keeps holding on. It is catchy enough to stay with people, but there is still something honest behind it. It is not just a hook. There is a cry in the song, and people seem to be connecting with that.
There is still a long way to go with the chart, and many more artists will have their own time at the top, but this moment belongs to JERUB. For now, it is only right to enjoy it.
