After pausing for a year due to the pandemic, Universal Orlando kicked off its Rock the Universe festival in late January, bringing together thousands of youth and youth workers under the umbrella of worship and contemporary Christian music. While the festival offered the latest sounds from popular artists such as Matthew West, Casting Crowns, Zach Williams, and Big Daddy Weave, for KING & COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone said the event also held a more significant purpose.
Currently promoting the GRAMMY Award-winning group’s latest release “What Are We Waiting For?,” Smallbone said in addition to a “collected sigh of relief” enjoying a return to normalcy, Rock the Universe served to unite a large and varied audience.
“You realize how much things like music or theater or sports, where people who look different act different vote different, come together under the banner of a sports team or a song or whatnot; (they) are united in these moments,” he said. “We were robbed of that for two years and then you layer on the political, the social, the racial division and all the rest of it . . . it’s quite a recipe. Reflecting on Rock the Universe, it was just a freedom, and a gratitude that I have not felt in previous years. I think maybe the best way to put it felt like, ‘We are in this thing together. We’re locking arms’.”
The duo put on a spectacular multi-faceted set featuring many of their hit songs such as “God Only Knows,” “Together,” and new songs “Relate” and “Broken Halos.” Known for incorporating unforgettable experiences during their performances, the group also accomplished a first for the park, using a crane to levitate the singers.
“We worked awfully hard that night,” Smallbone said. “I don’t think they’ve ever put lifts on the stage before where people could levitate. They were kind. You can imagine Universal, there’s a litany of people that have to approve that. But we were like, ‘this is really important.’ And they were kind enough to say, ‘Hey, let’s do it’.”
Beyond the main stage performances, Rock the Universe attendees also enjoyed worship experiences throughout the weekend, including a Saturday ceremony with a special message and a musical performance, a powerful Sunday morning worship service to wrap up the faith-filled weekend, plus a dedicated FanZone presented by Coca-Cola, featuring live performances from up-and-coming acts.
“What Are We Waiting For?” is now available at retail and streaming outlets. For more information on Rock the Universe, click here.
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