"Hard Fought Hallelujah" is a song by Brandon Lake, an American Christian contemporary singer and musician. The song was released on Provident on November 8, 2024. With 7 million US streams and 13,000 US sales, the song debuted at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Digital Songs chart. It was No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart for a total of 34 weeks, making it one of the top Christian music song debuts of 2024. The song was written by Lake, Steven Furtick, Benjamin Hastings, Rodrick Simmons, and Chris Brown. It was produced by Micah Nichols and mixed by Vance Powell.
On December 6, 2024, a "heavyweight edition" was released featuring five additional versions of the song. A remix with singer-songwriter Jelly Roll was released on February 7, 2025. On April 16, 2025, a "gospel remix" of the song was released.
In June 2025, the song was certified platinum by the Record Industry Association of America.
Background Lake said the song is "about the battles we face, the grit throughout the fight for faith and the praise that comes after". Also this comes from a testimony that he passed through that inspired him to make this song.
Composition and lyrics "Hard Fought Hallelujah" blends elements of Contemporary Christian music and country music, pairing arena-scale dynamics with swelling orchestral strings and an electric-guitar-driven hook; critics noted the "cinematic" feel and the grit in Lake's and Jelly Roll's vocals on the duet version. Lyrically, the song frames perseverance in worship, with imagery of a "hard-fought hallelujah" offered from seasons of struggle; Lake described the collaboration as "country grit and soul with a positive message wrapped in struggle," adding that he sought a partner who had "really lived the lyrics." Ahead of the duet's release, Billboard characterized the pairing as a "soulful, rock-fueled" take on Lake's hit and reported the official drop date of February 7, 2025.
Accolades At the 2025 K-Love Fan Awards, "Hard Fought Hallelujah" was awarded song of the year. YearOrganizationCategoryResult2025K-Love Fan AwardsSong of the Year 2025GMA Dove AwardsSong of the Year Short Form Music Video of the Year Blugrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year CMA AwardsMusical Event of the Year We Love Awards Song of the Year Contemporary Song of the Year Mainstream Impact Award 2026Grammy Awards Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
+ Year-end lists Publication Accolade Rank Jesus Freak Hideout Alex Caldwell's Song Picks 7 Air1 Air1 Unwrapped 2025 2 K-Love 25 Songs That Defined 2025 Unordered
Track listing
Personnel
Writers Brandon Lake Steven Furtick Benjamin William Hastings Chris Brown Rodrick Simmons Jason Bradley DeFord
Production Micah Nichols – producer Vance Powell – mixing
Cover art Jacob Boyles – cover art, design Sadie Schwanberg – photography
Music video Jacob Boyles – director, producer Andrew Livingstone – director Rachael Mulcahy – producer Sadie Schwanberg – creative direction
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Hard Fought Hallelujah" Chart (2024–2025) Peakposition Australia Christian Airplay (TCM) 1 Canada Country (Billboard) 60 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)18 UK Christian Songs (Cross Rhythms)1
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for "Hard Fought Hallelujah" Chart (2025) Position Australian Christian Airplay (TCM) 4 UK Christian Songs (Cross Rhythms) 3 US Billboard Hot 100 84 US Christian Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 11 US Christian Airplay (Billboard) 11 US Hot Christian Songs (Billboard) 1 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) 32 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) 13
Certifications
References