Riley Clemmons
American Christian singer-songwriter (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Riley Elizabeth Clemmons[2] is an American singer and songwriter, who plays Christian pop style contemporary worship music. She is known for her Christian radio hits, "Broken Prayers" and "Better for It"[3] from her debut self-titled album via American music distributor Capitol CMG on August 3, 2018. On September 22, 2023, she released her third studio album called, Church Pew, with singles, "Loved by You" and "Miracle".
December 9, 1999
- Singer
- songwriter
Riley Elizabeth Clemmons | |
|---|---|
| Born | Riley Elizabeth Clemmons December 9, 1999 |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee[1][non-primary source needed] |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | rileyclemmons |
She has accumulated over half a billion global streams and over 105 million YouTube video views. A Nashville native who is an accomplished composer, performer, producer, and recording artist, Riley draws inspiration from life experiences.
Early and personal life
Riley Clemmons was noticed at a school pageant in Nashville by manager, Mitchell Solarek.[4] She would begin writing songs at the age of 13 and played shows around her hometown.[5] She has worked on her musical craft for several years, including eight years of vocal lessons and a decade of dance lessons.[6] She is currently signed to Capitol CMG.
Music career
In 2015, Clemmons signed to the independent label, Maxx Recordings. Her lyrics are inspired by the struggles of her relationships and faith. She wants to use her music to encourage her generation.[7]
2017–2019: Breakthrough and self-titled debut studio album
Clemmons released her debut single on Capitol CMG, "Broken Prayers", on December 8, 2017.[8] A music video was released on the same day.[9] She discussed her story behind the song in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, "The song "Broken Prayers" came truly from a place of brokenness and that feeling of having to get yourself together and bring the best most picture-perfect version of yourself to God, basically feeling like the broken pieces aren't good enough for God. The song came from a place of truly finding peace in the fact that God takes you at your most broken, at your lowest place and at your roughest. And not only does He take you there but He delights in it. And He genuinely loves you in that place."[10][11] The song was released to Christian radio and peaked at No. 17 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
She released her second single, "Better For It," on June 8, 2018.[12] A music video was also released.[13] Clemmons announced she will join Danny Gokey and Tauren Wells for "The Hope Encounter" Tour in September until November.[14] The song peaked at No. 37 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. A music video for "Hold On" was released on July 19, 2018.[15]
Clemmons' self-titled debut studio album was released on August 4, 2018.[16] The album debuted at No. 28 on the Top Christian Albums chart and No. 13 on the US Heatseekers Albums chart.
2019-Present
In 2021, her sophomore album, Godsend, would flourish with singles including, “Fighting for Me,” “Keep on Hoping,” and “For the Good.” She was nominated as Female Artist of the Year at the K-Love Awards in 2021, becoming the youngest nominee in the show's history at the age of 20. Riley would go on to be tapped as an artist to watch by People and Rolling Stone and was named one of the Top Christian Artists of 2022 by Billboard. With over half a billion global streams and 85 million YouTube video views at the age of 23, her music has continually proven to impact people.
On September 22, 2023, her third album, Church Pew, released with single, “Loved By You” amassing over 4 million global streams. “Miracle” reached 1 million streams in the first two weeks. Church Pew, with its pure and honest roots, will undeniably carry messages of hope, connecting people through love, humility, and humanity.
Riley's music has cemented her place as an artist to watch with accolades from Rolling Stone, People Magazine, Dove Awards Nomination, KLOVE Award Nomination as well as performances on the TODAY Show, FOX & Friends, and debut at the Grand Ole Opry.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ [17] |
US Heat [18] | ||
| Riley Clemmons |
|
28 | 13 |
| Godsend |
|
— | — |
| Church Pew |
|
— | — |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas / Silent Night |
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| Fighting for Me |
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| The First Christmas |
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Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AC [19] |
US Christ [20] |
US Christ Air. [21] |
US Christ AC [22] |
US Christ Digital [23] | ||||
| 2017 | "Broken Prayers" | — | 17 | 16 | 18 | — | Riley Clemmons | |
| 2018 | "Better for It"[12] | — | 37 | 28 | — | — | ||
| "Broke" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Drop Everything" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I'll Stay" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Silent Night" | — | — | 23 | — | — | The First Christmas (EP) | ||
| "Winter Wonderland" | 30 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| 2019 | "Fighting for Me" | — | 9 | 4 | 8 | 10 | Godsend | |
| "Free" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| 2020 | "Over and Over" (featuring Lauren Alaina) |
— | 27 | 24 | — | — | Godsend | |
| "Healing" | — | ? | ? | ? | ? | |||
| 2021 | "Keep on Hoping"[25] | — | ? | ? | ? | ? | ||
| "For the Good" | — | 9[26] | 5[27] | 10[28] | — | Godsend (Deluxe)[29] | ||
| 2023 | "Loved by You" | — | — | — | — | — | Church Pew | |
| "Miracle" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [30] |
US Dance Airplay [31] |
US Christ. [20] |
US Christ. Airplay [21] | |||
| "Misfit Anthem"[32] (Social Club Misfits featuring Riley Clemmons) |
2017 | — | — | — | — | The Misadventures of Fern and Marty |
| "Out My Mind"[33] (Tritonal featuring Riley Clemmons) |
2018 | 38 | 12 | — | — | Non-album single |
| "I'm Leaning on You" (Crowder featuring Riley Clemmons) |
2020 | — | — | 19 | 15 | I Know a Ghost |
Awards
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Riley Clemmons | New Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2022 | "Without You" (Social Club Misfits featuring Riley Clemmons) |
Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated |