Skip to main content

Hunter Plake, Dancing In The Courts: Joy in His Presence


'Dancing In The Courts' by Hunter Plake is about the essence of true joy and surrender. It reflects Plake's desire to choose Jesus over everything else, and rejoice in His presence and the promise of an eternal life with Him.

Hunter Plake - Dancing In The CourtsGrowing up in a family of musicians and minsters, Hunter Plake's path to his BEC Recordings debut took a few unexpected detours. As a teen, Plake led worship in his home church, even getting his GED his junior year of high school so he could attend ministry school. But it wasn't until he auditioned for NBC's The Voice that music became a possible career path. 'A friend of mine, Koryn Hawthorne, had just gone to the finale on The Voice. I thought, well, if she can do it,' Plake says with a smile. He ended up placing fifth in his season, opening doors for him to pursue music full-time.

After a few years of recording pop songs, producing and trying to make a go of it in Los Angeles, Plake felt something missing in his life. In June of 2020, his nagging and ever-present sense of emptiness grew into a full-on collpase. 'I hit a breaking point and had a total breakdown,' Plake says. 'I hit the end of myself.' In crisis mode, Plake turned inward, writing songs between himself and God instead of performing for an audience. His realization? If it comes down to choosing between anything and Jesus, Jesus wins every time! This insight has led to his latest song, 'Dancing In The Courts.' 

His commitment is clearly visible in the lyrics, 'I just wanna walk inside the light, 'Cause nothing in this world compares to eternal life.' With this song Plake encourages us to let go of our own burdens and pride, and make it a priority to find joy in God's presence. The chorus, 'Dancing in the courts with you, This life is temporary so I'm not gonna worry,' is a powerful affirmation of faith, a reminder to live fully in the moment, anchored in the unwavering hope of an eternal life with Him.

Plake's music gives listeners in the 'alternative' genre something to listen to but still know what the songs are about. His songs are not vague. It's about Jesus, you can hear that. With music that can carry you away intertwined with lyrics that keep you grounded, Plake's songs are a shining example of a man who's stepped back from the edge. 

Plake shares: 'At the end of the day, if I have to choose between Jesus or something else, I'll choose Him every time. That's what changed for me. That's what makes me excited. That's why I wanna do music.'

(Related scripture: John 8:12; Revelation 21:4; Psalm 84:10)

Listen to a podcast episode about this song

Connect with Hunter Plake


You can listen to the track directly on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0o06o4YM5i8KQSMXfZf57Z

Here is a link to the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1NyPybFxUo

Would you like to hear more CCM music? Then check out our Christian playlists on: https://www.christiandance.eu/playlists

PS: Did you know that the posts we have on Medium.com also contain the backstories that artists have shared with us? Check it out on: https://christianmusictoday.eu/

Popular posts

"When I Saw The Light" by Tyler Philip Ratcliffe: Folk, Grace, and the Moment Everything Changes

“When I Saw The Light” captures something painfully familiar — the trap that routine can bring. Tyler Philip Ratcliffe wrote this folk anthem as a follow-up to “This Little Light of Mine,” drawing on his bluegrass roots and the spirit of Bill Monroe’s classic to tell a story many will recognize in themselves. The verses don’t sugarcoat it. “Same faces, same mistakes, same places // Promise that I change it all tomorrow”  — the trap we need to be aware of… The routine masquerading as life. But Ratcliffe doesn’t leave the listener there. The chorus lifts everything: “I traded fake for something honest // Finally doing something right.” That’s the turning point! What makes this song land is its honesty about the moment before a breakthrough. When numbness sets in, when you’ve exhausted every other option — that’s when the light (His light) breaks through. Ratcliffe captures the surprise of grace: “I wasn’t looking for religion // Wasn’t searching for the truth.” Nobody ever is. And ye...

"Living Proof" by Island Tribe Collective: When His People Unite, Mountains Move

(by Jasper Tan) "Living Proof" by Island Tribe Collective (featuring Sherwin Gardner, Marc Isaacs, and Alicia Taylor) is a live recording of a powerful, high-energy worship anthem that embodies what the collective calls "Caribbean Worship." The group invites us into a celebration of faith, utilizing the culture from the Caribbean islands and how they express it as a living proof of God's goodness. The song talks about our faith and the new beginnings that are promised to us after we overcome our struggles and hardships. Their repeated proclamation of "Lord, I'm living proof" aims to drive down the message that each one of us is already a living proof of God's faithfulness love, and mercy. We all have our own unique faith experiences and stories that could somehow inspire the people around us. So for those of us who have been know for our strong faith, being able to overcome our struggles and testify about it, brings a more concrete testimony an...

"GOD ALL BY YOURSELF (Prayer Anthem)" by J423 Community: Praising God's Name Above All Names

(by Jasper Tan) J423 Community's joyful praise and worship gospel track "God All By Yourself (Prayer Anthem)" is a refreshing gospel track that you can clearly feel the joyful celebration of praising God with all your heart. The song's theme speaks about God's sovereignty and being the one true God worthy of our praise and worship. The lyrics emphasize God's dominion over Earth, and He stands alone as the one and only Being that wields so much power over us. And because of this, we are encouraged to sing Him praises and acknowledge His presence in our lives.  By listening to the song, it is very clear that the J423 Community was joyful and full of gratitude as they sang the song. Because this is more than just any song, this doubles as a prayer anthem and invitation for us to join them in their joyful celebration of God's faithfulness and sovereignty over us. Even when it is clear in our hearts that God is the one true king, being able to express it and si...