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/

Tags:

Popular posts

"Psalm 112 (I'm Confident)" by Young Presley: No Fear in Bad News

What is your house built on?  We all face bad news at some point or other in life. It could be a diagnosis, a layoff, a broken relationship — the question isn’t whether hard news will come, but how you’ll respond when it happens. Young Presley wrestled with that question while he was writing his song “Psalm 112 (I’m Confident)”. The song is part of a Psalms series, coming from a simple vision: turn scripture into music that people will actually listen to. These songs are not intended as a substitute for reading the Bible, but an invitation to further read and explore the Bible. The chorus captures the key message of Psalm 112: “I do not fear bad news, I’m confident, trust in the Lord who cares to be my confidence.” That’s not the denial of bad news. It’s a decision to place your confidence and trust in God.  Look at what David wrote centuries ago in Psalm 112:7–8: “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afrai...
More >>

"Clothed With Dignity" by Grace Frances: Trading Shame for a New Identity

Your worth was never up for negotiation.  Grace Frances wrote “Clothed With Dignity” from a place most of us recognize (in some form or other) but will rarely admit out loud. She carried old regrets like a second skin, calling herself names that her past mistakes didn’t deserve. “I demonize the girl I was, when she was just trying to survive,” she sings, and that line hurts. Haven’t we all judged ourselves for choices that we made while simply trying to get through the day? Even choices that seemed to be fine in the moment, but proved to be otherwise over time.  Grace’s breakthrough didn't come from fixing herself, but from surrendering… surrendering to God. “You clothe me with dignity,” she declares, describing a moment where self-condemnation lost its grip and grace took over.  Grace’s story is fairly similar to the story found in Isaiah 61:10 —  “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; h...
More >>

"All To Jesus" by Angelica Smith: Never Too Far Gone For a Fresh Start

Ever felt too far gone for a fresh start? Some seasons of life can feel like you’re standing in a pile of ash where a fire used to be. Angelica Smith knew that feeling well before she wrote her song: “All To Jesus”. She describes being “a wreck, a mess,” carrying sin and shame so heavy it left her feeling like “dry bones” and a “heart of stone.” Sound familiar? Most of us have been in that same situation, wondering if there’s a way back to real life, maybe even thinking that we’re now too broken for God. Something changes when God is included in the equation. Angelica sings, “Then you breathed your life within,” and everything changes. “Dead things” in your life start to breathe again. Blind eyes start seeing. This isn’t a small tweak to a broken life — it’s the miracle of resurrection. We find that same image in Ezekiel 37:5–6, where God speaks over a valley of dry bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live… and you shall know that I am the Lord.” God d...
More >>