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Mercy Chinwo<\/span><\/a> was always destined to sing for God.\u00a0<\/p>\n She started performing at a Port Harcourt, Nigeria, branch of The Apostolic Church, her \u201ctraining ground,\u201d as she calls it, where she learnt discipline as an artist. Only six years old at the time, a young Chinwo had an obvious affinity for performance. \u201cMy dad would see me play with the toys at home, I could use sticks, and I would just turn it into a mic, use clothes to cover the surface,\u201d she recalls to OkayAfrica<\/span>. \u201cHe took me to church and insisted I join the children\u2019s choir, which I did. It really just built me and built my confidence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nowadays, Mercy Chinwo is one of the biggest African gospel artists of a generation. Residing in an upper echelon that counts Frank Edwards<\/span> and Sinach<\/span> as co-stars, she\u2019s a true crossover act, with mentions of her name popular beyond the gospel scene. In 2012, Chinwo won Nigerian Idol, an event that she doesn\u2019t like to explicitly discuss, but which, however, prodded her into becoming a professional act.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI just said to myself, there\u2019s no need hiding this thing, let me just go into it full time, and with my full chest,\u201d she says. Barely three years after the win, her first single, \u201cTestimony,\u201d showcased the velvety vocals that would inspire millions all over the world. An R&B-leaning song, its drums and piano arrangement revealed an artist in touch with contemporary styles. Sometime before\u00a0Afro-gospel<\/a>\u00a0became a nationwide phenomenon in Nigeria, Chinwo was already blending gospel messages with modern sounds, but it wasn\u2019t until 2018 that she released\u00a0\u201cExcess Love,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0her true breakout, a song which would define gospel music for a generation of listeners.<\/p>\n \u201cExcess Love\u201d is a gospel music masterpiece. From the brooding notes to Chinwo\u2019s impeccable vocals, which pulse with sheer strength and vulnerability before the promise of Christ. When that chorus of \u201cJesus, you love me too much oh<\/span>\u201d breaks out, it\u2019s always an emotional moment, as the 130 million people who\u2019ve seen its YouTube video will attest. In the comments section, one finds a litany of testimonies of the song offering hope, strength, grace, and peace in the midst of life\u2019s damning troubles to many listeners.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Excess Love\u2019 depicts the unfailing, unending, and unconditional love from a father to a child,\u201d says Chinwo. \u201cI remember when I got that song, I remember the state I was, and looking back [to] how far [I\u2019ve come] and how blessed people have [been] to realize that the love of God is all they need in a world where people don\u2019t really believe in you, where people don\u2019t believe you can become all that God has called you to be. I was actually in that state when I got the song; this is my<\/span> story. I usually call it my waiting season. The Bible says that those who wait upon the Lord \u2014 if you wait upon Him, your strength shall be renewed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Chinwo expands on how she created the record, or rather, how she was a vessel for that to happen. \u201cThe Holy Ghost helped me to actually minister the song, and He helped me to interpret the song in a way that \u2014 there\u2019s no way you listen to the song and you don\u2019t feel like somebody\u2019s hugging you,\u201d she says excitedly. \u201cLooking back at those times and now, I feel privileged and honored to be used by God to express His love through music, through sound, through just obeying and doing what you\u2019ve been asked to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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