When Tommee Profitt decided to reimagine "Just As I Am" for his upcoming Easter album The Resurrection of a King, he did not reach for something soft, reverent, or safe. He went in the opposite direction entirely - and in a new interview with niNe. magazine, he explains exactly why.
The Hymn Was Always Heavier Than People Realized
Most people have only heard "Just As I Am" sung gently at the close of a church service, an altar-call invitation set to simple piano. Profitt says the lyrics themselves tell a different story - lines like "to rid my soul of one dark blot" carry real weight and intensity that tend to get lost when the song is delivered too softly.
So he made a deliberate choice. He leaned into the grit. He built the track into what Profitt calls a rock-gospel moment - cinematic, driving, and unapologetically bold. Jon Reddick himself describes the result as a battle cry of surrender rather than a gentle invitation, which is about as far from the original as a reimagining can go.
Why Jon Reddick Was the Only Choice
The casting was not random. As the arrangement took shape and the rock-gospel direction became clear, Profitt says one voice immediately came to mind - and that was Jon Reddick's. Reddick's ability to carry both vulnerability and raw power in the same breath made him the exact fit the song needed. The result is a version of "Just As I Am" that sounds less like a hymnal and more like a declaration.
Part of a Much Bigger Easter Project
"Just As I Am" is one track on The Resurrection of a King, Profitt's cinematic reimagining of timeless hymns releasing March 27, 2026 - a project he describes as a soundtrack to the Easter story itself, featuring "The Old Rugged Cross," "Jesus Paid It All," and "Amazing Grace" alongside performances from Phil Wickham, CeCe Winans, Crowder, Jenn Johnson, Ben Fuller, Jamie MacDonald, and more.
Profitt says he truly felt commissioned to make this album, describing it as a life purpose - a statement that gives some context to just how much intention went into every creative decision, including the choice to make a 150-year-old hymn sound like it was written for today.
The Resurrection of a King releases March 27, 2026, just in time for Easter Sunday.
