Album Review: The Belonging Co’s "The Chorus" Delivers Big Worship Moments but Few Lasting Surprises

Prime Cuts: "There Is No One" (feat. Natalie Grant) (Live); "How Awesome" (feat. Hope Darst) (Live); "The Chorus" (feat. Mitch Wong) (Live) 

Overall Grade: 2.5/5 

For more than a decade, The Belonging Co has established itself as one of contemporary worship music's premier hitmakers. Their albums have regularly produced songs that have found homes in churches worldwide, combining polished production, strong theological themes, and some of the genre's most recognizable voices. On paper, The Chorus appears to continue that tradition.

All fourteen songs tick the expected boxes of modern congregational worship. The production is pristine. The performances are passionate. The choruses are large and arena-ready. Most tracks begin with the now-familiar piano-led intimacy before gradually building toward soaring declarations of praise. The songwriting roster reads like a who's who of contemporary worship music, featuring respected writers and worship leaders including Mitch Wong, Hope Darst, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, and Leeland.

Yet despite all of its strengths, The Chorus ultimately feels more obligatory than inspired.

The problem is not craftsmanship. Every song is professionally executed. Rather, the album suffers from a lack of ingenuity and personality. Too many tracks follow nearly identical worship formulas, creating a listening experience that feels predictable and repetitive. The result is an album that often sounds like it is assembling familiar worship components rather than discovering fresh expressions of praise.

Thankfully, several songs rise above the pack.

Closing track "There Is No One" is easily the album's standout moment. Led by Natalie Grant, the song delivers a formidable chorus that convincingly communicates the greatness and uniqueness of God. The combination of Grant's commanding vocals and the backing choir creates genuine momentum, resulting in one of the few moments on the record that feels both powerful and memorable. It is the kind of anthem that can thrive both on a conference stage and in congregational worship.

Hope Darst once again proves herself to be one of worship music's most dependable voices on "How Awesome." After contributing the excellent "Mighty Name of Jesus" to previous Belonging Co projects, Darst delivers another winner. The song balances reverence and accessibility, building naturally without feeling forced. Its central theme of awe before God's majesty resonates long after the final chorus fades.

The title track, "The Chorus," featuring Mitch Wong, also deserves special mention. Drawing heavily on the imagery and atmosphere of Revelation 3-5, the song captures the heavenly gathering around God's throne with a sense of grandeur that many other tracks on the album struggle to achieve. Rather than merely describing worship, the song invites listeners into the larger biblical vision of eternal praise. It is one of the album's few genuinely imaginative moments.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album rarely reaches those heights.

"Hallowed Be Your Name," featuring Andrew Holt and Leeland, should have been a major highlight given Leeland's history of delivering deeply moving worship moments. Instead, the song settles into familiar territory almost immediately. While competently written and beautifully performed, it never develops a distinctive identity. The arrangement unfolds exactly as one expects, moving from quiet reflection to predictable crescendo without offering anything particularly fresh musically or lyrically. Even the reprise version feels unnecessary, adding length without adding substance.

Elsewhere, songs such as "Reasons," "Main Thing," "Closer (Where You Are)," "Hours," and "Slow Down" blend together into a lengthy sequence of worship conventions that become increasingly difficult to distinguish from one another. Individually, none are poor songs. Collectively, however, they contribute to an album that often feels longer than its running time. Too many tracks rely on familiar lyrical phrases, extended repetition, and formulaic arrangements that prioritize atmosphere over originality.

Ironically, the album's central theme-joining an eternal chorus of praise-is compelling. The concept suggests limitless creative possibilities rooted in the worship scenes of Scripture. Yet much of The Chorus remains content to operate within the safest boundaries of contemporary worship music.

There is certainly enough here for worship leaders to explore, and several songs will likely find their way into church services. But as a listening experience, The Chorus falls short of the artistic and spiritual impact The Belonging Co has achieved on previous releases.

Well-produced, professionally executed, and consistently singable, The Chorus succeeds at meeting the expectations of modern worship music. What it rarely does is exceed them.