“My goal is to really encourage people, and remind them that there’s always hope, regardless of the pain and the trials that we go through,” says Katy Nichole. She should know. A few years ago, she felt like giving up but says she heard God’s voice telling her He wasn’t done with her yet. She persevered, and today, at the age of 22, she’s a Christian music superstar who has accomplished her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry.
Her lyrics are deep and meaningful, and many of the words come from the despair and challenges she’s experienced. Katy Nichole was born with congenital scoliosis, and at the age of 15, had to have surgery to try to correct it. It left her in pain every single day which led to a deep depression and debilitating anxiety.
Another operation, along with her strong faith, brought Katy Nichole out of the darkness. “After the second back surgery, I had an encounter with the Lord and it was really like the light had come back into my life.”
She adds, “I know pain, I know struggle, and I know the feeling of hopelessness, so when I write songs, I write to reach the person who thinks that hope is gone and who maybe is in the middle of what I've been through. I want to make them feel like they're not alone in their struggles, whether it's me reminding them or the Lord speaking through my songs.”
Katy Nichole grew up singing in church choirs and always had an interest in music and being on stage. Her Grandma Jan, who is also a singer, asked her to perform "Amazing Grace" with her one day. “I have a video of us singing together – it’s the sweetest thing,” she says. “She always encouraged me to sing.”
In 2000, on a whim, she posted herself singing one of her songs, "In Jesus Name (God of Possible)," on TikTok. She never could have foreseen what was about to happen. A few hours after posting, the video had over one million views.
In 2022, the song became the biggest hit of the decade on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart and stayed there for a record-breaking 20 weeks. Katy Nichole was also nominated for an American Music Award, co-hosted and performed on the GMA Dove Awards Pre-Telecast and saw another one of her songs, "God Is In This Story," hit number one as well last year.
In February, she launched her full-length debut album, Jesus Changed My Life, and has become one of Christian music’s fastest-rising artists. She is also set to release her third radio single, “Hold On.”
Her family, she says, gave her a solid foundation and the tools to have a relationship with the Lord. It’s this foundation and faith she relies on today to manage her meteoric rise to fame.
“I didn't expect my music to do what it did or even hit radio stations, and then suddenly, it's reached a lot of people,” says Katy Nichole. “I’m just taking in the ways that it's impacted people and brought healing into their lives. I’m on a stage and I have a platform to be able to share my love of Jesus with so many. God has given me that opportunity.”
Last year, she toured venues across the country with Jeremy Camp, Matthew West and other Christian musicians on the K-LOVE Christmas Tour. “It's pretty surreal,” she says. “I’ve been able to meet the people who I’ve looked up to for so long and I've made some friends. I’m really grateful for the way that I've been welcomed into a community of really good people.” This March, she began a 30-city tour.
“I definitely want to stick with it for as long as the Lord leads me to do so, but I would say that my greatest passion is in writing the music,” she says. “It’s where I find myself most alive.”
KatyNichole.com
Katy Nichole is a chart-topping contemporary Christian music singer who quickly rose to fame after posting a video on TikTok. When not in the studio or on tour, she resides in Franklin.
“I love the history of Franklin and downtown Franklin. The town has treated me well since moving here a year and a half ago. I’m really grateful to live here.”