Monday is already here – thankfully Monday means music! This week is a freebie week, so grab your favorite tune(s) and come dance with us, will you? 

Because today commemorates the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 (wow. just wow.) let’s start with a song written in the wake of the September 11 attacks, released on November 26, 2001, as the lead single from this artist’s new album at the time. The artist considers this song to be his biggest-ever accomplishment. He said:

“I [recently] did a radio interview, and the guy was talking about being at the [CMA] Awards the night I sang ‘Where Were You.’ Even though that was a hard performance for me and an emotional time, I still get so many comments about that. Of all the awards, and all that kind of stuff, the music is still what I like. To be able to create a song that really affects people and makes a mark in the music industry, I would have to say that would be a highlight.”

The artist wrote the song on his own, with the idea coming to him at 4am in the morning. He explained that the lyrics really “came out of nowhere.”

“It was just a gift. I got up and scribbled it down and put the melody down so I wouldn’t forget it, and the next day I started piecing all those verses together, thoughts I had or visuals I had.”

Give a listen to Alan Jackson with “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”:

Next up is a favorite artist who just released his new album last month. The new album has positive but serious songs, as well as plenty of feel-good ones, too. Prior to the release of the album, the artist was quoted as saying:

“There are a couple of really life-affirming songs that I can’t wait for everybody to hear. One called ‘Letter From Heaven’ that really just tears me up every time I hear it. You’re gonna have to have a Kleenex for that one. But there are some fun songs too.

There are some really good, sort of throwback country things on this that I really enjoy doing, and got into my George Strait vein a little bit. There’s a good mixture of stuff. I always try to do that with every album. I never want to just have one style of song on the album. I want to give you sort of a smorgasbord to choose from.”

Before he finalized songs on the record, he played them all for the person that means the most to him – his wife and daughters, even if the response isn’t as positive.

“Faith is always my first set of ears that hears everything. They’ll tell me when they don’t like it. And we don’t always agree. And Faith and I don’t always agree either on songs, but she’s always a great sounding board.”

Grab those tissues, here’s Tim McGraw with “Letter From Heaven”:

Next up, this favorite group recently released a song created for the sci-fi role-playing game Starfield. Incorporating the game’s main musical theme from Inon Zur, the song’s official music video takes the viewer on a tour of the array of planets that Starfield will feature. The frontman was quoted as saying:

“Bethesda created iconic games we’ve been playing for most of our lives, and we’re honored to have collaborated on this song for Starfield. The song, like the game, asks some of the most difficult questions we face as humans trying to find our place in the universe.”

Give a listen to Imagine Dragons with “Children of the Sky”:

Last, but certainly not least, is a new song from this American Christian band that wrote this pop song of recovery with a Grammy Awards-nominated, multi-Platinum-selling artist. Both singer/ songwriters have remarkable stories of recovery from addiction. The artist from the Christian band has been transparent as a songwriter who has battled addiction and is now celebrating two decades into his sobriety. He said:

“With this record, we want to encourage the body to live what the Word of God says, to believe what it says and to stand up for what it says. The whole goal is to encourage each other in the faith.”

Without further ado, here’s Unspoken featuring Walker Hayes with “More Church Than Church”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!