BGospel Insight – Chart Analysis: The Rise of Moses Bliss and Phil Wickham

BGospel Insight – Moses Bliss Takes the Lead: Week 3 Chart Analysis (2026)

This BGospel Insight report covers the activity of the Top 50 for the official week ending Thursday, January 22, 2026. Here, we analyze the spectacular rise of Moses Bliss, the continued domination of international heavyweights, and the key movements redefining the gospel music landscape at the start of this year.

Performance and Growth

The flagship track of this period is undeniably “With My Name [Laugh Last]” by Nigerian artist Moses Bliss. Officially released on January 9, 2026, this track has experienced a meteoric trajectory in just three weeks. Starting with just over a million views, it has now accumulated an impressive total of 1,914,220 views as of January 22, 2026.

The momentum is particularly sustained with a growth of 88.8% over the observed period, representing a net gain of 900,496 additional views. With a weekly average of 638,073 views, the track quickly climbed from the 663rd place to the leader position (#1) of the chart.

Views Evolution for Moses Bliss – With My Name [Laugh Last] (January 2026)

This performance confirms Moses Bliss’s status as a “hitmaker,” whose career has taken a decisive turn since his title “Too Faithful” in 2019. This new success, coming shortly after the release of his album “The Expression” in March 2025, demonstrates perfect mastery of timing and community engagement. The track seems to resonate as an anthem of victory (“Laugh Last”), capturing the attention of an audience looking to start the year 2026 on a triumphant note.

Dominant Top Artists

Top 5 Artists by Total Views (Period: Jan 9 – Jan 22, 2026)

Phil Wickham

Phil Wickham maintains a dominant position thanks to the depth of his catalog. With 10 tracks charted, he accumulates over 6.4 million views over the period. Although his overall volume shows a technical decrease of 28.4% compared to the previous wave, his consistency with tracks like “Psalm 8 (Hallé)” (released late 2025) maintains an impressive velocity of 215,000 views per day.

Mercy Chinwo
The power of female Nigerian gospel remains embodied by Mercy Chinwo. With 12 tracks in the chart and nearly 3.8 million views over the period, she displays remarkable stability. Her recent title “You Are My God,” released on December 31, 2025, is beginning to generate significant traction, consolidating her place as number 2 in terms of global volume.

Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor
The duo creates a surprise in the top 3 with “NO TURNING BACK II.” This single track alone generates over 3.1 million views over the period, with explosive growth of 995%. It is the perfect example of a viral single that rivals the entire catalogs of major artists.

Top Artists by Total Views (Period: Jan 9 – Jan 23, 2026)

The current Top 10 reveals an interesting battle between the “firepower” of established catalogs (Wickham, Winans) and the explosiveness of viral singles (Bliss, Gaise Baba). While American artists dominate in cumulative volume, African artists (Nigeria in particular) currently monopolize the velocity and virality of new releases, dictating the tempo of early 2026.

Classic of the Period: Kirk Franklin – “I Smile”
Kirk Franklin’s title “I Smile,” initially released in 2011, stands out as the timeless classic of this week. Despite its 15 years of existence, this track still generated 147,523 views this week, bringing its historical total to over 167 million.

Although it shows a slight slowdown compared to the previous week, its constant presence in the Top 50 (#22) testifies to its status as an “Evergreen” staple. It acts as a safe haven in playlists, continuing to appeal to a cross-generational audience well beyond its initial promotional lifecycle.

Growth Explosion: Artists to Watch (% Change)

Hope Darst
She is the statistical revelation of the week. Her title “Mighty Name Of Jesus – Live” records a mind-blowing progression of 9,123%. After a quiet period, this track released in March 2025 seems to have been rediscovered or massively shared, propelling her as the artist to follow very closely for the coming weeks.

Sinach
The veteran shows no signs of slowing down. With a progression of 2,215%, Sinach returns in force, carried by her new title “ENOUGH FOR ME” released on January 22, 2026. In just 24 hours, the track captured massive attention, suggesting a likely entry into the top of the chart as early as next week.

Jermaine Edwards
The Jamaican singer is experiencing a major resurgence of interest (+1,005%). His title “Still Here” (2026 version) jumped in the charts, going from near obscurity to a solid position in the Top 10. This return confirms the public’s appetite for authentic Caribbean sounds.

Q1: Can a Christian buy views for their gospel music? Does this pose a spiritual ethical problem?

Buying “fake views” (bots, click farms) is ethically problematic because it relies on deception: it creates the illusion of popularity that does not exist, which is akin to lying. In a Christian artistic approach meant to advocate truth, this practice creates major spiritual dissonance. Furthermore, platforms like YouTube severely penalize these methods, risking the permanent destruction of the artist’s channel.

Q2: What is the difference between buying views and doing promotion?

The distinction is fundamental. Promotion (Google Ads, Meta Ads) consists of paying to display your music to real people who choose whether or not to click; it is a legitimate and transparent marketing approach, comparable to renting a billboard. Buying views, on the other hand, consists of paying to falsify the counter (often via robots) with no real audience behind it. One is a dissemination tool (promotion), the other is a manipulation tool (buying views).

Conclusion :

This third week of January 2026 clearly marks the awakening of the “giants” after the holiday lull. Moses Bliss’s domination proves that Africa continues to export global hits capable of dethroning American productions. For artists, the message is clear: velocity is key. The public consumes quickly; it is therefore crucial to accompany every release with an intense visual and community strategy from the very first days.

See you next week to see if Hope Darst will confirm her explosion and if Sinach will transform her stellar start into a lasting reign. Your comments and analyses are welcome!