Brandon Lake's "Hard-Fought Hallelujah" Strikes a Powerful Chord with Kiwi Listeners

Brandon Lake’s latest single, Hard-Fought Hallelujah, is an anthem for anyone who’s ever pushed through life’s roughest seasons and still managed to raise a weary hand in praise. It's a raw, unfiltered reflection on the gritty reality of faith—one that isn’t all angel wings and mountaintop moments, but more often a slow, stubborn trudge through doubt, frustration, and exhaustion.

As Lake puts it, “Faith isn't proven like gold, 'til it's been through the fire.”

This isn’t your typical feel-good worship track. It’s forged in hardship and made for those holding on by a thread. “This song is about the battles we face, the grit it takes to keep the faith, and the praise that comes after,” Lake shared. “I hope it really resonates with people.”

Clearly, it has—Hard-Fought Hallelujah became Lake’s sixth No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, cementing its impact well beyond church walls.

Lake wrote the track with close friends and whānau in mind—people walking through painful seasons where praising God feels almost impossible. For him, worship isn’t just a response; it’s a weapon. “When you lift up a hallelujah in your hardest-fought season, God inhabits that praise,” he says.

The result is a deeply personal anthem, a reminder that even when your faith feels fragile, there’s power in worship to shift the atmosphere. It’s the kind of song that meets you where you are and helps carry you forward.

Whether you’re in the midst of the fight or on the other side of it, Hard-Fought Hallelujah is a timely reminder that the most powerful praise often comes from the hardest places.