King of Kings (Hillsong song)

"King of Kings" is a contemporary worship song by Hillsong Worship and is the lead single from their twenty-eighth album, Awake. Released on 12 July 2019,^[1] it was written by Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood, and Jason Ingram^[2] and produced by Michael Guy Chislett and Brooke Ligertwood.^[3]

"King of Kings"
Single by Hillsong Worship
from the album Awake
Released	12 July 2019 (2019-07-12)
Genre	Contemporary worship music
Length	4:25
Label	Hillsong Music Australia
Songwriter(s)	Brooke Ligertwood · Scott Ligertwood · Jason Ingram
Producer(s)	Michael Guy Chislett · Brooke Ligertwood
Hillsong Worship singles chronology
"Who You Say I Am" (2018) "King of Kings" (2019) "Awake My Soul" (2020)

Background

Speaking with Worship Together, Scott Ligertwood shared that "King of Kings" was written when they met in Nashville, Tennessee. Ingram wrote the melody and Brooke Ligertwood wrote the lyrics, which focus on the gospel and the birth of the early church.^[4]

About the song, Brooke Ligertwood said:^[5]

The Gospel is a now reality that requires a now response. It should never be treated or viewed as a relic - no matter how reverently one might err in that direction. With origins before time and echoes beyond it, it stands at the intersection of eternity and our every-day present and beckons, urges, demands us to look. Look at the Christ, the Son of God - bloodied for your sin and the sin of all humanity - repent and believe and take your place in the story of all stories - the story of the King of Kings.

The song was inspired by Biblical passages found in Revelation 19:16 and Philippians 2:9-11, capturing the sovereignty and exaltation of Jesus from humility to victory.^[6]

Composition

"King of Kings" is composed in the key of D major. The song has a tempo of 68 BPM, with a time signature of 4/4.^[7]

Music videos

The lyric video for "King of Kings" was published the same day the song was released (12 July),^[8] and the live music video, recorded during the 2019 Hillsong Conference, premiered on 5 August;^[9] both videos were published on YouTube. On 27 February 2020, the Spanish lyric video for the song was released, titled "Rey De Reyes".^[10] On 3 August 2020, a video showing Brooke Ligertwood singing the song at Passion 2020 was published.^[11]

Awards and nominations

Awards

Year	Organization	Award	Result	Ref
2020	GMA Dove Awards	Song of the Year	Nominated	[12]
		Worship Recorded Song of the Year	Nominated

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2019-2020) Peak position New Zealand Hot Singles (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 29 US Christian Songs (Billboard)[14] 12 US Christian Airplay (Billboard)[15] 17

Year-end charts Chart (2019) Position US Christian Songs (Billboard)[16] 63 Chart (2020) Position US Christian Songs (Billboard)[17] 41 US Christian AC (Billboard)[18] 50

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[19]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "King of Kings - Single by Hillsong Worship". Apple Music. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
2. "SongSelect by CCLI". songselect.ccli.com. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
3. Hillsong Worship – King of Kings, retrieved 2 July 2020
4. "Here's a Look at the Theology Behind Hillsong Worship's New Song 'King of Kings'". RELEVANT Magazine. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
5. "Hillsong Worship Releases New Single, King of Kings". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
6. "Unveiling the Deeper Narrative of King of Kings by Hillsong Worship". reallyabout.net. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
7. "King of Kings by Hillsong Worship". www.multitracks.com. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
8. "King of Kings Lyric Video - Hillsong Worship". YouTube. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
9. "King of Kings (Live) - Hillsong Worship". YouTube. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
10. "Rey De Reyes (Official Lyric Video ) - Hillsong Worship and Hillsong En Español". YouTube. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
11. "King of Kings (Live at Passion 2020) - Hillsong Worship". YouTube. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
12. "2020 Nominees | The 51st Annual GMA Dove Awards". GMA Dove Awards. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
13. "Hot Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
14. "Hillsong Worship Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
15. "Hillsong Worship Chart History (Christian Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
16. "Hot Christian Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
17. "Hot Christian Songs - Year-End | Billboard". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
18. "Christian AC Songs - Year-End | Billboard". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
19. "American single certifications – Hillsong Worship – Kings of Kings". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 30 October 2023.