Cover story, Josiah Queen announces ‘I’ll Fly Away’ with Benjamin William Hastings

I’ll Fly Away’ arrives as ‘Mt. Zion’ approaches Aug 22, headline shows set, ‘The Prodigal’ milestones and ‘Dusty Bibles’ growth.

A year of milestones frames Josiah Queen’s latest chapter. ‘The Prodigal’, his independently released debut album, entered Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart at No. 1 in June of 2024 and re entered the top five earlier this month, now with over 140 million combined global streams. With ‘Mt. Zion’ slated for August 22 via Capitol Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Queen opens this next phase with ‘I’ll Fly Away’.

‘I’ll Fly Away’ brings a formative influence into the room. Queen trades vocals with Benjamin William Hastings, the singer and writer of ‘So Will I (100 Billion X)’, recorded by Hillsong UNITED, a song that was a huge inspiration to him while growing up. Co written with Zac Lawson and John Michael Howell, and produced by Hank Bentley, known for work with Brandon Lake and Crowder, the single is a jubilant celebration of the sweet hereafter.

Queen describes the core of the track directly:
“‘I’ll Fly Away is a song of hope, rooted in the promise that this life isn’t the end. It’s about the day we’ll be reunited with our loved ones in Heaven – singing, worshiping, and embracing them once again in the presence of God. I think of family and friends already there and this song feels like my heart is reaching toward that homecoming.”

To celebrate the album, two headline dates are booked, October 27 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and November 1 at Yuengling Center in Tampa. Tickets for the Ryman sold out in under 48 hours. Queen concluded a run as special guest on the U.S. leg of Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake’s summer arena tour earlier this week at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

Another ‘Mt. Zion’ single, ‘Dusty Bibles’, has ignited live and online engagement, drawing a 30,000 plus sing along at Lifest in Wisconsin, logging over 5.2 million streams weekly, and charting on Spotify’s Viral 50 in 18 countries, including the top 10 in the U.S., and the top 25 globally. Social views for ‘Dusty Bibles’ surpassed 100 million in the first month.