Latter-day Saint singer Emma Nissen just went viral thanks to a recent Instagram reel in which she shared a snippet of an unreleased song called “Breathe” sung in what she calls a “Christian Jazz” style.
Emma, who has signed a record deal with Deseret Book, was already steadily gaining followers thanks to her recently released singles. But after last week’s reel, her media statistics have skyrocketed. She went from having around 20,000 followers on Instagram to more than 160,000 in a matter of days. Her Spotify account went from 8,000 listeners to 30,000, and the reel that sparked it all has 8.6 million views and counting. In the past, her very highest view count for reels was between one and three million, so this wave of views rose above anything she’s done before.
This outpouring of excited new fans stunned and encouraged Emma. “So fun to have a new audience!! Please enjoy the jazzy gospel,” she later posted.
Fans cheered and asked for the full song to be released, so Emma posted a demo version of “Breathe” on YouTube while she continues to work on the full release. She also just released a new single, “Flesh and Bone” on most streaming platforms and continues to work towards a full album in the new year.
Her viral reel has been liked over 13,000 times and was flooded with hundreds of comments showing support, love, and interest in Emma’s new style. The main conversation, however, centered on how the song made fans feel. More than a few listeners commented that despite not having any religious affiliation, the song made them feel something. One commenter said, “Maybe God [isn’t] half bad if He gave us this.” And another said, “You made an atheist feel religious. Loved it.”
Those who did identify as religious expressed gratitude to Emma for using her gifts to make spiritual music. “Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I’ve [been] missing in life,” one user said. “I just felt tingles from the top of my head to my heels,” another added. And one more said, “I just don’t [know] what’s more grateful, my spirit or my ears. Sheeeesh! Keep it up, girl!”
Further glowing comments praised Emma for the skills she’s cultivated with her voice. “Your voice and technique are both phenomenal—the intricacies and the overt stylistics,” Instagram user effie.star says. Reid Morris, a fellow musician on Instagram, says, “This scratches an itch in my brain that I cannot explain.”
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Emma plans to use this momentum to keep producing the faith-filled music she loves. She will release a full album in the new year, but she might throw a few more singles our way before that happens. Till then, we can all listen to the soulful songs she already has out and feel a bit closer to Christ.
Find Emma on Spotify or wherever you get your music. See her two latest music videos below and listen to her interview on the All In podcast here.
For those in Utah, you can see Emma perform live on Thursday, November 16, at the Nativity Market Event. Get your tickets here!
