Stellar Award winning recording artist Troy Sneed is following up his recent Top Ten smashes “Work it Out,” “The Struggle is Over” (#1 for 12 weeks) and ”Hallelujah” with a brilliant new track destined to eclipse them all. The new single “My Heart Says Yes” is #5 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and headed towards the #1 position. A departure for Sneed and the gospel field, the soothing acoustic ballad can easily play between tracks by Robin Thicke or Maxwell on adult R&B stations where its also gaining airplay. ‘”Yeah, I get a lot of that,” Sneed laughs. “A lot of people didn’t think that was me singing at first because of the overall sound and feel of the song and the falsetto.”
“Supporting Sneed is a simple, delicate ostinato melody with a Brazilian beat led by acoustic guitar and muted percussion,” Bob Marovich writes in The Black Gospel Blog. “Understated and hushed, ideal for that moment in a worship service when easy does it.” Sneed’s first album in almost two years was scheduled for a late summer release but the single’s early and stratospheric success has led him to release the ten-song CD “My Heart Says Yes” (Emtro Gospel/ MSRP $13.98) on May 10, 2011.
The title-song isn’t a stand-alone track. The set includes an unplugged version of “My Heart Says Yes” and other soulfully stripped down performances of “Holy is the Lamb,” “Glorify The Lord” and the “Ole School Worship Medley” that features refrains from the hymns “In The Garden” and “Walk in the Light.” The inspirational tracks “Sunshine” and “Hold On” boast old school R&B grooves. “Tell The Lord You Love Him” is a quartet track, “Great & Marvelous” is an anthem of praise and “Great Jehovah” is a Contemporary Christian music styled worship tune. “Praise and worship is a big part of my ministry,” Sneed explains. “Those kinds of songs minister to me first. This record is real praise and worship but it’s got that contemporary edge that makes it accessible to people of all ages, races, in church or out of church.”
The public probably first noticed Sneed as an actor in the film “The Preacher’s Wife.” He also coached the Georgia Mass Choir for the Whitney Houston soundtrack. He later recorded solo albums for Savoy Records before launching his own Emtro Gospel Records label in 2005. Ever since, the label has placed 18 songs by various artists on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart, including a half dozen by Sneed.
