“It never was for the crowd response…(but) just to see the glory of God manifest itself.”
Anointed. Inspiring. Captivating. Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s new documentary, ‘An Audience of One: The Making of Royalty’, is all of those things (and was easily one of the best spent hours of my week). Though only just under an hour-long, it was a well-made film that beautifully captured the process of Tasha’s visual album, Royalty. A blend of country, roots, bluegrass, gospel, and pop, this album breaks down the walls of our typical definition of gospel to give us a sound that is both memorable and powerful.
The film opens up with Tasha recalling the tug on her heart to travel to Nashville to create the album and perform at the Ryman Theatre. From there, it follows her and her producer husband, Kenny Leonard, and others who were instrumental to the making of the album. One unique aspect was the interviews with Monica Coates and EJ Gaines, the Co-Executive Directors and VP’s for Motown Gospel. They offered interesting behind the scenes perspectives about the project and helped put some of the pieces of Royalty together.
Not only did the documentary tell the story behind Royalty, but it also provided a taste of some of the songs from it. Highlighting 5 tracks, including her numbers with Kierra Sheard and We The Kingdom, it makes you want to immediately purchase the album. Moreover, it shows the process of how some of the songs were formulated, giving a glimpse into the songwriting process for the non-musician viewers.
Perhaps the most powerful part of the film happened right in the middle as Cobbs Leonard describes the hardest week of her life, an experience she went through while creating the album. From there we hear “Pour it Out,” a plea to The Father to pour out His presence, something many of us can relate to this year.
As Tasha knows how to move with The Spirit, her effortlessly powerful voice resonates with you long after the film is over. As you watch the documentary and listen to the album, it becomes personal, ushering you into the presence of God. As was intended, An Audience of One helps to refocus us on Who it is truly about. As musicians, church leaders, and “churchy” influencers, it is easy to get lost in the noise – the amount of social media followers, the round of applause, the pat on the back. However, there is only One for whom it truly matters. Through this pandemic came a blessing.
As usual, Tasha Cobbs Leonard took us a little closer to the throne, reminding us that we truly are Royalty. Watch the full documentary (below) – available now on Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s YouTube page.
About the Author
The founder of SheEdits, Brianna Membres, was blessed with over $50,0000 in college grants and scholarships (glory be to God) and has helped other college students win thousands of dollars for school. Will you be next? Contact SheEdits LLC today for professional scholarship, essay, and resume assistance.
Thank you for this! I was drawn to the album. At this point, I’ve listened to it and watched it from beginning to end, countless times. Keep up the great work, Brianna!