When Bodie Kuljian, known professionally as “bodie,” talks about the turning point in his career, he doesn’t start with the hit singles or the high-profile tour dates. Instead, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter recounts an unforgettable moment of conviction.
“I’d always loved Jesus, but I was afraid to switch to Christian music,” he told The Christian Post. “I didn’t want to lose the audience of people who hated Jesus and hated the Church. I still wanted to write music that gave them glimpses of hope.”
Then, in prayer, bodie said the Holy Spirit spoke to him: “You don’t choose who you reach. I choose that.”
“It completely humbled me,” he said. “And shortly after that, I signed with Provident, a Christian record label. Since then, God’s reached more people than I ever could have imagined; those who love the Church, hate the Church, and everyone in between.”
That leap of faith led to No Skips, bodie’s first full-length album, which releases on Friday through Provident Entertainment/Sony. The project comes after a string of chart-topping singles, millions of streams, and industry recognition, including Dove Award nominations and a win at the International Songwriting Competition for his breakout song, “Whisper and the Wind.”
Bodie, who firmly believes in the importance of authenticity when writing music, No Skips was born out of honesty.
“Sixty to 70% of the songs weren’t written with an album in mind,” he said. “I was just writing songs that were true to me, things God had put on my heart. Later, when it came time to think about an album, we picked the songs that made the most sense together.”
Though the process was unplanned, bodie was surprised by the cohesive end result.
“Each song represents a different season of someone’s life, navigating what it looks like to be human, figuring out how to walk with God, how to navigate relationships with others and with yourself,” he said.
The album includes vulnerable tracks like “Heaven Knows I Tried,” which candidly recounts his pursuit of fleeting pleasures before finding joy and restoration in Christ.
“It’s important to write songs that acknowledge, ‘Hey, I’ve messed up, and I still do sometimes,'” bodie said. “But God redeems everyone. No one is unredeemable.”
At the same time, the artist wants to capture God’s subtle presence. “Whisper and the Wind,” which climbed into the Top 10 on both the Billboard Airplay and Mediabase Audience charts, acknowledges that God doesn’t always show up in the miraculous. “Sometimes he’s there in the quiet whisper,” he said.
“Whisper and the Wind” amassed more than 23 million global streams, and won bodie the grand prize in the International Songwriting Competition.
With judges that included Tom Waits, Nancy Wilson of Heart and members of Linkin Park and Sugarland, the recognition floored him.
“I knew from the beginning it was a song that would move people,” he said. “I didn’t think it would move 23 million people.”
The song also earned him nominations at both the Dove Awards and K-LOVE Fan Awards.
“It humbles me,” he said of his success. “It reminds me that when we’re faithful, God can do so much more with our talents and giftings than we could ever do on our own.”
The Southern California native who has served as a worship leader at Oceans Church in Irvine said his path to Christian music might have been unlikely without his breakout run on Season 22 of NBC’s “The Voice.” He advanced to the finale with his cover of Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude,” a performance that revealed a side of him his fans hadn’t seen before.
“I’d always been a worship leader alongside making secular music,” he said. “Singing ‘Gratitude’ in the finale was really the start of God working on my heart. That moment on ‘The Voice’ was like a magnifying glass; it gave me a platform, but it also set me on a new trajectory.”
The artist, who was 30 when he competed on the show, said that being older than many contestants gave him an advantage.
“I already knew who I was as a man, as a Christian, as an artist,” he said. “I had a clear sense of how I wanted to be perceived. The show wasn’t my big break, but it gave me the opportunity to grow my audience and capture people’s attention. And then God redirected my heart.”
Touring has become an essential part of bodie’s ministry. After wrapping up his “Murder My Ego Tour,” he’s now heading out with Elevation Rhythm and later Seph Schlueter for a string of dates through the fall.
Fully aware of the power of music, bodie said he insists on meeting fans after every show.
“Until I can’t do it anymore, I stay until I’ve met every person who wants to meet me,” he said. “If my music is helping people fall more in love with Jesus, it’s an honor to hear their stories face to face.”
Some of those encounters have been deeply moving, the artist said, recounting how people have told him his music has helped them through suicidal thoughts or mental health struggles.
“When someone says, ‘Your music saved my life,’ I don’t take that lightly. It reminds me it’s not about money or career, it’s about the songs God appointed me to write, actually changing the course of someone’s life,” he reflected.
Others are more surprising: “I’ve had about four or five fans tattoo my logo or autograph on them,” he laughed.
Though initially nervous about entering the CCM industry, bodie said it’s the “best time ever” to be a part of it, as genre lines have grown increasingly blurred, and Christian artists experience mainstream success.
“It’s the best time ever to be in this industry,” bodie said. “People just want authentic music they can relate to, regardless of labels. And sonically, to, you can do whatever you want. The lines are blurred across genres, and that’s exciting.”
And with his debut album, bodie hopes listeners have a meaningful encounter with their faith and experience God’s redemption and love through his songs.
“I hope their ears are ringing because they played it super loud,” he said. “But deeper than that, I hope they feel understood in their faith journey. I hope the songs encourage people to process how they see the Holy Spirit and maybe fall more in love with God.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
