maverick (noun): a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way.
Think you know Maverick City Music? Think again. While the award-winning collective is constantly dropping new projects, they continue to confound listeners with their unique approach to crafting, releasing and supporting their original music. Since the group was established in Atlanta, Ga., in 2018, its mission has always been to create a space where a seemingly incongruent group of artists, songwriters and musicians could discover a safe home to offer their talents and gifts to the Lord. On “The Maverick Way Complete,” the collective lives up to its name and its initial vision.
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After previewing the project with a six-song EP in September, Maverick City Music unveiled a full 22-track record at the end of October. While “The Maverick Way Complete” showcases staple members like Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, it also remains true to the group’s hallmark of welcoming a host of collaborators from an array of genres to provide a true multigenerational, multicultural worship experience.
Captured live during a previous Tribl Worship Night, “The Maverick Way Complete” is part greatest hits setlist, part all-new recording. Leaning on the lyrical prowess of proven songwriting aces like Brandon Lake, Pat Barrett, Brooke Ligertwood, Chris Davenport, Jason Ingram and Steven Furtick, as well as Moore and Raine, among many others, the lyrical depth of the collection’s expansive tracklisting is just as impressive as anything Maverick City has previously released. In fact, the group looks back as much as it looks forward, harnessing former Maverick City Music hits like “Promises,” as well as recent church staples like “More Than Able” and “Firm Foundation (He Won’t),” on which the collective invites Cody Carnes to join them on the recording he originally co-wrote with Moore and Austin Davis. They reprise the powerful chorus of “Firm Foundation” further down the setlist, with Moore and Raine leading the charge and hip-hop artist Wande rapping a new bridge. Elsewhere, fresh selections like “Crazy Love,” “Good News” and “God Problems” are already resonating with worshippers around the country.
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Additionally, since it’s a live album, numerous guests share brief testimonies of the ways in which God has rescued them, freed them and delivered them from obstacles that stood in their way, each time encouraging listeners that He can do the same for them.
In true Maverick City fashion, the project as a whole boasts a roster of features that highlight familiar names like those of Phil Wickham, Kierra Sheard and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, while simultaneously also introducing fresh voices to listeners like JWLKRS Worship, Rosie Mac and Roosevelt Stewart, among others. After reviewing the guest list for “The Maverick Way Complete,” it appears Maverick City Music just might be the most hospitable group in the business. It seems everyone wants to partner with them; and on the flip-side, they don’t put any limits around who they link arms with, resulting in a gumbo of thoughts, contributions and melodies that’s surely reflective of the diversity of heaven.
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“The Maverick Way Complete” levels the playing field, intentionally making space for anyone who simply has a song in their heart to offer God. From pop and modern worship to Gospel, R&B and hip-hop, the sonic embellishments are as diverse as the names found in the liner notes and as varied as the faces that appear on stage. A constant surprise, perhaps Maverick City Music’s greatest asset is their utter unpredictability.
Consistently holding their artistry with open hands and throwing the doors to their outfit as wide as the hinges will possibly stretch, the collective continues to carve a path that’s entirely their own. Meanwhile, fans have proven they are eager and willing to follow wherever the pioneering group leads, as evidenced by their latest bundle of Billboard Music Award nominations. The collective is up for four awards ahead of the Nov. 19, 2023, ceremony.
While “The Maverick Way Complete” undoubtedly provides a glimpse into the group’s acclaimed live show with nearly three hours of music on tape, they’ll once again take their singular mantra out on the road this fall. “The Maverick Way Tour” is slated to visit 16 cities through November and will feature an array of special guests, including Todd Galberth, Noah Schnacky, Travis Greene, Forward City Music and JWLKRS Worship.
