Gospel music star Tamela Mann speaks about her latest album, 'Live, Breathe, Fight'

Gospel music icon Tamela Mann has opened up about the meaning and inspiration behind her latest album, 'Live, Breathe, Fight.'

She hopes the music will offer a safe haven and provide hope to those who are going through a tough time.

“My prayer and hope is that people really take something from it and find joy and inspiration to live, breathe and fight, since that is the title, but it's like even living in the moment that could be chaotic, could be rough, but we got to live and you still got to get to that next point, not to give into the moment,” the singer said.

The album features the hit song 'Working for Me', which became her record-breaking 11th number one on Billboard's gospel airplay chart.

The 58 year old, who launched her solo career with the album Gotta be Mine in 2005, says the lyrics in her music are just as important as the melody.

“I need the words to be clear, the lyrics to be clear on what the message is in each song,' she underlined. ''And I think that's what we tried to fulfill in this, that like, another song is ‘Lord I Trust You.’ And we're really talking about Lord, I trust you. You ain't gonna have to wonder that you deserve to win. You don't have to wonder – you don't.”

Mann has pointed out an interesting trend - that sales of Gospel music increased during the pandemic.

She has a theory as to why this might be, stating, “when the pandemic happened, the pandemic happened everybody was – gospel music, sales was up. Because everybody felt like, ‘Oh my god, is the world by the end. What's about to happen?  Because we were losing so many lives. And it really was a scary place for us. But I feel like we need God all the time, not just when you're in need. You need him when times are good and when times are bad.”

 Live Breathe Fight is out now; the artist doesn't seem to be taking a break following its release, as she's set to feature in Tyler Perry's upcoming film, Madea's Destination, next year.