(The Lion) — The Christian artist known for his sold-out shows and viral TikTok songs has launched an open verse challenge – and, like everything he does, it’s taking off fast.
Forrest Frank posted an open verse challenge last week on Instagram for his unreleased song Jesus Is Alive with the simple prompt, “tag someone who should get on this” – and artists quickly answered the call, including several names familiar to both CCM and mainstream audiences.
An open verse challenge is a growing social media trend in which a singer shares part of a song and invites others to write and record their own verse over it – typically by posting a video and encouraging fans to tag the original artist. Josiah Queen joined the trend in recent months, hosting a challenge and selecting multiple winners. Other Christian artists, such as Aaron Cole and KB, have also experimented with the format.
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Actor and singer Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block jumped into Frank’s challenge, recording a rap while wearing shades alongside his wife, Jenny McCarthy. He joked in an accompanying post: “My dearest @jennymccarthy was not gonna let this @hiforrest #OpenVerseChallenge pass by without me getting involved – even though I told her I quit rapping. So now I’m backing up Forrest!”
Wahlberg may have been the biggest name, but several well-known voices in CCM joined in as well.
Gospel/worship artist Jonathan Traylor submitted an entry, as did the all-female group The Band JAREN and the band Lost & Found. Julia Poe, who earlier won an open verse contest with Josiah Queen, also contributed an entry.
The Christian hip-hop genre was well represented, too, with artists such as Marcus Rogers, Vic Lucas, Anike and Yung Kriss among those taking part.
Dozens of lesser-known artists also joined the challenge, posting their own verses and asking their fans to tag Frank.
“Just posted mine from India!” Christian singer Vihan Damaris wrote. “we literally have so many gods worshipped here. So it means EVERYTHING that one is alive. JESUS!”
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The challenge has sparked buzz among Frank’s fans, who say they’re enjoying the steady stream of entries.
“Am I the only one LIVING for all the videos for this challenge???” one person wrote. “So much talent jumping on this track!!”
Frank is a Christian artist known for his upbeat, faith-centered songs and strong social media presence. A former member of the duo Surfaces, he has built a solo career marked by sold-out shows and a genre-blending gospel-focused sound that is especially popular among tweens and teens.
