Tony Cummings reports on the singer/songwriter MADISON WATKINS with the radio hit "Spin"

Madison Watkins

Madison Watkins is a singer and songwriter who knows all about fame and fortune. Her 2019 single "Curls" clocked up 1.5 billion views on TikTok. But she has found that the glittering prizes of showbiz stardom bring neither satisfaction nor happiness. It took an epiphany to bring her fulfilment and direction. Her latest Cross Rhythms radio hit "Spin" is a thought-provoking song that speaks about slowing down, watching this broken and discordant world of ours and trusting God to take us through the chaos and traumas of daily life.

Madison had been striving to make a success in music for years. Born in 1995 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Madison grew up listening to Whitney Houston and discovered she too had an exceptional singing talent. She began performing in bars and talent shows and in 2016 appeared on NBC's America's Got Talent. Two years later Madison made it to the semi-finals of Season 11 of the TV talent search American Idol. Living in Los Angeles she released the singles "Glow" in 2016 and "Movin'" in 2018. It was her next single that brought her the success she craved. She siad, "Aussie Hair Care was running a hashtag campaign called #CurlMagic and it just so happened that I had released a song called 'Curls'. With my naturally curly hair, it ended up being the perfect partnership. They reached out and we teamed up; it all lined up so well. I posted a video and, like with any viral moment, it just took off. Suddenly, everyone was using the song and it started gaining insane traction online.

"From that point on, social media really became the driving force behind the growth of my career. In 2020, my TikTok blew up: every video I posted seemed to hit millions of views. One of the standout things I did was a series called Hit That Note, where my friend would play a really challenging vocal moment in the car, and I'd try to sing it. People absolutely loved it - it became a kind of mini-series that connected with a lot of viewers. 'Curls' and everything that followed from it was the spark that started everything."

In 2020 Watkins released her first EP 'Rooted'. Concert slots, regular appearances on TV and a following as an internet influencer brought more acclaim for Madison. But a toxic personal relationship left her depressed while a feeling of inner emptiness beset the singer/songwriter. Finally, she turned to God. Explained Madison, "I grew up in a small town where having a relationship with God was something that was always talked about; it was just a part of the culture. But it wasn't until I moved to Los Angeles that I really began to understand what that relationship meant on a personal level. When I got to LA and started 'gaining the world' - meaning success, money, opportunities, attention - I realised pretty quickly that none of it truly satisfied me. No matter how much I achieved or how exciting things seemed on the surface, it always left me feeling empty in the end. Maybe it felt good for a moment, but that feeling never lasted. That emptiness made me start asking deeper questions, like 'What is all this for? Why am I here? What's the point of chasing all of this if it doesn't actually fulfil me?' I came to believe there had to be something more, something bigger than just fame or success or even talent.

"There's a book that completely changed my perspective called The Purpose Driven Life. I recommend it to everyone I meet because it helped me understand the deeper meaning behind why we're here, what life is really about. I know it can sound strange to people who've never explored a relationship with God. They might say, 'How do you talk to God? Aren't you just talking to the air?' But for me, once I actually started talking to him, everything changed. When I started spending time in prayer and really deepening my relationship with him, things slowly began to change. That heaviness started to lift. It doesn't mean I never struggle - I still have to walk through hard days and continue surrendering those things to him - but my faith was what truly carried me through those dark seasons.

"Another big part of that journey was surrendering my career. I stopped trying to force things. I've learned that when you try to control everything, it rarely works out the way you hope. So I let go - really let go - and that's actually why I named [my second] EP 'Letting Go'.

'Letting Go' was released through Christian record label Provident Label Group. Recorded in different cities, including London, it is a creative tour de force containing two other Cross Rhythms radio hits, "You Won't" and "Goodbye" which one reviewer described as a "no holds barred and in your face song about saying goodbye to the negative and toxic things in your life because God has something better in store."

Talking about her new approach to songwriting Madison said, "There's a deeper meaning in my songs now, even though it may not be immediately apparent on the surface. In LA, much of my music centred around relationships and love interests, which is fine, but I realised I was neglecting a significant part of myself - my faith. It's something I've always wanted to explore in my music, but I hesitated due to potential labels or misconceptions. Embracing this aspect of myself has enriched my music. When I let go of boundaries and wrote authentically, the quality of my music improved significantly. I realised that being true to myself, including my faith, resulted in more meaningful and genuine songs."