On November 27, 2015, Pope Francis—widely admired for his humility and concern for society’s most vulnerable—releases Wake Up! Music Album with His Words and Prayers, blending the pope’s own voice with a surprising mix of progressive rock and traditional sacred sounds. Produced with Vatican approval by Believe Digital, the 11-track album features hymns with excerpts of his most inspiring sermons in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian.
The music ranges in style from progressive Italian rock to Gregorian chanting, all set against Francis’ reflections on human dignity, peace, hope, environmental care and compassion for those in need. The title track, “Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!”—the only song with an English title—samples his 2014 closing Mass at the sixth Asian Youth Day in South Korea. “Asian youth, wake up!” the pontiff urges, his words rising above the guitars and choral harmonies.
