Jasmine Murray - Fearless (2018)

Jasmine Murray is a contemporary Christian singer who first came to the attention of many as a contestant on the eighth season of American Idol. She had begun singing as a preschooler in her birthplace of Columbus, Mississippi, where she was raised until her family relocated to nearby Starkville after she had started high school. In 2008, while still a high-school student, she auditioned for the American Idol TV series in Jacksonville, Florida. She went on to compete in the show's eighth season, which began airing in January 2009. Murray finished in the Top 13 with performances of material by one of her biggest influences, Christina Aguilera, as well as the Jackson 5 and Sara Bareilles. While continuing her education, she later provided background vocals for Pharrell Williams on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack (2013) and his own hit album G I R L (2014). Also a frequent beauty contestant during her teens and into her twenties, Murray won the title of Miss Mississippi in the summer of 2014 and went on to finish in the Top Ten of the 2015 Miss America pageant. After relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, Murray signed with FairTrade Services, which released her official debut single, "Fearless," in 2017. Co-written by Murray, Jeff Pardo, and Tony Wood, the song landed in the Top Ten of the Christian digital sales and airplay charts. ~ Marcy Donelson