NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 24, 2026) - Internationally acclaimed, award-winning singer/songwriter/recording artist Jean Watson has released her highly anticipated thirteenth full-length album, When I Was Fearless, today, Friday, July 24, 2026.

The gorgeous new album is produced by Grammy winner Jonathan Crone (DOE's 2024 Grammy-winning album, Heart of a Human, multi-award winning recording artists Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Danny Gokey, Broadway star Heather Headley, and more).

"Working with Jean Watson has always been a joy since the first thing we ever did together," says Crone. "Her heart for ministry is as undeniable as her visceral connection to music. I hope this project touches everyone who listens."

The project, which includes Watson's duet with legendary Grammy and GMA Dove Award-winning recording artist Russ Taff, as well a duet with her daughter, indie recording artist Kat Wells, features Watson on lead vocals, background vocals, and violin (which she also plays in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, Symphony Orchestra).

Crone, along with Nashville-based composer, producer, and arranger Tyler Michael Smith (Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, Sony Pictures, Coca-Cola), who co-produced with Crone on three of the songs ("Dust in the Wind," "Eye of the Needle," and "Pie Jesu"), expertly brings Watson's collection of new songs to life with help from some of the top studio talent in Nashville.

The players include Forest O'Connor (mandolin), Patrick D'Arcy (penny whistle, uilleann pipes), Eric Darken (percussion), Gary Lunn (bass), Dan Needham (drums), and Judah Jones (drums). Crone appears on guitar, mandolin, keys, programming, and background vocals, while Smith, who appears on strings, arranging, and programming, adds his signature lush orchestrations that shine on several of the songs.

Crone, who engineered the project, also mixed much of the album, along with Michael Walter, who mixed "Brethren We Have Met to Worship" and '"Beholding." The album was mastered by Mark Bihler at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

When I Was Fearless, based on Ephesians 3, is Watson's reflection on what it would be like to live like a child, fearlessly trusting in the love of God.

The project began in a coffee shop several years ago. She and a friend were reminiscing on their childhood and youth, when they were unafraid to take big risks.

"We were discussing those early years when we had no regrets about the past, no worries about the future, or self doubt in the present," says Watson. "I remarked that those were the days 'when I was fearless,"' says Watson. "Then I said, 'Wait -- I think there's a song there!"

"I remember imagining my whole life before me as a 17-year-old and feeling absolutely confident that I could do anything I set my mind to!" she says. "As a young Christian, I trusted that the Lord had good plans for me, and that, if I believed in Him, He would make my dreams come true."

"But since those fearless days, I had discovered two things," she continues. "First, life happens. We live on a planet that is subject to sin and death. Things don't always go the way we hoped they would. Secondly, we (myself included) are sinful. We have a way of screwing up God's plans and hurting ourselves and others in the process. As we age, we face pain, loss, and deep disappointment, and for me that pain and disappointment had robbed me of my fearless trust in God over the years."

"So, it was in a place of deep disappointment that I felt the Lord urge me to sit at the piano and begin to process my pain through music," she says. "I set my phone on the piano and recorded whatever came out each day. Not every recording was memorable, but there were some moments when my soul expressed something profound, and I was healing in the process. Much of that music found its way onto this album, plus three cover songs that are very meaningful to me."

"I do believe that God is calling us back to a lifestyle of fearlessness like we had as children," says Watson. "My daughter Kat designed the album cover, and said that she chose a picture of me when I was three years old because she felt it radiated fearless joy."

"I loved recording all of these deeply personal words and melodies, and I had so much fun during the entire recording process!" she says. "Jonathan Crone knows my voice very well and always gives wings to my musical ideas. My hope is that this music will bring comfort, joy and freedom to others as it has to me. May we all re-discover how much our heavenly Father adores us and become the joyful, fearless children of God He created us to be."

To stream or purchase the When I Was Fearless project, click here. To watch the "Dust in the Wind" video, click here. To watch the "Illuminate the Corners of My Mind" lyric video, click here. Follow Jean Watson on Facebook. For more information about Jean Watson, visit jeanwatson.com.

When I Was Fearless: Jean Watson's Stories behind the songs

* "Eye of the Needle" (by Jean Watson) - This song refers to Jesus' comments in Mark 10:25 about how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. For me, the eye of the needle represents a place where our fleshly sinful nature cannot go. Only God's spirit in us can enable us to live out the fullness of the destiny we are made for. Though it seems like a sad song at first, I actually find it so hopeful. There's treasure in the darkness few will ever find. / The riches of Your presence in the field of sacrifice. Even when life hasn't gone the way I thought would, God is calling me to lay down my dreams and trust that His are better!

* "Brethren We Have Met to Worship" (by George Atkins, William Moore, arr. David Phelps) - This song was inspired by David Phelps's arrangement of this classic hymn. We decided to create a more celtic arrangement of "Brethren" with plenty of fiddling and lots of energy. I'm so happy with how this one turned out! It feels perfect for my voice and violin and it always lifts my spirits!

* "Beholding" (by Jean Watson) - This song is definitely a favorite of mine and was so much fun to write! My daughter Kat and I were people watching in the Denver airport one day. I always find it so interesting to watch people and wonder where they have come from and where they are going. Many people had their faces glued to a smartphone. After a while, Kat remarked, "Everyone is beholding something. We become whatever we behold." "Wow, she's right," I thought. We become like whatever or whomever we give our attention to! Once on board our plane, I began to put these thoughts into verse, and over time, the verses became a song. Through this light-hearted melody, I am reminded to fix my eyes on Jesus and allow Him to transform me into His image rather than trying to change myself.

"More Than Enough" (by Jean Watson and Kat Wells) - This song was birthed at a songwriting workshop that Kat and I were leading in Eastern Montana. We asked the women to free-write whatever came to their minds for five minutes. When we invited them to share what they had written, one lady raised her hand and shared her simple but profound thought/prayer: "I don't have much, but it's enough. I don't have much, but You're more than enough." This inspired us to write the song, which I believe most of us can relate to. We live in the land of not enough. All of us have unmet needs and desires. Yet, by God's amazing grace, Jesus can be our more than enough if we receive Him. How wonderful to know we can have God's peace and joy in our hearts regardless of our circumstances.

"When I Was Fearless" (by Jean Watson and Kat Wells) - This song is really the heart cry of this whole album. As I wrote this, I was imagining my younger self, so confident in the Lord's love for me that I sang boldly and even danced with Jesus with no fear of shame or condemnation. Then life happened, and my soul was bruised and disappointed by my own mistakes and the mistakes of others. Even though God forgives us freely when we ask, for me it is much more difficult to forgive myself. Over the years, regret about past failures kept me from living in the freedom and confidence in God's love and in myself. In this song, the Lord is inviting me to sing and dance with Him again in freedom and joy, knowing I am adored as His beloved daughter.

"Isn't the Name" (by Jonathan Stockstill, duet with Russ Taff) - This song was a bucket list song for me. I had first heard Russ Taff sing it live at the Blue Gate Theater in Shipshewana, and was absolutely wrecked! Both the words of the song and the raw emotion of Russ's heartfelt delivery cut me straight to the heart. So, when I decided to record it myself, asking Russ to sing it with me was a no-brainer. Thank God he said yes! I love how our voices complement each other and bring new life to this powerful classic.

"Illuminate the Corners of My Mind" (by Jean Watson) - This song was a complete surprise. I was praying and writing in my journal one morning and some words just spilled out on the page as a prayer. "Let there be light. Illuminate the corners of my mind." I noticed the near rhyme and kept writing. A while later, I announced to my husband that I had written what I thought was a "techno" song. I recorded a quick demo of the idea and, while it wasn't quite "techno," it was definitely way out of my normal box! But I loved it and couldn't get the idea out of my head. A few months later, I took the idea to my producer, Jonathan Crone, and he helped shape the track and bring it to life. Even though the musical style was different for me, somehow it felt perfectly natural. I recorded the violin part in one take, dancing as I played!

"Dust in the Wind" (by Kerry Livgren, duet with Kat Wells) - This song was another surprise. I love the original Kansas version but never dreamed it could become a "Jean song." One day I heard David Phelps's new version of the song with beautiful layered vocal parts, and that recording helped me hear it in a new way. What if I sang it in my own way with strings and a cinematic approach? Jonathan Crone tapped master string arranger Tyler Michael Smith, and the rest is history. This song went off the charts for me, taking on a life of its own. Though the lyrics are not all expressly biblical, the core of the text is based on the book of Ecclesiastes and calls us to ponder what is most important in life. Strings on "Dust in the Wind" were provided by David Davidson (concertmaster), David Angell, Ali Goodman Hoffman, Rachel Englander, Wei Tsun Chang, Maggie Kasinger, and Nathan Bieber (violin); Monalisa Angell and Seanad Chang (viola); Paul Nelson and Emily Nelson (cello), and Quentin Flowers (bass).

"Small Things" (by Jean Watson) - This song began with a phrase that I couldn't get out of my head: The rising and falling of kingdoms and callings / Trophies and accolades, glory and praise / Will all be forgotten at the end of the age. / Only the small things remain. I'm not even sure how I thought of these words, but they just kept haunting me and begging for a melody! This one took some time to figure out, but eventually the puzzle pieces fell into place, and an amazing worship song emerged. Like many of the songs on the album, this one calls us back to the humility of childhood. The Lord is not impressed with our good works and accomplishments. He is pleased with the "poor in spirit," those who know they are nothing without Him. As Rich Mullins once said, "Isn't it good to be little?"

"Pie Jesu" (by Andrew Lloyd Webber, duet with Kat Wells) - This song closes the album. I felt it was right to end with a song that simply points to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We pondered making this a duet with a male singer, but in my heart, I knew this was for me to sing with my daughter, Kat. I had taught this piece to many of my vocal students over the years, so she had heard it sung many times and always told me that she loved it. What a joy it was for us to sing this song of praise together, our voices similar but still distinct.

About Jean Watson

Born into a musical family, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter/recording artist, author, and classically trained violinist Jean Watson's classical training began when she was still a young child. Early on, she displayed an affinity for the violin, but as time passed she became equally recognized for her wistful, ethereal vocals.

As an adult, music was set aside for Watson to focus on her responsibilities as a wife and mother. Sadly, her marriage ended in divorce and she found herself in a time of deep depression and hopelessness.

In 2003, at her lowest point, she cried out to God and experienced a remarkable breakthrough when her landlord accidentally heard her singing Christmas carols and was so moved that he gave her rent money back and told her to use it to record her first album.

The rest, as they say, is history.

"I gave that little CD away to anyone who would listen," Watson remembers. "Soon, a ministry was born that would take me all over the world sharing the love of Christ through words and music!"

A fan favorite throughout the U.S., the UK, and beyond, Watson can be heard worldwide on UCB Radio Ireland where she hosts her daily inspirational radio program, Jean Watson, which she records from her Michigan studio. Watson has logged thousands of miles traveling the U.S. and throughout the world to perform in churches, prisons, coffee houses, homeless shelters, and concert halls. When she is not on the road, she plays violin in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, Symphony Orchestra.

Including her current project, When I Was Fearless, she has released thirteen albums since 2003 (Christmas Presence, Aireborne, Unveiled, Everything Can Change, The Place You Have for Me, Christmas…Not the Way it Seems, Steady My Gaze, Wonder, Sacred, For Unto Us, Home, and Behold: Carols of Worship.

She has also authored a book, Everything Can Change in Forty Days: A Journey of Transformation in Christ.

Watson, who has been honored four times as the Best Female Praise and Worship Artist USA by the U.K. Christian Music Alliance, and has performed and been interviewed on many national and international media broadcasts including CBN's flagship show, The 700 Club; FOX Network's The Spiel; Cornerstone TV's Real Life, More Than a Song, and The Living Room Concert Series; TV 57's Babbie's House and Atlanta Live; TBN's Praise the Lord; LeSea Broadcasting's The Harvest Show; Life Today TV with Randy Robison; The Christian Television Network's Bridges and Herman & Sharron, among many others. She has also been featured by many other national media outlets including Bill Martinez Live!, Inspiration.org, CCMmagazine.com, World Christian Broadcasting, On Faith's Edge, CRU, The Shaun Tabatt Show, and many more.

Watson is married to Mark Roberts, a retired U.S. Air Force chaplain. She lives on a farm in Mattawan, Michigan, and has four children: Charlie, Andrew, Grace, and Katharine (Kat). For more information on Watson, visit jeanwatson.com.

 

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