Afters Song Tops Most Downloaded

By Kevin Jackson, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, January 14, 2007

“Beautiful Love,” the debut hit single of Texas-based Christian rock band The Afters, was announced as the top downloaded song on the inspirational chart for 2006, according to the Nielson Soundscan.

The success of the song comes largely from this Dove Award-winning band’s crossover success into mainstream media.

Notably, “Beautiful Love” was the theme song for MTV’s reality show, 8th and Ocean. Following the release of the show, the single soared with sales, selling more than 90,000 digital tracks in just six weeks. Over the course of the year, it ended with 189,000 total sales.

In addition to the MTV phenomenon, The Afters’ music has appeared on many television networks including mtvU, ABC Family, and E! as well as the HOT AC and VH-1 radio networks. Their debut CD, I Wish We All Could Win (Sony), even provides a second theme song, “Until the World,” to the ABC Family Series Beautiful People.

Their positive and uplifting album tries to also create a sense of unity, which may have also added to the popularity and universality of their songs.

"Our music is about finding common ground and looking past the simple labels that people use to divide the world into easily defined subcultures," says guitarist and vocalist Josh Havens on the band’s website.

The group’s sophomore project, still without a title, attempts to please their fans in the same way the first did.

“The songs are some of the best we've ever written,” shares Havens with Christian Broadcasting Network. “We're working hard on the new music and taking our time to get it perfect for our fans. We're committed to making the very best album that we can, and I think it will be worth the wait.”

The album is set to come out in fall of 2007 with no confirmed release date.