Regina Belle - Love Forever Shines

By Em Fergusson

Remember those days when singing without instruments? Love Forever Shines, Regina Belle's debut gospel album includes a hearty, traditional rendition of God Is God, along with other shining gospel gems. The 14-track album includes songs such as the high tempo Can’t Nobody, the reflective, Good To Be Loved, and the authentic-sound of My Destiny. Belle uses her years of musical talent, combined with years of exposure to gospel music to create a dynamic gospel album.
The four-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist teams up with Ruben Rodriguez' Pendulum Records in association with Walker Davis Entertainment, which proves to be a great combination. Belle's vocals are undeniably powerful and will take listeners on a spiritual escape, as she explores the theme of God's love on Love Forever Shines. Tracks such as the moving and gentle ballad, I Hope He Understands offers the message of hope during despair. The lyrics testify to the trials and difficulties Christians experience in everyday life.

Belle talks about the songs on the album (on her MySpace page) in the following quote: ""These songs are very personal..they come from my own life experiences. So I had to be very active in the writing part of the project. One day I was sitting in a hotel room in Detroit. I was feeling completely alone. So I asked the Lord to show me that He was with me. It seemed that in an instant He began to say, 'I'll Never Leave You Alone.' From that moment He began to give me the song so quickly that I couldn't keep up with writing it as fast as He was giving it to me. My inspiration for this project is simply - gratefulness."

The experience of drawing strength from God, through love, is heard and felt throughout the album. The sacred and worshipful track, I Call On Jesus featuring award-winning gospel artist Shirley Murdock, emphasizes the importance of a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Belle's life experience can also be heard and felt on the track, Victory. As a minister of music at New Shield of Faith Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia, where her husband John S. Battle III is senior pastor, Belle's life has taken many twists and turns. These life experiences are translated into the lyrics of tracks, such as Victory. The words of this powerful song explore how a life-changing victory in Jesus Christ promotes an enriched life with no defeat: "I won’t be persuaded by the face that I see/I stand on his word and I trust and believe/ I will stand in Your power/ There is no defeat!/ A victory in Him says, I win/ My victory in Him says I win…”