Identity is a messy business. We spend most of our lives trying to figure out who we are based on what people tell us, what our bosses think, or how many likes we get on a photo. It’s exhausting. Honestly, it’s a trap. Jordan Feliz hit on something huge when he released "You Are Beloved," and even years later, the song feels like a deep breath for anyone drowning in the "not enough" culture.
You’ve probably heard it on the radio or in a worship set. It’s got that signature Feliz soulful pop vibe—upbeat but somehow still heavy with meaning. But the story behind Jordan Feliz You Are Beloved isn't just about a catchy hook. It’s actually a letter from a nervous new father to a daughter who hadn't even entered the world yet.
The Room Where It Happened
Back in 2015, Jordan Feliz was a relatively new name in the Nashville scene. He’d transitioned from fronting a heavy rock band called A Current Affair to this soulful, R&B-infused Christian pop sound. He was sitting in a room with two other songwriters, Paul Duncan and Colby Wedgeworth.
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All three of them were dads.
Jordan’s wife, Jamie, was pregnant with their first child, Jolie. As they sat there talking, the conversation took a turn toward the future. They started venting about the world their daughters were going to grow up in. You know the drill—the pressure to be skinnier, prettier, smarter, and "better" by some impossible, moving standard.
It kind of broke him.
Jordan realized that his daughter was going to be bombarded with lies before she even learned to walk. He wanted to give her a "shield" of words. He wanted her to know that her worth was already settled. Not by her performance, but by her Creator. That’s how Jordan Feliz You Are Beloved was born. It was a preemptive strike against the insecurity he knew she’d face.
More Than Just a "Dad Song"
While it started as a personal message to Jolie, it quickly turned into something much bigger. Jordan has talked about how, while writing it, he felt like God was basically "preaching to him" in the process.
It’s funny how that works. You try to encourage someone else, and you realize you’re the one who needs the pep talk.
The lyrics are simple. "Forget the lies you heard / Rise above the hurt / And listen to these words: You are beloved." There’s no complex theology or hidden metaphors. It’s a blunt, soulful reminder that you are loved unconditionally.
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Why the Song Stuck
Usually, radio hits have a shelf life of about six months. Jordan Feliz You Are Beloved didn't follow that script. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart and stayed in heavy rotation for ages.
Why? Because the "not enough" feeling doesn't go away just because you grow up.
If anything, it gets worse. Adults deal with it in careers, marriages, and parenting. We all feel like we’re failing a test we never signed up for. When Jordan sings "You don't have to earn it," he’s hitting the core of the Gospel, sure, but he’s also hitting a core human nerve.
The Children's Book Evolution
In 2022, the song took on a whole new life. It was turned into a children’s hardcover book, also titled Beloved. Written by Jes Woller and illustrated by Hilary Griffith, the book follows a little girl named Jolie (a direct nod to Jordan’s daughter) as she spends a day at the beach with her dad.
She spends the whole day wondering what "beloved" actually means. Does she have to keep doing things to stay beloved? Does it go away if she messes up? It’s a beautiful way to bring the song’s theme to a level a four-year-old can grasp.
The "The River" Connection
You can’t really talk about this song without mentioning the album it lived on. While it first appeared on his Beloved EP, it became a cornerstone of his debut full-length album, The River.
That album was a massive success for a newcomer. The title track, "The River," spent 12 weeks at No. 1. It made Jordan the 2016 Dove Award winner for New Artist of the Year. But while "The River" was the high-energy party track, "Beloved" was the heart.
It showed that Jordan wasn't just a guy with a great falsetto and some 70s soul influence. He was a storyteller.
What Most People Miss
People often think "Beloved" is just a "feel-good" song. But if you look at the context of Jordan’s life at the time, it was written during a period of massive stress.
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He had just moved from California to Nashville. He was working as a valet parking cars while trying to get his music career off the ground. He and Jamie had actually gone through the heartbreaking loss of a miscarriage before Jolie was born.
When he says "Rise above the hurt," he’s not just being poetic. He was speaking out of a season of real grief and financial uncertainty.
The song isn't a "everything is perfect" anthem. It’s a "you are loved even when everything is falling apart" anthem. That distinction matters. It’s the difference between a hallmark card and a lifeline.
Practical Ways to "Let it Soak In"
If the message of Jordan Feliz You Are Beloved is going to actually change your day, you’ve got to do more than just hum along to the chorus. Here are some ways to actually apply that "beloved" identity:
- Audit your inputs. Who are you listening to? If your social media feed makes you feel like garbage every time you scroll, it’s feeding you the lies Jordan wrote the song to combat. Unfollow the noise.
- Speak the truth out loud. It sounds cheesy, but Jordan wrote these words to be heard. Tell yourself—or your kids—"You are beloved" when things go wrong.
- Separate performance from worth. You can have a bad day at work and still be a beloved person. You can fail a test and still be cherished.
- Listen to the "1 Mic 1 Take" version. If you want to feel the raw emotion of the song, find the version Jordan recorded at Capitol Studios. It’s just him and a microphone. No production bells and whistles. You can hear the conviction in his voice.
Jordan Feliz has gone on to release bigger hits like "Witness," "Glorify," and "Jesus Is Coming Back." He’s a mainstay in the CCM world now. But "Beloved" remains the song that defines his heart. It’s the message he’s still trying to live out as a dad of two now.
It’s a simple truth. But sometimes the simplest truths are the hardest to believe when the world starts shouting.
Next Steps to Internalize the Message:
Take five minutes today to listen to the song without doing anything else. No driving, no chores, no scrolling. Just listen to the lyrics. Then, identify one specific "lie" you’ve been believing about your worth this week and consciously replace it with the phrase: "I am beloved, and I don't have to earn it." If you have children, consider reading the Beloved picture book with them to start a conversation about where their true value comes from.