You know that feeling when a song just stops you in your tracks? Not because it’s loud or flashy, but because it hits a nerve you didn't even know was exposed? That’s exactly what happened back in 2014 when a relatively unknown singer from Louisiana named Lauren Daigle released a track called How Can It Be.
Honestly, the Christian music scene wasn't really expecting it. At the time, worship music was leaning heavily into big, synth-driven anthems. Then comes this girl with a voice that sounds like smoke and velvet—kinda like Adele but with a different kind of fire—singing about being caught red-handed in her own mess.
It wasn't just a "church song." It was a confession.
The Messy Reality Behind How Can It Be
Most people think artists just sit down and write their biggest hits in a vacuum. But How Can It Be actually has a bit of a different origin story. Lauren didn't even write it herself. It was handed to her by writers Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, and Jeff Johnson.
When Lauren first heard the demo, she was floored. She was actually going through a pretty rough season, wrestling with a lot of personal shame and the feeling that she had to "fix" herself before she could talk to God. We’ve all been there, right? That nagging thought that you’re too far gone or too broken to be worth anyone’s time, let alone the Creator’s.
The song is built on a specific scene from the Bible—the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Picture it: a crowd is ready to stone this woman to death. They’re holding rocks, waiting for the signal. And Jesus just stoops down, writes in the dirt, and basically says, "Whoever hasn't messed up can throw the first stone."
One by one, they leave.
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That’s the "how can it be" moment. The song asks the question: how is it possible that when I deserve the worst, I get the best?
Why the Vocals Changed Everything
Let’s talk about that voice.
If you listen to the original recording, there’s a raw, almost desperate quality to Lauren’s delivery. It’s not "pretty" in a plastic way. It’s soulful. It’s gritty. This was the world's introduction to what would become the "Daigle sound."
The Industry Impact
Before this song, Lauren Daigle was just a girl who had tried out for American Idol (and got cut, believe it or not). After How Can It Be, she became the face of a new era of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM).
- The song won Worship Song of the Year at the 2015 K-LOVE Fan Awards.
- It helped her debut album go Platinum.
- It spent weeks hovering at the top of the Billboard Christian charts.
But the charts don't tell the whole story. The reason this song appeared in Google searches for years—and still does—is because of the "X-factor" people felt when she performed it live. It felt less like a performance and more like someone working through their own stuff right in front of you.
Looking at the Lyrics Under a Microscope
There's a line in the chorus that usually gets people: "You plead my cause, You right my wrongs, You break my chains, You overcome." It’s a massive list of active verbs. In a world where we’re constantly told to "hustle" and "self-improve," the song argues for the opposite. It says the heavy lifting is already done. For a lot of listeners, especially those dealing with burnout or religious legalism, that message was like water in a desert.
Paul Mabury, the producer, really leaned into the "dusty" vibes of Lauren’s voice. He didn't over-produce it. He let the piano stay delicate and the orchestration stay cinematic but grounded. It didn't sound like a "radio edit"; it sounded like an invitation.
What People Get Wrong About the Song
Some critics at the time thought it was too "safe" or too similar to other worship ballads. But if you look at the longevity of How Can It Be, that's clearly not the case.
People often confuse this song with her later massive crossover hit, "You Say." While "You Say" definitely had more mainstream success (it basically lived on the Billboard Hot 100 for a century), How Can It Be is the foundation. It’s the "roots" song. Without the vulnerability of this track, "You Say" wouldn't have had the same weight.
Also, a lot of people think Lauren was always this confident powerhouse. In reality, she was recovering from a serious bout with an immune deficiency (cytomegalovirus) during her teen years. She spent two years in solitude. That’s where the depth comes from. You can't sing about grace like that unless you've felt the weight of being sidelined.
The Legacy a Decade Later
It’s been over ten years since that single dropped, and it still hits. You’ll still hear it in worship services, on "motivation" playlists, and in the background of TikToks where people are sharing their comeback stories.
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The song proved that you don’t need a massive choir or a light show to make a "big" song. You just need a human truth.
Actionable Insights for Your Playlist
If you’re just getting into Lauren Daigle’s discography or you’re looking for music that hits that same emotional frequency, here’s how to dive deeper:
Listen to the Deluxe Edition Live Version
There is a live version of How Can It Be on the deluxe album. Listen to it with headphones. You can hear the room breathe. It’s much more visceral than the studio track.
Check out the Songwriters' Other Work
Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury are basically the architects of modern worship sound. If you like the "heart" of this song, look up their credits on projects with artists like Chris Tomlin or Elevation Worship. You’ll start to see the patterns of how they build emotional crescendos.
Read the Source Material
Even if you aren't religious, reading John 8 provides the narrative context that makes the lyrics pop. It’s a story about a lynch mob being stopped by a single act of empathy. That’s a powerful image regardless of your background.
Pair it with "Trust in You"
If How Can It Be is about the past and being forgiven, "Trust in You" is about the future and being uncertain. They are the two pillars of her early career and work best when listened to back-to-back.
At the end of the day, How Can It Be succeeded because it stopped trying to be a "hit" and started trying to be a conversation. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is admit you don't have all the answers.