BENJAMIN WILLIAM HASTINGS AND AODH�N KING RELEASE COLLABORATIVE ALBUM, HAPPY TO BE HERE
NEWS SOURCE: Merge PR
May 29, 2026
Created during a 10-day studio session, Happy To Be Here captures the honesty, friendship, and faith shared by two longtime collaborators. What began as a simple idea of locking themselves in a studio together with little preparation and complete trust in God quickly became one of the most meaningful projects either artist has created.
“This is honestly one of our favorite things we’ve ever done,” the two artists shared.
The 12-track album leans deeply into connection, vulnerability, and reflection. Throughout the project, Hastings and King explore themes of waiting, surrender, hope, and gratitude, all anchored by the album’s central message: simply being thankful to be here.
“Hastings is one of my best mates,” shares Aodhán King. “We’ve written so much together over the years with Young & Free, UNITED and each other’s solo projects. We’ve always talked about making something that was just ‘ours.’ This was that moment.”
Benjamin William Hastings adds, “We are so thankful for God bringing us all here together. We thank God that we get to do this with our lives.”
Both artists openly acknowledge the pressure and vulnerability that came with creating an album so quickly. Walking into the studio without a detailed roadmap forced them to rely fully on faith and trust God to meet them in the process. And He did.
The album includes already released tracks “Hollow Grave” and “Saturday,” alongside standout collaborations including “Yahweh” featuring Elevation Worship’s Tiffany Hudson and “Wondrous Cross (When I Survey)” featuring Cody Carnes.
Happy To Be Here Track Listing:
1. Happy To Be Here
2. Hollow Grave
3. Saturday
4. Yahweh (feat. Tiffany Hudson)
5. Waiting To See What God Does
6. Wondrous Cross (When I Survey) (feat. Cody Carnes)
7. Holy Jesus
8. Convinced
9. Separate
10. Never
11. God Thing
12. Guiding Light
ABOUT BENJAMIN WILLIAM HASTINGS & AODHÁN KING: Benjamin William Hastings and Aodhán King are globally recognized worship leaders, songwriters, and artists whose roots trace back to the Hillsong music movement. Hastings, a key contributor to Hillsong Worship and Hillsong UNITED, and King, a founding member and leading voice of Hillsong Young & Free, have helped shape the sound of modern worship over the past decade.
Between them, they have received multiple GRAMMY® nominations, with Hastings earning his first GRAMMY® win in 2026 as a co-writer alongside Brandon Lake.
King has been instrumental in the success of Hillsong Young & Free, a twice GRAMMY®-nominated group with over 1.2 billion streams in North America and eight No. 1 singles.
Hastings is known for his poetic songwriting and contributions to songs like “So Will I (100 Billion X),” and his catalog has surpassed 2.5 billion streams globally. Now based in Nashville, he continues to write and collaborate across the worship and broader Christian music space.
Longtime friends and collaborators, Hastings and King have partnered across multiple projects throughout their careers. Their latest collaboration marks a new chapter, bringing together their shared passion for writing songs for the Church with a fresh, community-driven approach.
###
For more info on Benjamin William Hastings, visit the JFH Artists Database.
For more info on Aodhán King, visit the JFH Artists Database.
