You may know Bodie Kuljian, known professionally as bodie, after placing second on Season 22 of NBC’s The Voice, or from his 2024 single “Whisper and the Wind,” which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart.
With a compelling vocal delivery capable of lifting listeners out of their darkest moments and lyrics that offer grounded encouragement, bodie’s genre-bending alt-rock sound feels both accessible and emotionally resonant, an easy listen when you need a nudge in the right direction.
Following bodie’s breakthrough album NO SKIPS and a national tour alongside Colton Dixon, he returns with a run of new singles, including his infectious and introspective new single “ALMOST FAMOUS,” which he describes as a return to form: “This current era of my music feels a bit like a homecoming—back to my roots as a little LA skater kid with a love for alternative music, while still tapping into sounds from other genres and eras.”
Reflecting on this new chapter, bodie frames his faith as a guiding north star, noting that while he’s grateful for what his music has done for both his audience and his family:
“I’ve learned it’s important to hold goals, dreams, and plans loosely. As much as I’d love to call the shots, I know I’m largely not in control of what happens in my future, and I’ve realized that God, the creator of the universe, has good plans for those who love Him. So the posture of my song ‘ALMOST FAMOUS’ still rings true. No matter how influential my music becomes, I’d be willing to pivot immediately to any plot twists, detours, or audibles that God may call. If He doesn’t want something for my life, I won’t either.”
In “ALMOST FAMOUS,” there’s a line that carries a strong sense of self-awareness: “I’m sorry that I made you wait / Running after my desires.”
Bodie expands on what he was chasing during that season of life, explaining: “When I have a dream or desire on my heart, I always chase it. And what I’ve learned from my (limited) time on earth is that whenever I dedicate time and effort to something that perhaps was at first divinely inspired, and I let my inevitable pride and/or insecurity tarnish the dream, making it all about me, it almost always leads to nothing fruitful. I’ve wasted plenty of time.”
The line “lost the plot along the way” is another moment in “ALMOST FAMOUS” that reflects the depth of bodie’s journey as an artist, to which he expands: “When I stopped seeing ‘fruit’ or progress in what I was so passionately building, there came a point where I kind of needed to take inventory of my motives and my goals. I don’t really think that I was doing anything wrong, but that it was just time for me to shift my angle. My original expectations needed to be surrendered to make room for something new. And when I did that, everything kind of clicked into place.”
His songwriting process involves diving deep and channeling raw emotion. He examines his process, stating, “I think once you’re willing to ‘go there,’ it’s easier to write from a place of tenderness, transparency, and honesty because you’re just writing from your heart and spirit. I believe it also gives the song more power to make other people feel the weight and intentionality behind the lyrics and composition.”
Bodie has spoken about wanting his music to reach millions of people while also staying aligned with his faith and purpose. While both ambitions are possible to hold, he acknowledges the tension in how they coexist:
“It’s not up to me who I reach. But it is up to me to make honest and authentic music that I’m proud of. I’m realizing that listeners (even outside of the faith-based space) are caring less and less about whether an artist is “Christian” or “secular” and caring more about how the music makes them feel…if it’s relatable, authentic, inspiring. Yeah, I want to reach tens of millions… in fact, I already have. I’m really excited to see what this next project does and how it can impact others’ lives for the better. I’m just getting started.”
With new music from bodie arriving throughout the remainder of 2026, bodie says, “I’ve just never felt so at home as I do when I sing these new songs, and I’m really excited to continue finding my audience in this new era of my music. We took some risks and made some weird choices when producing this next project, but I think people are gonna love it all.”
Looking ahead, bodie hopes his upcoming music resonates on multiple levels, saying:
“I hope this album makes people punch holes in their drywall ’cause it bangs so hard… but I also hope it challenges mindsets, encourages self-reflection, and ultimately points people to a hope and a purpose in something greater than themselves—God.”
With a soaring new single, “GO FOR BROKE,” and a hook that declares, “I’m going for broke / face down on the floor / you can have all the glory / ’cause it’s already yours,” bodie's pristine vocal soars with cutting conviction as he humbles himself and sonically lays his emotions bare, establishing himself as one of music’s most exciting young talents.
Catch bodie LIVE this Fall touring alongside CAIN.
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