Broadway powerhouse actor/singer, ASCAP Award-winner, and Billboard chart-topping songwriter, Carla Bianco, is thrilled to announce the release of the music video for “You Love Me As I Am,” the title cut and debut single from her upcoming first contemporary Christian EP, You Love Me As I Am.
The video impacts streaming services everywhere today, Friday, September 24, 2021. To watch the “You Love Me As I Am” music video, click here.
Working with director Peter Guellard, Carla has created a multi-sensory experience, showcasing the profound message of the song, while surrounded by the glory of God as revealed in nature.
“I’m so thrilled to be able to put a visual expression to the song with this new video,” says Carla. “We wanted to go for a very natural feel that depicts the joy and freedom of knowing God’s unconditional love.”
Shot near the stunning Quakertown Falls, close to the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, the ethereal, dreamy imagery of the video was hard-won and well worth it.
“The location itself was quite hard to get to,” says Guellard. “It required some hiking and climbing with film equipment. The extra effort paid off with unforgettable imagery of Carla performing her song under this beautiful waterfall. This wasn’t just another music video; it was an adventure.”
A lifelong Christian, Bianco is perhaps best known for her starring turn as Maureen in the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, RENT, both on Broadway and the West Coast. She was discovered by legendary music producer and manager John “Jellybean” Benitez (Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Sting), who signed her to a management and publishing deal while she was still in college.
The powerhouse pop vocalist soon inked a distribution deal with Sony/RED and released two albums as a recording artist on Ivory Note Records. She went on to become an ASCAP Award-winning, No. 1 Billboard chart-topping songwriter.
Her new CCM single, penned by Bianco and produced by Sam Hart (Aaron Shust, Tasha Layton), features Bianco’s crystal-clear vocal set to a backdrop of shimmering pop instrumentation and an infectious groove that will hook listeners from the first note.
“You Love Me As I Am” is a nuanced anthem of revelation, humility, and devotion to Jesus. It was inspired by Bianco’s spiritual reawakening following the death of her parents, when life-long feelings of self-doubt and insecurity threatened to take over her mind and heart. The song marks a new direction and stylistic shift for the acclaimed singer/songwriter and performer.
Five years ago, while still wrestling with her losses following her parents’ passing, Bianco participated in a spiritual retreat, where she says she was overwhelmed by the grace of the Savior she has called her “Best Friend” from childhood. She began to experience the unequivocal, unconditional love of God in a brand-new way. She also felt God calling her in a new direction artistically, leading her to pen songs of worship, praise, and self-reflection.
“Something just broke loose,” she explains. “During that retreat, I was immersed in scripture and felt His love and reassurance comfort me and distill a new sense of identity and purpose unlike any I’ve ever felt before.”
“I’m excited to finally share this music that’s been on my heart for over five years now,” says Carla. “I think it’s coming at a time where the world needs to know more than ever that we are loved.”
To watch the “You Love Me As I Am” music video, click here.
Bianco’s debut CCM EP, You Love Me As I Am, will release digitally on October 8, 2021, followed by the physical EP release on October 29, 2021, through Ivory Note Records/BFD/Sony Orchard. To pre-order the EP, click here.
To stream or download Carla Bianco’s new single, “You Love Me As I Am,” click here. For more information about Carla Bianco and You Love Me As I Am, visit carlabianco.com, or follow on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.