Who are your favorite artists?

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Music has never been background noise to me; it has been the very lifeline of my soul—a relentless, echoing pulse charting the course of my existence. It has been the soundtrack to my deepest pain and the joyful noise of my redemption. Thinking about my favorite artists requires a perspective of before and after—before I came to Christ, when I was desperately grasping for connection, and now that I walk with Him, securely held.

​The Anchor in the Storm: Bruno Mars

​Before my life was truly rooted in faith, when I was completely untethered and struggling simply to breathe, my favorite artist was Bruno Mars. The sheer weight of the connection felt undeniable, almost a divine clue: he’s Puerto Rican; he and my son share the same birthday; and his partner’s name is Jessica Caban, which is the exact same as my name and my children’s last name. It didn’t just feel like I liked his music; it felt like I was being led to it in a time of utter crisis.

​His song, “Talking to the Moon,” became more than an anthem—it was a sacred vow. When DCF removed my children, my world became silent and dark. This song was our shared code, our agonizing prayer. It was the constant, necessary promise that we knew we were loved, needed, and thinking of each other, communicating across an impossible distance. This connection was sealed by the fact that my family’s last name is Luna (moon).

​In prison, where I was so lost and overwhelmed, that song became my desperate release. At 2 or 3 in the morning, I would sing (badly!) at the top of my lungs. The women would often yell for me to shut up, but many nights, they would join in. It wasn’t just my pain anymore; it was a connection of shared sorrow, making that song a raw, collective testament to missing and needing the ones we loved. It was a lifeline that truly saved my life.

​The Soundtrack for the Walk: Forrest Frank

​Now that I walk with Christ, I understand that the universe doesn’t leave gaps—it fills them with grace. My favorite artist is Forrest Frank. It feels as if Christ personally selected and created him to write the music for this specific, miraculous season of my journey. He is an artist completely tailored to my walk, providing the rhythm and the lyrics for my transformation.

​His songs have become foundational for me, a daily reminder of who I am in Christ: “Lord I Lift My Hand,” “Lemonade Up,” “God is Good,” “No Longer Bound,” “Lowkey,” and my personal background track, “Selah.”

​His testimony itself is a beautiful, grounding story that reminds me of this powerful truth: Forrest Frank broke his back in a skateboarding accident and, while lying in excruciating pain, wrote and recorded the hit song “God’s Got My Back.” That song went on to break records across platforms! This event encapsulates his entire message—the enemy intended it all to kill, steal, and destroy, but God uses every single broken piece for the good. God is so powerful, and His message will be heard here on earth as it is in Heaven.

​If you need a shift in perspective, take a listen to his song “Good Day” for a while. I can guarantee you’ll wake up every morning feeling genuinely blessed. It’s the perfect reminder that every breath and every sunrise is a gift from the one true Artist who held me when I couldn’t hold myself.