Newcomer Dante Bowe wowed the audience with his smile-inducing performance of “Joyful” at the 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards. His unforgettable pink and orange polka-dotted puffer jacket was almost as memorable as his warm, charismatic stage presence. “I love that music can find a way to inspire change—change within yourself and change in your narrative. That’s my goal with ‘Joyful,’” he shares. “I want folks to be able to seize the moment and find happiness within that moment.”
The multi-Dove Award nominee has seized his moment with the recent release of circles, his sophomore album. Inspired by the stories of his grandmother, the 13 tracks on circles—all penned by Bowe—encompass multiple generations of hardworking people who have personally invested in the burgeoning artist. The prolific songwriter can currently be found out on the road throughout the fall with Maverick City Music, for whom he co-wrote the collective’s most-consumed single to date, “Promises.” Bowe will round out the year on the “K-LOVE Christmas Tour” alongside Casting Crowns, Mac Powell, CAIN and Jordan St. Cyr.
We recently put Bowe in the hot seat for a round of “21 Questions” where he talked about his favorite place to perform, his love of fashion and the Christian record that changed his life.
KLOVE.com: One artist who has influenced you the most?
Dante Bowe: I’d have to say anybody from Motown, but also Aretha Franklin inspired me a lot. Lauryn Hill. Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
KLOVE.com: Three words you would use to describe your new album, circles?
Dante Bowe: Hope, family and rhythm.
KLOVE.com: No. 1 reason you love collaborating with Maverick City Music?
Dante Bowe: Overall, I was a part of it before there was even a name. So I love it for what it’s always been and that’s community and music.
KLOVE.com: Favorite thing about performing “Joyful” at the 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards?
Dante Bowe: I had so many favorite moments of performing “Joyful.” I think I loved performing it for all of my friends and brothers and sisters and those who are dreaming who haven’t reached that stage yet and hope to one day reach that stage—I performed for them. So that whole thing was just a highlight, and I was just up there remembering those faces who have worked so hard and have yet to reach that platform and hopefully one day will.
KLOVE.com: Best song you recently heard?
Dante Bowe: A song by an R&B artist. His name is Gallant, and the name of the song is “Comeback.” And I’ve been listening to that song every single day.
KLOVE.com: Deep cut you wish everyone would stop and listen to on circles?
Dante Bowe: I mean, I try to record all of my songs as singles. So even though they’re deep cuts, they’re just as quality, if not more, than the single that you heard. So if you like “Joyful,” then you’ll like every other song on the project. So I think you should listen to all of them, all the deep cuts.
KLOVE.com: Why you loved collaborating with Crowder on his latest album, Milk & Honey?
Dante Bowe: OK, Crowder is just really, really cool to be around. He’s such a chill person. I got to go to his house, and his house is really, really cool. He has this huge robot in the living room—just a bunch of different things. His studio is decked out in all white, and it’s just a cool environment. I loved collaborating with him on his project because he was just so nice and inviting and humble, and now we’re really good friends.
KLOVE.com: Favorite place to perform?
Dante Bowe: I guess I like doing award shows because you get to be a little bit more edgy and creative, and that’s pretty fun. Other than that, probably my piano at home.
KLOVE.com: Artist you’d most like to write a song with?
Dante Bowe: There’s so many, there’s too many. I would love to write with Lauryn Hill. I would love to work with Jazmine Sullivan. I would love to work with CeCe Winans in our genre.
KLOVE.com: One thing you wish people knew about you?
Dante Bowe: I fight really hard behind the scenes for injustice. I also am just a person who believes in integrity and making sure you’re just nice. I think I’m a nice guy.
KLOVE.com: City you’d most like to live in?
Dante Bowe: I don’t really have a city I’d most like to live in. I guess the most consistent city that I think about is just my home, and that’s in North Carolina. I love it there. I’ll probably buy a house or do something there.
KLOVE.com: Team you cheer the loudest for?
Dante Bowe: I’m not much of a cheer type of person, but I love the [Miami] Heat. I also love the Carolina Panthers. That’s my hometown, so I guess I would go with Carolina Panthers—that’s the team I would cheer the loudest for if I was going to cheer. And it’s probably because I’d be surrounded by my family, and they’d be screaming.
KLOVE.com: Why Christian music?
Dante Bowe: I didn’t ask to be a Christian artist in and of itself. I became a Christian, and I’ve always loved music. So my music is just a reflection of who I am. I’m not trying to write just Christian music, but it’s just who I am and it’s what I do every single day. My life is consumed with it. And so, I sing about my life, and Jesus is a huge, if not the biggest, part of my life; and my family, too. That’s why you hear about them as well.
KLOVE.com: Movie you never get tired of watching?
Dante Bowe: I would have to say Kingsman. Kingsman would probably be the movie I’ll never get tired of watching.
KLOVE.com: First job?
Dante Bowe: I worked at this evangelistic mission school. It was Eddie James Ministries, and I worked there as a first job. I was a worship leader.
KLOVE.com: Career you’d pursue if you weren’t doing music?
Dante Bowe: I don’t know. I love fashion, so maybe I would be a designer. Maybe I would actually have enough time to create some cool things. I haven’t given my mind space to go there yet.
KLOVE.com: The Christian record that changed your life?
Dante Bowe: The Christian record that changed my life was Kierra Sheard, Free. The song, “Free,” was a song I was saved to and I had my first real encounter with God to.
KLOVE.com: First car you ever owned?
Dante Bowe: A car that I purchased, it was a Ford Expedition. Still own it, actually.
KLOVE.com: Reason you can be “Joyful” even when you aren’t “happy”?
Dante Bowe: I think you can be joyful always. Even when you look at the Scripture of how God knew us and He formed us before we were even in our mother’s womb, and He had a plan and a purpose. And that plan and purpose was to bring us into an expectant end. So if it’s not good yet, it’s not the end. That’s enough reason to be joyful, knowing that this is not the end. It might feel bad right now; it might seem darkest right now; but there’s always light at the end of that tunnel. So I just look forward to the breakthrough moment.
KLOVE.com: All-time favorite vacation destination?
Dante Bowe: I didn’t take many vacations growing up, but as an adult, I’ve been a few places. I mean, my all-time favorite vacation place…for right now I guess I would say somewhere in Cali where there’s water and food and shopping and all that good stuff. Also, my home. My home might be one of my favorite vacation places.
KLOVE.com: One thing you would tell somebody considering Jesus?
Dante Bowe: I would tell someone considering Jesus that if they’re already considering it, they should 100% do it. Don’t be so skeptical. We’re always looking at everything with a side-eye, but I personally believe that it was the saving grace of Jesus that brought me here. And I think trying it out is not going to hurt you. I think you’re going to find out that He is who He says He is, and it’s going to be a new day for you.
Don't Miss a Beat & Sign Up for K-LOVE's Music Updates!
Get monthly emails with updates on new music, videos, and exclusives from your favorite Christian artists on K-LOVE!
