Aaron Cole's viral Usher cover has racked up millions of downloads

The gospel single "Usher in the Spirit Again" has already earned millions of downloads. The track features Jonathan McReynolds and was released after a bedroom video by singer Aaron Cole caught the attention of major artists. Cole, a rapper and songwriter, recently discussed the song's origins on Get Up! Mornings with hosts Erica Campbell and Griff.

Cole grew up in Bristol, Virginia, in the Church of God in Christ. He described a childhood habit of sneaking to watch 106 & Park, the BET music countdown show. "My dad wasn't having me watch 106 & Park," Cole said with a laugh. His team encouraged him to share that side of his personality earlier this year, so he recorded a video of himself singing church praise over an Usher instrumental in his bedroom.

He captioned the post as a nod to other church kids who had similar experiences. The video gained rapid traction. By the following morning, Chance the Rapper had reposted the clip. Rapper Kehlani also shared the content. Gospel artists Kierra Sheard and Jonathan McReynolds stitched the original video, adding their own vocal parts to their versions.

The comments section on the viral post urged Cole to record a full song. Cole said his team told him to move by faith. He flew to New York to record the track and shoot a music video. He made a public request to clear the Usher sample for the church kids who had been watching the show in secret.

Fans began tagging Usher in the comments of the viral post. Some even tagged the singer's mother. Deitrick Haddon, a gospel artist, contacted Cole directly through direct messages. Haddon offered to send the song to Usher, which initiated the sample clearance process.

Cole spent weeks checking Usher's comments until 2 a.m. one night. He went to bed early and woke up to a direct message from Usher. The message contained one word: "Blessings." Usher and his manager then worked to clear the sample for the release. Cole described the moment as something bigger than himself.

Listners have shared testimonies about the song drawing them back to church. Many recall singing "Revelation 19" in services as children. Some listeners said they had not attended a service in years but felt a renewed desire to go after hearing the track. Campbell noted that the song is affecting young people and causing them to praise God.

"I love how it is affecting the young people and literally causing them to praise God," Campbell said. She added that God can use anything. She also thanked Cole for being fearless in sharing his story. The single is available for streaming now.

The song bridges Cole's upbringing in a traditional church setting with the secular music he secretly enjoyed. The collaboration with McReynolds and the approval from Usher marked the final steps in releasing the track. The viral moment began with a simple post from a bedroom in Bristol and expanded into a widely shared gospel release.

Cole said the process felt ordered rather than planned. He credited the connections made through Haddon and the initial viral response for clearing the path. The song's success is attributed to its ability to connect with listeners who have a shared history with church music and secular pop culture.