Photos by Ralph Freso
When Grand Canyon University junior Reagan James Broome took the stage at last year’s GCU’s Got Talent, he just wanted to have fun singing and playing his guitar in front of a large crowd.
He never expected that moment to launch his music career.
Since that unforgettable night, Broome has become an Instagram and Spotify musical sensation, which led to a recent song collaboration with a widely recognized Christian singer, Josiah Queen.
“GCU’s Got Talent was kind of like a big, ‘Hello, world!’ moment, at least in the GCU sphere,” Broome said. “It exploded way bigger than anything I could have ever imagined. Those five minutes of being onstage and getting to sing in front of 3,000 people was a dream.”
Broome grew up singing worship music at his local church in Olympia, Washington. He picked up the guitar at a young age and started writing songs in elementary school. It had quickly become his favorite hobby.
But when it was time to start college, Broome chose to focus on mechanical engineering. Though music was where his heart was, making it big felt like a distant and unrealistic dream.
That was until the Canyon Activities Board announced its annual major event, where students have a chance to show off their singing, dancing, yo-yoing and other talents.
To Broome’s surprise, his mom found out about the event first and sent him the audition link.
“We had been encouraging Reagan to do live music since getting to GCU,” mother Kylie Broome said. “We knew that being onstage was a way for him to feel like himself, and there are not many things that can fill his heart like when he is sharing his gift with others.
“I truly was not thinking what kind of an impact it would have on his recognition from others or any type of popularity. I just wanted him to be reminded of who God has created him to be.”
Before GCU’s Got Talent, Broome stood at roughly 200 followers on Instagram and was not heavily involved with social media platforms. After he took the stage with a heart-swooning performance of popular Ed Sheeran song “Thinking Out Loud,” Broome reached 900 followers from the evening, igniting a skyrocketing fandom.
Today, Broome has 37,000 followers on Instagram and consistently receives hundreds of thousands of views on his music reels.
“I remember because I took a screenshot and thought, ‘This is the day my life changes,’” Broome said. “Music is important to me because it’s what sets my heart on fire.
“Something in my soul comes alive when I get to sing and get to make music. Specifically with worship, there is a part of me that can’t sit still when I am beholding God. I love Jesus and giving Him the glory He’s due.”
With a rapidly rising social media presence, Broome has used his platform to point people to God.
He released hit songs such as “I Know a God,” “Monday Morning Gratitude,” “Tired” and more on Spotify, while using his Instagram page to create reels of him engaging with the GCU community, singing worship songs and participating in social media trends.
“He is incredibly talented as a singer and a writer. The second I had heard ‘Tired,’ I was like, this guy is going places,” said sophomore Dillon Alldredge. “It’s cool to watch the growth. The internet has such an algorithm that is hard to crack sometimes. To see him lock in and figure it out and post until something’s worked and just make new music has been so cool.”
The most recent project that has drawn a lot of attention to Broome’s name is the open verse challenge with Queen.
Queen invited aspiring singers and songwriters to compose a verse for his new song, “Demons.” The winners would receive a chance to record and release the song with Queen, featuring their lyrics.
After a friend messaged the news to Broome, he wrote a verse in 10 minutes about surrendering to Christ and fighting life’s battles through Christ.
Broome was selected as one of two winners. His song with Queen can be heard here.
“Reagan’s music became one of the things that makes him who he is at his core,” Kylie Broome said. “I can see God sowing so deeply into his heart that there is a beautiful purpose for his life and we are so excited that Reagan is getting the chance to see the fruit of this gift.”
Broome will take the stage again at tonight’s GCU’s Got Talent, but this time performing in a band with close friends. The event starts at 8 p.m. at Global Credit Union Arena.
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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