MercyMe has been releasing hits in the Christian rock genre since 2001, when "I Can Only Imagine" caught the attention of the public and became the most requested song on a mainstream station in Texas. Despite the band's success on conventional radio stations, the majority of ticket buyers expect MercyMe's concert tours to be religion oriented, and they are not disappointed. Fans who attended the Rock & Worship Roadshow in 2013 described the tour as uplifting and filled with spiritual hits that included "Word of God Speak,” “All of Creation” and "You Don’t Care At All." The latter song is from the 2012 album The Hurt & the Healer, which reached No. 1 on the Christian Albums Billboard chart.

Millard formed MercyMe with Jim Bryson and Mike Scheuchzer in Oklahoma, and after releasing independently, MercyMe signed with INO Records in 2001. Their first album earned the 2x Platinum certification from the RIAA after "I Can Only Imagine" won two Dove Awards. On 2002's Spoken For, which peaked at No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart, the title track was the most successful. 2004's Undone brought with it hits like "Here with Me," "Homesick" and "In the Blink of an Eye." 2006's Coming Up to Breathe was nominated for a Grammy, due to hit singles like "Bring the Rain," "So Long Self" and "Hold Fast." All That Is Within Me was released in 2007, with "God With Us" reaching No. 1 on the Christian Songs Billboard chart. 2010 saw the release of The Generous Mr. Lovewell, while 2012's The Hurt & The Healer featured "You Are I Am" and the title track as the most popular songs. MercyMe has plans to continue its tour for The Hurt & the Healer album in 2014.