If last week’s GRAMMY Award nominations are any indication for gospel music, it seems like gospel is gonna be just fine! Though the list featured some very familiar names, their albums and songs are every bit of deserving of the GRAMMY nod. If you’ve stayed up at night wondering about the future of gospel music, worry no more!
Millennials take the blame for so much these days. But according to the Recording Academy, they’re also due some credit for the success of gospel music, this year! The youngest nominee in the gospel category is 20 and the oldest is 47. Koryn Hawthorne is 20 (her birthday is December 26th, Jekalyn Carr is 21, Tori Kelly is 25, The Walls Group ages range from 21-28 and Jonathan McReynolds is 29. At 47 and 48 respectively, Brian Courtney Wilson and Kirk Franklin are the only non-Millenial/Generation Z artists nominated this year!
Jonathan McReynolds, Jekalyn Carr, Tori Kelly, Koryn Hawthorne and Brian Courtney Wilson populate this year’s field for Gospel Song of the Year. On the Album side, the list has one addition, The Walls Group. Millenials, dominate the gospel GRAMMY noms, y’all…!
The sound is reflective of their respective generations, too! Ask any child who Tori Kelly is and they may not know who you’re talking about until you start singing “Don’t You Worry Bout a Thing“. Earlier this year, Kelly shocked her fans when she announced her plans to release a gospel album. If you’re coming to gospel music, who better to hold the door open for you than Kirk Franklin?Kelly teamed up with Kirk Franklin who dug deep into his mixed bag of previously unrecorded hits to help finalize Kelly’s album that grew from its initial single: “Help Us to Love” ft. The Hamiltones. Their collaboration “Never Alone” and Kelly’s Christian/Gospel album “Hiding Place” is up for Best Gospel Song and Album. Kelly features Jonathan McReynolds on “Just As Sure” and Lecrae on “Masterpiece” but really shines on the soulful “Sunday” and “Psalm 42” a song I wouldn’t be surprised if it made an impact on the Christian (CCM) charts and radio.
Jonathan McReynolds’ “Cycles” and album “Make Room” are nominated in respective categories. McReynolds’ album is replete with songs for believers in what many consider the “tweener” stages of spiritual maturity. No one can truly put an age on spiritual maturity but, you know the stage in your spiritual life he’s singing about.
The devil, he learns from your mistakes-even if you don’t!
The eruption you hear from the crowd when McReynold’s sings that line is the collective revelation of the next line: “that’s how he keeps you in cycles…” A whole sermon in 15 seconds! Teaming with Doe Jones of Forever Jones, the two sermonized a life lesson set to life music as only McReynolds can. Songs like “Better“, “Graduate” and “Make Room” make you want to be a better believer! In fact, they play like a spiritual report card, if nothing else! In Dallas earlier this year, McReynolds intimated that he discovered his need for more grace in the process of writing this album! Whether you need grace or a jaunt toward spiritual maturity, “Make Room” challenges believers to do just that in their spiritual life, earning the album and single “Cycles” a GRAMMY nom this year.
She draws almost an immediate comparison to Pastor Shirley Caesar, but this past year, Evangelist Jekalyn Carr has turned the comparisons into mere recollections. She has come into her own as an artist, author and entrepreneur. She hasn’t even begun to evolve and though she’s been in the conversation for the better part of the last five years, she just recently turned 21. Also making a huge turn with her maturation and evolution is her musical output!
If you made it through Jekalyn Carr’s “It’s Yours” without at least tapping your foot, snapping your fingers or clapping your hands, you probably need a wellness check. Jekalyn Carr has delivered possibly her best album yet with “One Nation Under God”. Considering the current political climate, some listeners weren’t quite sure what to expect from Carr. Once the album dropped, all speculation went out the window!
“You Will Win” preceded her book release by the same name, “Stay With Me” and “It’s Yours” were sent to radio and inspired listeners everywhere. Though the radio singles performed well, the complete project is stellar and a step above “The Life Project” which netted a GRAMMY nomination for “You’re Bigger” (Gospel Performance/Song). Because recorded music now exists in a singles driven industry, many listeners are oblivious to the greatness on this album. “In This Atmosphere” features Donald Lawrence, “On the Cross” features Pastor Steve Hare of REACH Radio, “Never Alone” not only features a deep groove, it features Cachet Morganfield and Nariah Smith returns on “Gonna Be Great“. The Life Project featured a combined choir and they return on this album for: “We Are One“. Top to bottom, this album is a winner (see what I did, there?) so it’ll come as no surprise to see Carr win this award season!
Sometimes I watch too much television. Other times, I don’t even have the television on. My favorite drama on now is “Greenleaf“. A few seasons ago, I watched a performance of a song that I didn’t even remember until I met an artist who recorded the song! In an interview with Koryn Hawthorne, I immediately remembered hearing the song on the show! In an interview with Angela Jollivette, she spoke to us about the decision to insert “Won’t He Do It” and other gospel songs and artists into the season. The song burst onto the airwaves and has ridden the wave of popularity all the way to a performance on the Soul Train Music Awards and a 2018 GRAMMY nomination! Congratulations to Koryn, and her wonderful team at RCA Inspiration!
One unforgettable note about Koryn Hawthorne: when asked about her decision to sing gospel music following her time on “The Voice“, she made a decision to honor God with her voice if she was ever able to reach this stage of her music career! A decision worth celebrating!
You’re probably wondering how The Walls Group ended up in the 2018 GRAMMY Awards Best Gospel Album category, you’re not alone. You also probably haven’t listened to “The Other Side“. Don’t feel bad though, the group has been rather quiet since last November’s release. Rhea got married and had a baby, big bro Darrell is singing and writing all over the industry, the little brother and sister are growing (way) up and wait, there’s more Walls’???
The Other Side featured a variety of genres, brought together by the brilliant minds of the Walls’ and super-producer Warryn Campbell. The first single from the album: “My Life” was a straightforward anthem letting everybody know that the kids on the couch in the living were all grown up, now! Their song selection also changed. If you were expecting more fun, innocuous music from the Walls’, you ended up on the ‘other side’ of their intended audience. It’s fair to surmise that their new content has in a way displaced them from their initial dedication as a “novelty” group. The Walls Group is a group comprised of young adults, now! Songs like: “And You Don’t Stop” “Word” and “The Other Side“(a song about Heaven) show us just how mature this young group is. Listening to this album is the aural equivalent of growing pains. With growth comes maturity and with their vocal and maturity in life, The Walls Group has earned their latest GRAMMY nomination!
Alas…what more can be said about Brian Courtney Wilson’s “A Great Work“? His album is so good, that it inspired an entire ongoing series here at SMG: The Gospel Music Series. It changed the way I listen to gospel music and helped me understand that not all gospel music is for Sunday morning nor should it be judged by its Sunday morning-worthiness! The name says it all…it’s a great body of work! From the first track to the last, the album is his best to date! For those of you familiar with Wilson, you remember his last album was also GRAMMY nominated. He’s no stranger to GRAMMY nominations but this should be his year to win! Brian Courtney Wilson is a world class singer! For some reason this is overlooked in gospel music, today. Flat foot singing, he doesn’t have fireworks going off in the background, no dancers on the side of the stage, but he does dress well and sing in pure, sincere excellence!
In R&B, we’d call him a crooner! His smooth voice rarely ventures into a squall and his spiritual conviction mirrors his musical approach. “A Great Work” is an album for believers who as the Apostle Paul ‘know whom they have believed’ (2 Timothy 1:12). Wilson hasn’t shied away from addressing social ills, either. “Heal” was the first single from the album and confronts the current condition of our blood that ‘runs in the street‘. The song bemoans the state of our union and hopes that all generations can find a way to not only heal the current ills, but to live together in harmony.
As a settled soul, a song like “Noise” is the cure for life’s many questions. You may not have experienced it yet, but at a certain point in life, you will! When those questions come, they’ll challenge your conviction to the which you’ll need the confidence that God is doing ‘a great work’ in you. When all else fails, sing the scripture! That’s exactly what Wilson does and it’s phenomenal, as the second single and title track from the album, I’m certain you’ve the GRAMMY nominated song (Best Gospel Performance/Song). Wilson teamed up with Bishop Marvin Winans on “My Witness Is In Heaven“- doesn’t get much smoother in gospel than that…and not one to be behind the times, don’t miss the trap choir on “Increase My Faith“.
Perhaps my favorite song from Wilson’s album is: “Our Father Is Kind” a song he says was inspired by a conversation with Kirk Franklin. “Our father is kind” was Franklin’s answer to Wilson’s query for the success the artist, producer, composer and de facto face of gospel music. Franklin has remained busy since that conversation.
Last year, Franklin celebrated Wilson, Pastor Travis Greene and Jonathan McReynolds as the future of men gospel music. Franklin will once again face off with Wilson for GRAMMY consideration as producer, co-writer and featured artist with Tori Kelly and label executive (Fo Yo Soul) with The Walls Group. Kirk Franklin is again in the mix at GRAMMY time, but as suggested by the 2018 GRAMMY gospel categories, the kids are alright and the future of gospel music will be just fine!
GRAMMY season is officially upon us with the announcement of the 2018 nominees. This year’s category features some surprises and some well deserved recognition. The gospel category seems to always leave the category open to questioning for some, but for others a sobering reminder of the gulf that exists between the GRAMMYs, Billboard Awards and the Stellar Awards, respectively.
Gospel music is in the middle of an evolution. The doors are wide open as one sound is ushered out and another welcomed ‘home’. Gospel artists are making music that sounds like and appeals to church, once again. The 2018 GRAMMY gospel category is somewhat reflective of that with this year’s nominees. Here are this year’s nominees:
Best Gospel Performance/Song:
You Will Win-Jekalyn Carr
Won’t He Do It- Koryn Hawthorne
Never Alone- Tori Kelly ft. Kirk Franklin
Cycles- Jonathan McReynolds
A Great Work- Brian Courtney Wilson
Best Gospel Album
One Nation Under God- Jekalyn Carr
Hiding Place- Tori Kelly
Make Room- Jonathan McReynolds
The Other Side- The Walls Group
A Great Work- Brian Courtney Wilson
The Recording Academy can’t go wrong with either artist chosen as a winner. These artists and their work is phenomenal and have each connected with their fans and overall listeners on such a level, that has driven gospel music back to alerting heights!
Koryn Hawthorne didn’t win on “The Voice” but she made a promise to God that if she was able to return to that level of exposure, she would only use her voice for Him. Isn’t it amazing to see how richly God rewards those that honor Him? Many people first heard “Won’t He Do It” on the groundbreaking series “Greenleaf” on OWN. Since initially airing on the weekly drama, the song has taken on a life of its own, landing on this year’s GRAMMY nominations list!
Remember Jonathan McReynolds‘ “Cycles” challenge that had everybody trying that ridiculously difficult ad-lib at the beginning of the song? Everybody ‘tried it’, but few came close! Jekalyn Carr released a book by the same title as her anthem “You Will Win” and people all over the world declared themselves ‘winners’ right along with her! Carr celebrated her first Dove Award win earlier this year. A GRAMMY win would be great for the young singer who has found herself in the same categories with legends and current contemporary leaders in Billboard, Stellar and GRAMMY award consideration!
Tori Kelly surprised everyone with a gospel album, but she made it clear that this album is genuine and from her heart. She celebrates both a “Best Song” and “Album of the Year” nomination, this year! The Walls Group has somewhat quietly become industry stalwarts. In short order, they’ve reached ‘the other side’ of their young career, their parents, college graduates, and seeing life through their own lens now. Their content reflects their maturation. No longer just ‘kids who can sing’, The Walls Group is here to make a statement! They can still sing anything and as a group harmonize better than any assemblage, to date. Well, let’s just say their vocal prowess is reminiscent of what we love in the Winans and The Clark Sisters! Their nomination is well deserved and truly earned!
What can I say about Brian Courtney Wilson??? One listen to his album and I was inspired to write! Literally…I had an epiphany as I listened to his album and it was this: his music is for grown up believers. Not by age, but in spiritual maturity! Ruminate on that for a moment. So much music is made and it lives on the surface of Christianity, but his music and especially “A Great Work” exists on such a higher plane that the listener is both changed and challenged! Something listeners have clamored for, for years!
His nomination in both categories is a ‘tip of the cap’ in regard to the great work of his latest album, “A Great Work“. As stated earlier, the Recording Academy has quite the job on their hands this year, and I couldn’t be more glad!
To see a full list of all the nominees, visit the GRAMMY website.
I love GOD, but I don’t quite “luh” Him so much! At 35, I identify with Generation X more than I do millennials and when I hear the word “millennial”, I think about my cousin who’s 12 years younger than me. She’s a millennial, if I’ve ever met one! The generational gap that used to exist has been shortened, obliterated and well, blended. Now, we’re all millennials and I’m not even sure there’s a word for anyone under 20 today. I guess it’s true, people figured Jesus would have already returned by now, and it wouldn’t matter. Our taste in gospel music also differs and much like our generational names, I think our gospel music choices have been done away with, too!
Where is the music for saved, sold out people? Not choir music, not “church” music, not praise and worship…real life music! The kind of music that tells the truth about life’s challenges, encourages you to keep growing in Christ, actually sounds good and speaks to being settled…where is it?
Commercially, we’re in this sort of twilight zone. Music is created for consumption on Sunday mornings and as preferred listening during our streaming sessions. The Christian experience is more than Sunday mornings, and our music should reflect that. It seems that our music has stalled out in favor of what works as “overtly” Christian messaging. But it’s not fair and is shortsighted for believers in living color. We mess up, think about going back, celebrate our progress and even fall in love, get married and well…ya know! Why doesn’t our music reflect that?!? We’ve been outsourcing certain aspects of our Christian experience to “inspirational” and R&B artists. Because of this, we miss out on some of the intrinsic excellence within our community.
Say for instance, Charles Butler’s weight loss journey or Jake Hughes’s weight loss journey that includes new music and a companion workout DVD? That’s a part of the Christian experience we should be celebrating and shouting from the rooftops! Instead, we get the implication that those issues don’t fit the small parameter of gospel notoriety. But, what does?
Listening to gospel music from 2010 to now, has been like watching a foal learn to walk. Awkward more than anything else. Gospel music has ground down its sound to only about two or three major choirs and many of the artists we grew up listening to are now Pastors or radio show hosts. We were left with disbanded boy and girl bands and the end of true crossover gospel music. What we have now is music for people that love mainstream life and music and God, too. Deitrick Haddon’s “Sinner’s Prayer” wasn’t supposed to open the door like it did, but following his hit, we started to hear more transparency which was great but also a little too personal!
Kierra Sheard performs in Dallas Photo Credit: Fred Willis, SoulProsper Media Group
Love & Marriage
Remember when D Haddy threw Ike Nice under the bus for allegedly interfering with his marriage? I don’t think he was apologizing for it, but “Clean This House” was a little telling! He went on record to say that he wanted his song to very closely resemble R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet”. It did, and to (im)perfection. After rebounding from her husband Teddy’s adulterous past, Tina and Teddy Campbell became nearly inseparable. The pair were singing and ministering together. Tina is a very open book about almost everything and you guessed it, there are songs about that too! “Love, Love Love” with Stevie Wonder is a bit of an anthem celebrating her restored, faithful husband!
Coming of Age
When Kierra Sheard decided she wanted to check out life on the other side of the gospel tracks, she parted ways with her brother as producer and enlisted hitmaker and super producer Rodney Jerkins. Her single “Trumpets Blow” ushered in her new phase with a message for people her age.
The reason I didn’t like it is because I wasn’t in the club or lukewarm, I was already saved. I was pursuing God and all He has for my life, still am. I’m not standing in judgement but as a person with no desire to go backwards, I often find myself lost while listening to the radio. Where is the music for saved, sold out people? Not choir music, not “church” music, not praise and worship…real life music! The kind of music that tells the truth about life’s challenges, encourages you to keep growing in Christ, actually sounds good and speaks to being settled…where is it?
Kingdom, Not Church(y) I’ve found that majority of the gospel music is focused on evangelism and atmospheric church music. But, nothing for life between Sundays. I looked…there is a way to love God and enjoy the gift of music without it becoming a worship service. I love this vertical worship movement and trust me nobody does it better than Judith Christie McAllister! But what about “ambulatory” gospel music? Like Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” Kirk Franklin put a spin on it that made it church approved, but I think we’ve lost our creative edge in gospel music by trying to appeal to a new crop of believers who are more “Christian” by sight than by action or experience.
This has left a gaping hole in the landscape of gospel music…or has it?!? I think we’ve simply been overlooking gospel music’s latest, greatest gem! The unofficial name I’ve given music like this is: “Grown Up Gospel”! It probably won’t be a new category any time soon, but it should be known as music for people who are “settled” and not wavering, who love God, great music and Jesus Christ! The music isn’t often played in church because A. it’s not worship service friendly based on it’s instrumentation or vocality B. It’s lyrical content is intimate and personal C. It is best enjoyed away from church. I don’t mean trap gospel, either!
Generalizations about generations have caused us to miss these gifted artists, but not anymore! I think it’s time we celebrate these artists and embrace “Grown Up Gospel” music, for a change! Brian Courtney Wilson’s project “A Great Work” really opened my eyes to what this music sounds like. I was three tracks in and like a ton of bricks, “Our Father Is Kind” knocked me over! The longer I listened, the more songs like: “Noise” “A Great Work”, “Heal” and “My Record Will Be In Heaven” made me reminisce about singers- no, crooners like Brian McKnight who could do no wrong and effortlessly transport you from here to there, right onto the record with them! Songs like “Heal” speak directly to the social injustice that continues to plague our nation. Watch my interview with Brian Courtney Wilson where we discuss this topic:
Another element missing from gospel music is our lack of social justice themed songs. Songs like: “Let My People Live” by Robert E. Person, “Get Us Through” by Desmond Pringle and “Mother Emmanuel” recorded by Pastor Shirley Caesar are only a few of the latest to address the level of social unrest in the country.
As if it’s not already hard enough to recognize and appreciate this newfound sub-genre of gospel music, artists like Allyn Johnson, Quamon Fowler, Quennel Gaskin Cory Henry in jazz/instrumental music and Damien Sneed and Audrey Dubois Harris on the classical side are just a few Christian artists deserving of recognition ministering the good news in other art forms.
It’s Time to ‘Make Room’
Jonathan McReynolds has taken us on his journey with Life Music 1&2 and now “Make Room”. He transparently tells us about his journey to this place where like most adults his/our age, he makes room for what he wants. When asked about his growth into this album, he said: “I didn’t know I would need this much grace!” Sounds like us, doesn’t it?!? Yep…at 28 he knows that we should have already ‘graduated’ from some things but also acknowledges that “the devil learns from our mistakes even if we don’t…”
…for Love…?!?
He calls it “life music” and I’m prone to agree. As a journalist and taste maker, I’ve decided that I’m going to be a lot more intentional about the life music I make room for! Bishop Jason Nelson’s current single “Forever” has that special sauce! It’s a message from God, but also from husband to wife (you know they wrote it together, right?) and it just feels good! You know you want to slow dance to it! That song speaks to a special maturity in Christ. One that is separated from religious platitudes and free in Christ to be exactly what it is! I’m calling it the wedding song of the year! The saints all but rebuked Fred Hammond’s love album but love artists like Kem who openly discusses faith when he’s not singing. There are countless believers who sing R&B but it’s puzzling that many gospel music listeners are put off by their favorite gospel artists singing about anything but God.
Other artists like Anita Wilson have also been ‘slept on’ because of her R&B vibe! We all know she struck gold with “Jesus Will” but there was more to her than the churchy bounce! In fact, “Jesus Will” was the dead giveaway-grooving like they were! Once it hit the airwaves, people forgot completely about the first single from the album “Speechless”. Her cover of James Taylor’s “Shower the People” was an easy listening gem that music lovers everywhere can appreciate, as well. From Worship Soul, she ventured into “Vintage Worship” and gave us some 80’s inspired concept videos to coincide with her radio singles…which were received tepidly. Her latest offering “Sunday Song” released with it’s initial single “I’ve Seen Him Work” bouncing on the airwaves like a Luther Vandross jam more than a salute to Chicago gospel legends. You don’t know Luther, if you don’t know his work with ensembles and choirs!
It’s out there, folks! “Grown Up Gospel” that’s what I’m calling it! I’ll add a few other names to the list of artists to consider: Jermaine Dolly, Mary Mary (The Sound), Tasha Page-Lockhart, Cheryl Fortune. The Walls Group (they’re not kids, anymore), Lexi, CeCe Winans (Let Them Fall in Love), Koryn Hawthorne, Thurman B Thornton, and many others! Who would you add to this list of “grown up gospel” artists?
Central City Productions announces a dazzling line-up of performers for the 2018 Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, including the reunion of contemporary gospel music’s favorite sister act, Mary Mary (Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell), and the Stellar Awards debut of rapper, actor, and television personality Snoop Dogg, performing songs from his new gospel album “Bible of Love” at this year’s show. Celebrated as a “transcendent night of gospel music,” the 33rd Annual Stellar Awards promises to surpass its ‘stellar’ reputation, featuring performances by the genre’s hottest acts. Performers scheduled to appear include: Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Travis Greene, Tye Tribbett, Anthony Brown & group therAPy, Kierra Sheard, KeKe Wyatt, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Todd Dulaney, Koryn Hawthorne and Ricky Dillard & New G, among others. Returning to Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena on Saturday, March 24, 2018 the Stellar Awards welcomes the return of the undisputed crown prince of contemporary gospel music, Kirk Franklin, as host.
