{"id":208807,"date":"2025-12-24T15:57:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T15:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/208807\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T15:57:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T15:57:09","slug":"christian-music-is-pop-now-what-it-means-for-the-grammys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/208807\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian music is pop now: What it means for the Grammys"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 It is one of the most surprising music stories<\/a> of the year. While streams of new music \u2014 releases from the last 18 months \u2014 were down from last year, one genre is on the rise: Christian and gospel music, according to industry data and analytics company Luminate\u2019s 2025 Midyear Report.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jaime Marconette, Luminate\u2019s vice president of music insights and industry relations, said the shift is led by acts like Forrest Frank, Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship<\/a>, who are connecting with a \u201cyounger, streaming-forward fan base\u201d that\u2019s 60% female and 30% millennial. In fact, for the first time in 11 years, two contemporary Christian music songs \u2014 Frank\u2019s \u201cYour Way\u2019s Better\u201d and Lake\u2019s \u201cHard Fought Hallelujah\u201d with Jelly Roll \u2014 broke through the Billboard Hot 100\u2019s all-genre Top 40, placing them in direct competition with mainstream artists. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also why traditionally secular artists like Jelly Roll, Killer Mike and T.I. are nominated in Christian music categories at the forthcoming 2026 Grammys<\/a> \u2014 the lines are blurring.<\/p>\n

An evolving Christian music sound<\/p>\n

\u201cChristian music (is) unlike any other genre that\u2019s defined by a sonic component. Christian music is defined by its lyrical component,\u201d says Holly Zabka, the president of Provident Entertainment, a Sony Christian music subsidiary. \u201cIt\u2019s not limited to a narrow definition. It\u2019s a lyrical component that can appeal to anyone\u2019s musical preference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christian music artist Brandon Lake discusses performing \u201cHard Fought Hallelujah\u201d with Jelly Roll at the CMA Fest. (Nov. 18)<\/p>\n

From a label perspective, she\u2019s interested in pursuing artists that \u201cdon\u2019t have to fit within that narrow lane of Christian bookstore and Christian radio. It can be rap, hip-hop,<\/a> it can be rock, it can be country, and that\u2019s appealing to a broader audience because it\u2019s what they\u2019re already listening to,\u201d she says. \u201cVery few people listen in a vacuum and only listen to one genre.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for many years, CCM jas held a reputation for being unimaginative \u2014 what writer John Jeremiah Sullivan infamously referred to as \u201cexcellence-proof\u201d<\/a> \u2014 for its tendency to mimic and water down popular, contemporary mainstream sounds for a religious audience. <\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely there\u2019s been an improvement in quality,\u201d says Zabka. \u201cWhen all the music has to live side by side on these streaming platforms, we can\u2019t just be the cheap alternative. \u2018Oh, you like Taylor Swift? You will like this lesser version offering in the Christian genre.\u2019 We want to be the greatest art.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to imitate before you innovate,\u201d Chris Brown, singer and worship leader at Elevation Worship, jokes. \u201cThere\u2019s not as many rigid lines stylistically within Christian music as maybe there was 10 years ago or certainly like 20, 30 years ago.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a period of time where people idealized Christian music as like, \u2018OK, we\u2019re going to have this look, we\u2019re going to sound like this,\u2019\u201d says two-time Grammy-winning<\/a> Christian and pop musician Lauren Daigle<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s so much more artistry now. People are very expressive. They\u2019re able to share their creativity. And that also comes with different types of people represented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Christian music is connecting now<\/p>\n

Zabka says her genre is experiencing \u201ca special moment and \u2026 a perfect storm.\u201d Streaming and the ability to connect on social media have democratized music discovery, she says, allowing CCM to compete with secular music. That, partnered with what she views as \u201ca resurgence of faith\u201d in young people, is responsible for the interest. <\/p>\n

The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing,<\/a> according to a 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center. A new class of millennial and Gen Z Christian influencers,<\/a> too, are aiming to connect with young people.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Lauren<\/p>\n

Lauren Daigle performs at the Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Photo by Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n

Lauren Daigle performs at the Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Photo by Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n

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\u201cChristian music has also shifted in its authenticity of the lyrics,\u201d Zabka adds, making the music more relatable than previous iterations of the genre, which often featured a neat message of \u201ceverything is going to be OK, just follow Jesus\u201d in 3 \u00bd minutes. Now, she says, \u201ctheir songs are much more authentic and real and honest. \u2018Life is hard. Breakups are hard. Bad things happen,\u2019 and that provides a level of hope that other music doesn\u2019t provide for the listener.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daigle<\/a> points out that artists like Lake are performing in huge stadiums \u2014 categorical proof that Christian artists are growing in popularity. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of people are looking at the world and \u2026 they find fortitude in this music, and they find a sense of strength in this music, and they find truth in this music,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Daigle also theorizes that because \u201cChristian music points to something else\u201d \u2014 to God \u2014 instead of focusing on individual issues or the ego of the performer on stage, it evens the playing field between listener and artist, while giving both a sense of purpose. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world that has become so self-focused and self-centered, the freedom of saying \u2018Wow, I can actually lean on someone else for a while,\u2019 or \u2018There\u2019s something that is actually greater than me,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the purpose of Christian music, for me, is to bring hope to people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown theorizes that people relate to his Charlotte, North Carolina-based CCM collective because of \u201chow fundamentally we\u2019re rooted\u201d in their local church.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to connect because we\u2019re just church people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

A crossover moment<\/p>\n

Lake, who is nominated for three Grammys in 2026,<\/a> including \u201cHard Fought Hallelujah,\u201d believes people are connecting with Christian music now<\/a> because that\u2019s simply the purpose of religious music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason why people are turning their ear toward those kinds of songs right now is because that\u2019s what they were made for,\u201d Lake says. \u201cPeople are finding in these songs \u2014 they\u2019re finding themselves, their spirit, connecting with the spirit of God. \u2026 Those songs aren\u2019t just entertainment; they tee up an encounter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love all kinds of music,\u201d he continues, \u201cbut if you have a song that carries that kind of message, it\u2019s just super charged, you know? It does something deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also believes this may be the start of a crossover moment, where more Christian artists will be welcomed into other genres and mainstream spaces. \u201cI pray it\u2019s just the beginning,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I pray that it takes over.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Entertainer<\/p>\n

Entertainer Jelly Roll talks on the sidelines before an NFL football game between the Titans and the Seattle Seahawks, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo\/George Walker IV, File)<\/p>\n

Entertainer Jelly Roll talks on the sidelines before an NFL football game between the Titans and the Seattle Seahawks, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo\/George Walker IV, File)<\/p>\n

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Jelly Roll agrees.<\/a> \u201cI think there really is a revival happening in America right now where people are being re-presented the Gospel in a digestible way. And it doesn\u2019t seem as finger-waggy and \u2018You\u2019re all going to hell,\u2019 you know?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t care when the organized religions wave their finger at me,\u201d he continues. \u201cI\u2019m just glad to see the message, the Gospel getting presented.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

The 68th Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The show will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. For more coverage, visit https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/grammy-awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 It is one of the most surprising music stories of the year. While streams…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208808,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[5601,84510,23166,12786,93,1595,21947,84515,61,60,84512,51254,109148,109149,109147,85018,278,90802,858,12785,50660,109150,6543,8273,49150,1596],"class_list":{"0":"post-208807","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-arts-and-entertainment","9":"tag-brandon-lake","10":"tag-chris-brown","11":"tag-christianity","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-general-news","14":"tag-grammy-awards","15":"tag-holly-zabka","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland","18":"tag-jaime-marconette","19":"tag-jelly-roll","20":"tag-john-jeremiah-sullivan","21":"tag-killer-mike","22":"tag-lauren-daigle","23":"tag-local-news-for-apple","24":"tag-music","25":"tag-nc-state-wire","26":"tag-north-carolina","27":"tag-religion","28":"tag-sony-group-corp","29":"tag-t-i","30":"tag-taylor-swift","31":"tag-tennessee","32":"tag-tn-state-wire","33":"tag-u-s-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}