Belieber to Believer? Kanye or Con-ye? John Legend to John Revival?

By: Joy Kim

Over the past few years, major pop artists have released albums and songs directly or indirectly promoting Jesus and Christianity. We cannot fully comprehend their intentions of releasing these songs. However, as netizens, we can express our thoughts from our Christian point of view. We will be looking at the songs/albums of these three famous pop artists: Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and John Legend. Also, there will be some background information you probably did not know.

Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper--‘Holy’:

Justin Bieber’s latest single ‘Holy’ was released on the 18th of September, featuring Chance the Rapper. Chance the Rapper is known for incorporating religious messages into his music and both artists are known as Christians.

Justin Bieber explained the purpose behind the cinematic visual of the music video directed by Colin Tilley. He said, "Both of our hearts wanted to make this video because we knew that there's a lot of painful things going on in the world right now." About the message behind the ending of the music video, Justin said, "It basically shows how an act of compassion and empathy can really change the trajectory of someone's life or day.” Then he talked about the goal behind this song, “Our goal with this project is just to inspire, to bring hope in this kind of uncertain, fragile time."

Chance the Rapper also stated about this collaboration. “We’ve been rocking together and the fact that you’re reading this is an act of love in itself. Please share it with as many people as you can. This is the beginning of a new era for all of us. God is love, peace,” he tweeted. “I know God wants to use me and Justin so I’m honored to be called! God Bless you guys and let's go into this week strong.”

Personal Opinion: As I was listening to this song, I caught multiple biblical references in the lyrics. The song holds a lot about our faith as believers of Christ and how God works in us. Furthermore, it shows that he was talking about love on several levels -- love for his wife, love for his family, love for strangers, and love for God. One of Justin Bieber’s lines says, ‘But I might go down to the river ‘Cause the way that the sky opens up when we touch’ which seems to be a reference to God’s glory revealing through the open sky in many verses such as Matthew 3:16, Ezekiel 1:1, and Revelation 4:1. He also sings, ‘Wise men say fools rush in’ and the Bible states quite a lot about the difference between the wise and the fool. Chance the Rapper has a line where it says, ‘But when you come out of the water I’m a believer’ which seems to be talking about the baptism of Jesus and the opening of the heavens in Matthew 3. He also mentions being the ‘bridegroom’ which was used in one of the parables of Jesus. The lyrics directly refer to Jesus and some of the Christian beliefs that I have commonly heard growing up, so they were relatable and heartwarming to me. This song is exceedingly catchy with its repetition of ‘holy, holy, holy’ over and over again. The harmonization of the lyrics, melody, and the music video was exceptional, giving me the impression of a broader image this song was planning.

Link to “Holy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvPsJFRGleA

Kanye’s album Jesus is King:

Kanye West’s first Gospel album Jesus is King was released on the 25th of October, 2019. His album consists of Gospel inspired songs, containing allusions to Kanye's past and the evolution that brought him to this point. Jesus is King contains 11 tracks, starting from ‘Every Hour’ and finishing with ‘Jesus Is Lord.’ Each track has a significant message it is trying to impart. Although his album aroused controversy and harsh criticism, there were still positive opinions from the public.

Kanye West is also known for his Sunday Service, which is a gathering designed to praise God with songs and prayer. Sunday Service is not a church, but more of a musical ministry and Christian service that talks about Jesus.

We do not entirely know about his personal faith in Jesus, but to see such a notable artist bringing out a full album about Jesus says something about him. Kanye West professes publicly his faith in Jesus on many platforms.

He testifies about his experience and how he became a Christian in recent years.

Personal Opinion: Although this album was loaded with tracks, I took my time indulging myself in each and every song. Some songs showed the conflict of Kanye’s past sinful life and his renewed life in Christ, and others showed the essential fundamentals of Christian belief. All of the tracks directly promoted Jesus and Christianity. I personally think all of his tracks are worth listening to, whether it is the melody or the content. I was honestly surprised, maybe even shocked, of how a person can change completely when they come to know Jesus. Besides being biased as a Christian, all of the tracks were pleasing to my ears and I found myself embracing the lyrics. I appreciated the fact that the lyrics were appropriate and precious, unlike many other pop artists’ lyrics. The main genre is hip-hop, and as a person who likes listening to hip-hop, I found the uniqueness and distinctiveness of each and every track extremely enjoyable.

Link to Jesus is King album playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58tRXzjC7c&list=OLAK5uy_nG0R7GxWTXwhsxxi_cwx8QwZe0QI1tED8

Link to Kanye West professing his faith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlR3C9sb5Xo

John Legend’s single--‘Preach’:

John Legend is known for raising awareness of social injustice through his earlier albums. But with this single, he took a step further and made a call to action, setting a good example himself. He said, “Sometimes we can get so frustrated by the news and what’s going on and there’s this battle going on in ourselves. Do we become apathetic? Do we become engaged? Do we just talk about it, or do we do something?”

Through the music video, we can see a school shooting, a girl being separated from her mother at the border, and policemen behaving unreasonably aggressive towards African-Americans during an arrest. The lyrics tell us how these events have touched John personally. He gets frustrated at himself because he is able to bring change, but doesn’t do anything to bring change. Then he says that he can’t just sit down, pray, hope, and preach, but he needs to take action.

Personal Opinion: This song became one of my recent favorites as I listened to it. The song itself, the music video, and the lyrics were powerful, engaging, and emotional. The message tied well to the current situation in the world with social injustice. It was a song that aroused profound thoughts, a desire to understand, and helped me to reflect on what I could do to change the world. At first, I listened to it because of the melody, but later I found myself meditating on the lyrics. The relatable lyrics and the music video based on real issues were enough to stimulate complex emotions. Although this song does not directly refer to God, John Legend revealed that Christianity has inspired him to produce this song. The Bible tells us to be a doer, not just a hearer, and it is an important message for our generation to hear through these hard times.

Link to ‘Preach’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0r1AJMK79g

Is there a trend for incorporating religious messages, especially that of Christianity, in songs of major pop artists recently? Rather than a trend, I suggest that certain major artists have taken a step forward dauntlessly to express their faith through their music. These songs may give hope to many of us in the current pandemic and crisis.