Lecrae, Koryn Hawthorne, & Christian Soul Music's Ascension to the Mainstream; Are Listeners More Accepting Now? [VIDEO]

Lecrae

What began as fringe movement to the throwback days of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and "soul music," might just be the next big trend in Christian music. Artists like Lecrae and 'The Voice' finalist Koryn Hawthorne personify the rebirth of a genre.

When NPR highlighted Lecrae in its "Weekend Edition: Sunday," he surprised some listeners with his comparison of himself to Al Green and Ray Charles. When asked if he ever questioned how much of his faith he would put into his music, the "Welcome to America" rapper said, "If I'm learning something it's all I want to talk about. As I've grown, there's plenty of other things I've wanted to talk about."

When the interviewer asked if he felt like an outsider because the roots of his music seem less traditionally Christian, Lecrae continued to say "[the music] was likened a lot to Ray Charles and Al Green. I consider what I do soul music, music concerned with the soul. The church didn't know what to do with Ray Charles and Al Green so they were kind of ostracized."

While his style might not have appealed to some more traditional Christian radio outlets, especially at first, it seems Lecrae's phenomenal, chart-topping success (we're talking #1 on the 'Billboard' Gospel AND 'Billboard' conventional chars) might have ushered in a new age of soul music, in which artists such as Trip Lee, KB, Andy Mineo, and newcomer Koryn Hawthorne are finding a warm welcome.

Koryn Hawthorne
(Photo : Facebook: Koryn Hawthorne)

Koryn Hawthorne might have come in fourth on 'The Voice' during the finale last week (winner was upstate New York farm-boy Sawyer Fredericks), but she made a winning impression on her coach, Pharrell Williams, with her performance of the R&B gospel song they wrote together for the show. "Bright Fire" brought the house down as it showcased Hawthorne's incredible vocal talent, in addition to her passion for sharing her faith.

Pharrell commented on the performance, "My heart is beating so fast right now because we did it, we got to sing this song in front of everybody. I thank 'The Voice' for this platform to be able to say this; it's just like the lyric says, 'HE' is our bright fire. Thank you, God!"

In a throwback to the golden era of soul music, Koryn also gave powerhouse performances of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown and "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Etta James, further emphasizing herself as a vocalist with deep soul roots. She's topping the charts, too, with her version of "O Mary, Don't You Weep" is on the top of the 'Billboard' Christian Digital singles chart. 

"I learned some years ago from a mentor of mine that leaders lead through vulnerability." Lecrae said. While Lecrae is certainly a groundbreaking talent, it appears that an entire generation of young Christian singers are about to benefit from his boldness.