Music Anchor

I’ve been thinking a lot about where faith meets music lately, and honestly it’s kinda messy. There’s this tension in Christian music between ministry and marketability, between saying something real and building a brand. Makes you wonder: are some artists selling faith, or are they selling fame?

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but TikTok and Instagram are flooded with Christian artist “grifters” right now. You know the type with perfectly curated clips of their “faith journey,” influencer type content full of marketing air. It’s cringe.

The industry isn’t just about worship anymore. It’s about streams, clicks, followers, tours. Labels and managers are constantly watching numbers/followers and we can tell that pressure sips into everything from songwriting, messaging to how artists present themselves online.

Don’t get me wrong. POPULAR CHRISTIAN MUSIC CAN BE GOOD. But when the goal becomes charting or going viral, the message can get watered down. Lyrics turn into catchphrases. Stories of faith get packaged like products. And the listener? They might feel moved but are they connecting with God or just the carefully curated version of someone’s life?

The ethics question isn’t easy. Maybe I come off a bit too harsh. But the conversation matters. Listeners get to ask the hard questions. Artists get to choose honesty over image. And the songs that stick? They’re the ones born from vulnerability, not a marketing plan.