3 Pop Artists You Probably Didn’t Know Released Christian Music

Plenty of popular singers grew up singing in church or associating their love of music with spirituality. Some decided to make Christian music after having a “God moment” in the middle of their career. Either way, here are some artists that you might’ve forgotten had a “Christian era,” whether they’re still in it or not.

Videos by American Songwriter

Katy Perry

Long before “California Girls” and “Firework” made Perry a household name, she was actually a gospel singer who went by the name Katy Hudson. Perry shared in 2017 that she grew up in a pretty strict, religious household but was always curious about what lay beyond it. 

“I had lived in a bubble. I was always asking why,” Perry explained. “Not just to be an asshole, just because I’ve always been super curious.” 

At 16, Katy Perry even released a gospel album, and it was on her tour for that project that she said she was exposed to different perspectives and situations. At 17, Perry would move to Los Angeles, where she transitioned into pop music.

Kanye West (Ye)

While Kanye West, or Ye, has been known to shift musical directions, the rapper/hip-hop artist took a completely different path in 2019 and 2021, releasing Christian music.

With albums like Jesus Is King, Donda, and Donda 2, West sings of redemption and his struggles with mental health. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Kanye touched on the thought process behind his newer material.

“Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job is to spread the gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me,” he shared. “I’ve spread a lot of things.” 

“There was a time I was letting you know what high fashion had done for me, I was letting you know what the Hennessy had done for me, but now I’m letting you know what Jesus has done for me, and in that I’m no longer a slave, I’m a son now, a son of God. I’m free.”

It’s also worth mentioning that some critics have argued that some of his material, like Donda, contains both secular and Christian themes. 

Bob Dylan

Dylan, who was actually brought up in a Jewish household, went through a brief period in the late 70s and early 80s where he put out a series of Christian albums. 

According to The Independent, it was around 1978 that Dylan “found God” after having a spiritual encounter in his hotel room. “Jesus put his hand on me, It was a physical thing. I felt it. I felt it all over me.” He shared, “I felt my whole body tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up.”

It was after that Dylan released three Christian albums, Slow Train Coming (1979), Saved (1980), and Shot of Love (1981). However, in 1983, he returned to his secular folk-rock ways with Infidels.

Photos by: Brad Elterman/FilmMagic