I Faced Backlash From Christians After Switching To Mainstream Music

Afrobeats singer and songwriter Johnny Drille has reflected on his musical journey, revealing how he struggled to find a sense of belonging within the church community despite beginning his career there.

Speaking on a recent podcast, posted on YouTube on Saturday, the singer shared that although he once served as a music director in church, his sound and style never truly fit into the typical church setting.

“I didn’t feel like my music was predominantly in church. Every now and then, I get invited to churches to sing, which is kind of interesting,” he said.

Johnny Drille also acknowledged that his switch from gospel to mainstream music was met with criticism from some members of the Christian community.

“I’ve gotten a bit of backlash from my Christian community every now and then when they invite me to churches. But at the end of the day, the music is positive. It speaks to good things that sometimes the church doesn’t want to talk about,” he explained.

He further expressed concern over how churches often avoid addressing love in their music.

“The church shies away from talking about love. A lot of times you go for some Christian weddings and you hear Davido and Wizkid. What if the church decides that we want to start doing our own Christian love songs?” he said.

Looking back on his early years, Johnny Drille said his experience as a choir director played a key role in developing his musical abilities, even though he rarely performed during that period.

“There’s a place for worship music, right? But there’s also music about so much more that the church could be singing about. I was a music director, directing the choir, but I never really sang in front of the church. I think it helped me become the musician I am today in terms of my musicianship and performances,” he added.

Watch him speak below…