The top Christian album on iTunes is performed by a drag queen.
Flamy Grant, a man dressed like a woman, said he was overjoyed to learn that his debut album, "Bible Belt Baby," had charted No. 1 on iTunes.
Mr. Grant’s name is no doubt an homage to legendary Christian crooner Amy Grant. His debut album includes titles such as, “Esther, Ruth and Rahab,” “What Did you Drag Me Into?” and “Scratches.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all you need to know about the current state of affairs in the world of "Christian" music.
"Today, for the very first time, a drag queen has both the #1 single AND #1 album on the iTunes Christian charts," former Caedmon's Call singer Derek Webb wrote on social media. "If all the accomplishments in my career, being part of this is probably the thing i’m the most proud of. my dear friend Flamy Grant deserves every bit of this."
The album is described as "the world’s first contemporary Christian music record by a drag performer. With influences from gospel and blues to folk and rock, this Americana showcase shines a spotlight on queerness, faith, and overcoming the spiritual trauma so often endured by LGBTQ+ people and others who grow up in conservative religious spaces.”
Those who have followed the demise of the once-vibrant and Christ-centered Christian music world should not be surprised by the success of Flamy Grant. Many of the artists are using their platforms to advance a social justice gospel.
There's a better chance of an artist condemning churches that celebrate Independence Day than calling out a "worship artist drag queen."
I wrote about this issue in my book, "Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing America."
These days it’s not just good enough to have a preacher who delivers a four-point self-help sermon based on the latest Hollywood blockbuster. You’ve also gotta have a good worship band.
And that band must include an angst-driven Generation Z worship leader stuffed into skinny jeans, along with a diverse ensemble of scantily clad worship babes. Purpose Driven bands should always have at least one minority musician and one overweight vocalist. Bonus points if the keyboardist is in a wheelchair.
It’s sad that so many churches fired their choirs and replaced them with cover bands that could not make it past the first round of America’s Got Talent.
Many churches burned their hymn books and bought state-of-the-art digital billboards that broadcast the lyrics to Billboard Magazine's Top 40 praise and worship songs.
Great hymns of the faith like "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" and "Like a River Glorious" were replaced with hypnotic choruses like, "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever." I'm not sure if the love lasted forever, but the song sure did.
Years ago, I was interviewing an up-and-coming Christian pop group that had been put together not by the Holy Spirit, but by a team of highly-qualified Nashville talent scouts.
The kids told me about one song in particular that they especially loved. I was intrigued. They told me you could either sing the song to God or your girlfriend. The lyrics were versatile, that's what they told me.
Todd Starnes is a best-selling author and award-winning journalist. His 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. radio show is syndicated to hundreds of stations around the nation. He’s also the owner of KWAM News Radio in Memphis. His website is www.toddstarnes.com.