I am not the most musically knowledgeable person. If you ask me what type of music I like I will shamefully say that I like what is on the radio. I don’t deep dive into genres and uncover the rising artists. However, there is one artist that I will go to bat for and passionately defend as I am a genuine fan - Katy Perry.
If you take a deep dive into Katy Perry’s music you’ll notice that she makes a lot of Bible references. Before Katy Perry was a pop star, she was Katheryn Hudson - a teenage gospel singer raised by two Pentecostal pastors. When her early career as a gospel singer was not a success, she brought herself into secular music and rebranded herself as Katy Perry - taking on her mother’s maiden name.
Though she is a secular artist, she wears her faith upbringing on her sleeve, literally, as she has “Jesus” tattooed on her wrist. But also, it is in her music. In her song Wide Awake she sings of being born again. In Who am I Living For? Perry plays with Christian themes of being chosen, called, sacrifice, Heaven, Hell, and name drops Esther, while repeatedly asking, “Who am I living for?” In By the Grace of God, she sings about finding strength during divorce, thanks to God’s grace, “By the grace of God- there was no other way- I picked myself back up- I knew I had to stay-.” In Rise she quotes Jesus in Matthew 8:26, “O ye of so little faith, don’t doubt it, don’t doubt it,” and in the same song, she uses death and resurrection imagery, singing, “When you think the final nail is in, think again. Don't be surprised, I will still rise.”
Katy Perry is not unique though. Although she incorporates Christianity into her music more so than the average artist, the media industry loves to play with Christian imagery - largely because it is what we know as a heavily Christian society. Ask almost anyone, “who is Jesus?” and you will get an answer. And because of Christianity’s universalism, Biblical imagery and concepts tug at people’s hearts and minds. Coupling that with why many of us listen to music, we come to know that people, religious and irreligious, universally find inspiration and discernment through thinly veiled religious ideas.
Music grabs us and helps us discern our reality. When we are sad we listen to the blues. When we need some motivational energy at the gym we play upbeat music. When our heads are stuck in cloud nine we play Ed Sheeran or Michael Bublé. When songs break records and generate millions in revenue, people communally discern their reality through shared music, even if they simply listen alone on their way to work.
The line between secular and religious is thin, as we are religious people in a secular world, and secular people in a religious world. When Praying, a secular song by Kesha peaked at #7 on the Billboard chart, the world was pulled into Kesha’s words “I hope you’re somewhere prayin, I hope your soul is changin’, I hope you find your peace, fallin’ on your knees, prayin.”
What songs have helped you discern the world? In the high and low moments of life, what artists were able to tug on your heartstrings? Has secular music brought you into a deeper relationship with God?
Your sibling in Christ,
Pastor Alec Brock, Seminary Intern (he/him/his)