“What if primetime television felt like Sunday service?” This, of course, had all the makings of a question that would eventually have an answer last Easter when the show *American Idol* featured an uninterrupted three-hour presentation of “Songs of Faith.” For the very first time in the show’s history, all remaining contestants, together with the show’s judges in the persons of Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, found themselves under the spotlight in the performance of worship songs. The show opened with Carrie Underwood’s awesome version of “How Great Thou Art,” complete with an accompanying gospel choir.
The executive producer, Megan Michaels Wolflick, remembered the origin of this series idea: “We watch myriad Christmas specials. We don’t ever see a faith-based spring Easter-style show. So we kind of embraced that. It was a special show, and people loved it; the ratings were pretty amazing.” The ratings were indeed remarkable enough to support her claim.
This represents a change that has been far from an isolated incident. Now in its second year back on the air as a programming entity of ABC since 2018, *Idol* has steadily evolved into a launching pad for new Christian and gospel artists. Winner Jamal Roberts, a gospel singer from Mississippi who was raised in his church choir, impressed Richie as “divinely guided.” Jamal Roberts has thereby burst onto the national stage through his singles release with Jonathan McReynolds, “Still (Live),” going on to be nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Gospel Performance/Song, a first in *Idol* history among its winners. Jamal was clearly taken aback by this recognition, as evidenced by his Twitter reaction: “God Keeps Showing Out!!!!!!”
The third place contestant, Breanna Nix, also told her story with her own message about her Christian beliefs. A 25-year-old housewife and mother from Texas, Nix told her story about her personal Christian journey and how her weight loss journey was influenced by her child, Emerson. Her performances singing Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “You Say” by Lauren Daigle resonated with the audience and were met with good reviews from conservative groups and the performance with worship music artist Brandon Lake at the finale. Brandon Lake himself is known to have topped the Hot Christian Songs and is nominated for several Grammies. He can be seen as the face of the crossover sensation.
This crossover is also part of a wider trend. As reported in the 2025 Midyear Report by Luminate, Christian or gospel music is one of the few genres experiencing growth, led by the aforementioned demographic of a younger, more astute streaming fanbase that is also 60% female and 30% millennial. For the first time in more than a decade, two contemporary Christian songs, Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” and Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” featuring Jelly Roll, entered the Top 40 for the first time on the Billboard Top 100 chart, charting side by side with mainstream pop. As Holly Zabka, of Provident Entertainment, further clarified, “Christian music is defined by its lyrical component… it can be rap, hip-hop, rock, country, and that’s appealing to a broader audience because it’s what they’re already listening to.”
The level of production has increased to live up to the challenge. “We can’t just be the cheap alternative,” said Zabka. “We want to be the greatest art.” Artists like Daigle and Lake are filling up stadiums with music that is true to life and unapologetic about life’s struggles. “Life is hard. Breakups are hard. Bad things happen,” said Zabka as he identified the increased level of lyric honesty as one reason why the genre is resonating so well with younger generations.
Authenticity on *Idol* has led to many viral performances. A duet between gospel singer CeCe Winans and contestant Roman Collins, “Goodness Of God,” was one of the most-watched performances in the show’s history, with viewers praising it as “worship” not a performance. This was cited as the effect of Underwood’s influence, according to host and judge Luke Bryan, who complimented it as “really, really special to watch.”
However, the ripple effect doesn’t end with music competitions. TV networks are increasingly embracing religious content. Fox News has recently started Fox Faith, and ABC has aired a special about Christmas hosted by Kevin Costner. Alums of *Idol*, such as Gabby Barrett, are exploring Christian music, with some artists following Underwood’s lead writing albums filled with religious content.
For Wolflick, the timing of the show’s faith focus does not involve politics. “We’re a show about talent… We’re not asking people their political affiliation,” she explained. “For me, American Idol has always been an escape from that.” But in the divided state of pop culture, where the measures of triumph are shaped by the hashtags and niches of the digital age, the appearances of Roberts, Nix, and others mark the beginning of something fresh – something where worship songs are no longer on the sidelines, but on the same playing field as pop hits.
