- Johnny Drille has reflected on his transition from gospel to mainstream music, revealing that despite starting his career in church, he often felt out of place in church.
- Speaking on the podcast, he acknowledged facing backlash from some Christians but insisted his music remains positive.
- De Lille also criticized churches for shying away from songs about love, suggesting they create their own Christian love songs. He added that his time as a choir director helped shape his artistic and musical talents.
Afrobeat singer Johnny Drille has opened up about his struggles with acceptance in the church, despite where his musical journey began.
He said in a recent podcast: “I don’t feel like my music is primarily in church. Every now and then, I get asked to sing in church, which is fun.”
The singer revealed that his transition from gospel to mainstream music has drawn criticism from some Christians. “I get some backlash from time to time when my Christian community invites me to church. But at the end of the day, music is positive. It speaks to the good things that sometimes churches don’t want to talk about.” he explained.
Johnny Derill also accused the church of shying away from songs about love, saying: “The church shys away from talking about love. A lot of times you go to some Christian weddings and you hear Davido and Wizkid. What if the church decides we want to start writing our own Christian love songs?”
Looking back on his early life, he said: “There’s a place for worship music, right? But there’s also a lot of music to sing in the church. I was a music director and conducted the choir, but I never really sang in front of a church. I think that helped me become the musician I am today.”
