If you’re anything like me, and like to religiously keep up with the Kardashian’s, then you know that if you could be anywhere on a Sunday it would be at Kanye’s Sunday Service. What started as a mysterious, neon-centric, gospel concert has now developed into an exclusive and intricate production that is only open to Kanye’s close friends and family. Except this past Easter Sunday when Kanye opened his service up to the public at Coachella Weekend 2.
As someone who grew up going to church on Sunday’s in the middle of San Francisco, I was very aware that practicing religion wasn’t exactly “cool” or “trendy.” But, have the tides started to shift in a different direction?
The first time I remember seeing a trendy celebrity openly pray and thank god was when I was around 13 years old and saw Justin Bieber’s movie “Never Say Never.” In the movie, Bieber circled up his manager, band members, and his mother to pray directly before going on stage. It undoubtedly contributed to his image of being a young, innocent adolescent who felt genuinely blessed about his fame and accomplishments, but also felt awfully staged at the time.
This idea of religion being seen as a faux pas is nothing new. As I’ve grown up, I’ve become accustom to sports broadcaster tending to shift away the post-game interview questions when players begin to thank God.
Recently, I have noticed an interesting resurgence in religion in terms of people incorporating their beliefs into their personal brand, like Kanye West, his sister-in-law Kourtney or athletes like Stephen Curry, who sends up a small prayer after each shot he makes.
In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel in LA, the Kardashian sisters answered a series of questions about Kanye’s Service and the responses caught my attention. Each service features a gospel choir performing a host of songs, some by Kanye himself and other popular hymns.
When asked if the service was religious, Kanye’s wife, Kim, seemed to avoid the question and said it was “spiritual” but did not want to make the event seem “exclusive” in terms of religious beliefs. Her sister Kourtney, whom often shares biblical verses on her social media was quick to point out that the services are “definitely Christian.” Kimmel in response to that almost immediately brought up a new topic of conversation, and then Sunday Services were not talked about again.
This idea of Christianity shifting someone’s brand is not necessarily common in the entertainment industry but the tides may be shifting towards a pious trend.
Within Earshot 