Today, Explained Your pop music is influenced by God
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Dec 19, 2025 
In this lively discussion, Elias Light, a music reporter for The Wall Street Journal, shares insights on the explosive rise of contemporary Christian music in the charts. He reveals how TikTok and streaming platforms have redefined genre boundaries, enabling Christian artists to reach wider audiences. Music professor Charlie Harding follows up with analysis on how gospel influences enrich secular music, emphasizing structures like the 'slow build' that echo religious experiences. Both predict a future brimming with inspirational crossover hits.
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Host's Gospel Emergency Playlist
- Astead Herndon describes an emergency gospel playlist he uses when anxious to feel hope and calm.
- He says more people beyond pastors' kids are turning to Christian tracks for comfort in 2025.
Christian Music Is Rapidly Growing
- Elias Light reports Luminate flagged rapid growth in Christian music listening in consecutive reports.
- He notes Christian streaming growth is approaching genres like electronic dance music in U.S. listening.
Artists Want Church Music For Everyday Life
- Modern Christian artists aim to avoid being pigeonholed as church-only worship music.
- Forrest Frank shifted from secular pop to explicitly Christian songs designed to work outside church settings.