By DJuana “Dfitz” Fitzpatrick
“They say that gospel music has gone too far. They say we have gotten too radical with our message. Well I got news for you, you ain’t heard nothing yet…” – Kirk Franklin “Stomp”
Kirk was very correct at the time “Stomp” was released. We hadn’t heard “nothing” yet. I think I have seen it all though when I pulled up Kim Burrell, an American gospel singer, “Sweeter,” video. When I saw the video I was taken aback and started wondering was it even a gospel song? I hadn’t seen anything like that before.
The video takes place on some resort island and in the opening scene Burrell is wearing white lingerie. She is sitting in the bed singing the first chorus of her song. In the next clips, we see her on the balcony “flirting” with a grounds keeper still in her lingerie.
I had to stop the video and go back. I had to ignore the suggestiveness of the video and actually listen to the words. The song is speaking on her intimate relationship with the Lord. She is saying that each day is sweeter than the day before when she gets closer and closer to God.
Kirk Franklin keeps his radicalness in the music. He pushes the envelope when it comes to mixing secular tunes with gospel lyrics. The message of God is not lost when he does that. After watching the “Sweeter” video the whole message was lost. The focal point of the video was her and not the message and that’s where the problem comes into play. It reminded me of something I would see on Centric or BET (not on Sunday).
John 3:30 states, “He must become greater; I must become less.”
The reason why I love gospel music is because it glorifies a God that has blessed me and kept me. Its not like secular music where all you hear about is sex, drugs, or materialistic things. It’s a safe haven for me. Burrell’s video disappointments me. I believe in ministry we have to remember to take self away so that God is the focal point. The message is always about Him and that’s how it should remain.
If I had of heard Burrell’s song before seeing the video, I would have fallen in love with it. Now, the whole message for me has been lost. I wonder how many other people lost the message once they saw this video.
Kim Burrell Discusses The Controversy Surrounding “The Love” Album
DJuana “Dfitz” Fitzpatrick is founder of Jesus C.O.U.sins (Christians Overcoming Ugly Sins). For the past five years, Fitzpatrick has devoted her life to being a positive reflection of a Christ in the entertainment industry. Read more of her work and see her videos on her website.
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Is Kim Burrell’s Video “Sweeter” Appropriate For A Gospel Artist? [VIDEO POLL]
Kim Burrell Discusses The Controversy Surrounding “The Love Album”
