Song: In The Context of Sacred vs. Secular

The discussion of what Black musical genres might be considered “religious” despite not actually being connected to a religion was one of my favorites throughout the class. I think it is important to recognize that many different genres can be seen as “religious” such as blues, hip-hop, R&B, etc. It is also important to note that even within Black religious culture the line between sacred and secular is blurred at times.

Interestingly enough, both sides of the binary seem to affect one another. As discussed in the Angela Davis reading entitled Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Davis discusses how Blues as a musical genre was key to Black history and Black experience because it challenged dominant ideologies and established forms of gender equality post-slavery.  The ripples of this would not only be felt within the music industry, but also throughout the Church as it challenge ideas of feminine sexuality and homophobia. This reading is also important because of the “Blues spirit” discussed. It positions Blues as not just as a musical genre, but as a spiritual practice that deeply impacted the Black community.

When considering how song and the sacred vs. secular binary function together, I think are so many modern day songs or performances that help illuminate what non-religion based “religious” music is.

I first think of Kanye West’s Sunday Service performances. The songs may be secular in nature, yet Kanye and the accompanying choir perform them in a manner similar to Black Baptist churches. I think it brings a new light to the songs and highlights certain elements of his lyrics that change the experience into a more religious one.

Next, I think of Hozier’s song “Take Me To Church”, a song that is powerful all on its own. The song alone is about sex, sexuality, humanity, but the song has a spiritual nature to it that is more easily felt than described. The song coupled with the music video, that was meant to critique Russian anti-LGBTQ+ laws, evokes a heightened spirituality while bringing themes of love, equality, and more into play. Hozier creates a perfect example of song that would be seen as secular, yet has an unmistakeable spiritual nature that could completely blurs the binary of sacredness and secularity.

Finally, Frank Ocean’s “Bad Religion” is a song that it is easier to feel the spiritual nature than describe it. Having said that, the song suggests that an unrequited love can be comparable to worshipping  someone, which refers to as a “bad religion”. The song is sorrowful and heart-breaking, yet conveys this idea of spirituality outside of religion. Frank even rejects prayer in this song because of this “bad religion” created by unrequited love.

Music is so powerful, and to believe that spirituality only stems from religion-based music fails to include the spiritual nature that many secular songs have. Whether it be within the Black community, or influenced by the Black community in some way, secular spirit can hold great spirituality that subverts archaic thinking and in its own way becomes sacred.