At Grammys, Kendrick Lamar and Reba McEntire Attribute Success to Their Relationship with God

By Nathan Glover --
29 Jan 2018 --

How Religion Connected the Music Performance

At any award show, God shows up. Not literally, but performing artists talk about the influence of their faith in achieving success.

At Grammys, Kendrick Lamar and Reba McEntire Attribute Success to Their Relationship with God[/tweetthis]

The 2018 Grammys were no different. Kendrick Lamar won five awards last night and quoted rapper Mozzy in saying “God up top, all the time, real talk.” The rapper has been credited with including more spirituality in his highly praised album DAMN. The rapper has talked about how his relationship with God has influenced both his music and his political activism.

A historic #GRAMMY-winning night for @kendricklamar.
Here's what he's got (so far):
– Best Rap Album
– Best Rap Song
– Best Rap Performance
– Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Stay tuned. The night ain't over! https://t.co/1JGhZZ6x2l pic.twitter.com/8eKuXiDGY2
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 29, 2018

One of the most praised acceptance speeches was by Reba McEntire for winning Best Roots Gospel Album. Holding back tears she mentioned her love of Jesus and “Our job in the entertainment business is to heal hearts. That’s what God put me on this earth for, I know it is. To help other people. I love my job. I’m so grateful to get to do it.” Her honesty and emotional authenticity has won over the media and helped put her in the spotlight of stories about the Grammys.

Congratulations, @Reba! #SingItNow took home the #GRAMMYs for Best Roots Gospel Album! ?https://t.co/PEKrxyHBs3 pic.twitter.com/ZDdwqtwsYf
— Big Machine Label Group (@BigMachine) January 28, 2018

The award show also had individuals look at the universal ethic of love that connected to all faiths. There were musical performances that indicated support against both sexual violence and teen suicide. While religion was not mentioned specifically, it has been used by religious individuals as a connection to the teachings of faith.