A drag performer has attracted supporters and opposition since topping iTunes Christian music charts..Matthew Blake, a.k.a Flamy Grant, released the album Bible Belt Baby on Oct. 6 last year, but only recently gained the top spot on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart. The album’s lead single, Good Day also reigned as most popular..The album’s success didn’t sit well with Sean Feucht, a 2020 Republican candidate for congress in California who led the “Let Us Worship” US tour during pandemic lockdowns..“If you're wondering about the end goal of the deconstruction movement in the church, then look no further than former worship leader @derekwebb's new collab with a drag queen. These are truly the last days," Feucht tweeted..The tweet included a picture of Flamy Grant alongside Derek Webb at the latter’s album launch. The former singer for Christian contemporary music (CCM) band Caedmon’s Call collaborated on Good Day. .Grant stood beside Jennifer Knapp, the 1999 Gospel Music Association’s winner as New Artist of the Year. Knapp, featured in Flamy Grant’s song I am Not Ashamed, told Christianity Today in 2010 that she had been in a same-sex relationship since 2002. The picture also includes Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, singer for former award-winning CCM band Plumb..In response to Feucht’s tweet, Flamy Grant replied July 26, “End goal? Baby we’re just getting started.”.Feucht retorted, “Well good for us hardly anyone listens or cares what you do. Bad for you is that one day you’ll sit before Jesus and give an account for the perversion you tried to force on kids. There’s a verse about a millstone to warn you (Matt 18:6). 🙏🏽”.In a September 2022 interview with Shout Out Social, Blake said his drag name was inspired by Amy Grant, “arguably the most successful Christian artist of all time.”.“In my house growing up we were only allowed to listen to Christian and gospel music, so as a closeted queer kid Amy Grant was my version of an inspirational diva,” Blake said..Blake calls himself a “gospel & roots musician from the Bible Belt.” In March, he starred in a one-man drag show called Godless Sheathen: A Drag Comedy Cabaret about "a sinner saved by lace.”.In a highlight reel of the performance, Blake, “We need some more songs about the Bible that don't sound like they were written by Charles [expletive] Manson!” before singing the lyrics,.And I guess the lesson there.Is God would only hear a prayer.When it came from a person with a c—..The show also included a bit with a hand puppet of Jesus, speaking in what Blake called a "gay voice,” declares, "Yes, I'm gay.".Webb also featured the drag performer on his 2023 release The Jesus Hypothesis in a song called Boys Will Be Girls. A video features both performers in makeup while standing in front of a cross. The lyrics included:.I heard Jesus loved and spent his life with those who.Were abandoned by proud and fearful men.So if a church won’t celebrate and love you.They’re believing lies that can’t save you or them.Cause you’re so beautiful by any name..Webb promoted the video on Twitter as a “full drag performance,” and also also wrote a song for his new album titled “God in Drag,” with the lyrics,.You’ve heard it said.Oh, God so loves but he’ll reject you.If you so choose he will respect you.And for all time, he’ll disconnect you.From his love and those who’ve left you.And in the skies live on without you.While the devil’s flames surround you.In the place that he designed to.For eternity remind you.Of the choice that’s now behind you.Either way, I bet you’ll break a sweat..In a Facebook post, Webb defended the video. “If lovin’ you is demonic, I don’t wanna be Christian,” he wrote..In a July interview with Sojourners, Webb said he wrote the song “for a dear person in my life who came out to [him] just a few years ago” and likened being in drag to Jesus becoming human..“There is something about the experience of being put in drag by Flamy Grant that did feel incarnational to me,” Webb said..“And I think that’s a great analog to the work that Jesus did, and the power that incarnational risk has.”.The iTunes app removed the Christian and Gospel chart altogether in 2017, but later restored it. As of Aug. 1, the album Bible Belt Baby was still the chart’s top album. By then, however, Good Day had fallen to 39th on iTunes’ Top 40 US Christian & Gospel Songs.
A drag performer has attracted supporters and opposition since topping iTunes Christian music charts..Matthew Blake, a.k.a Flamy Grant, released the album Bible Belt Baby on Oct. 6 last year, but only recently gained the top spot on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart. The album’s lead single, Good Day also reigned as most popular..The album’s success didn’t sit well with Sean Feucht, a 2020 Republican candidate for congress in California who led the “Let Us Worship” US tour during pandemic lockdowns..“If you're wondering about the end goal of the deconstruction movement in the church, then look no further than former worship leader @derekwebb's new collab with a drag queen. These are truly the last days," Feucht tweeted..The tweet included a picture of Flamy Grant alongside Derek Webb at the latter’s album launch. The former singer for Christian contemporary music (CCM) band Caedmon’s Call collaborated on Good Day. .Grant stood beside Jennifer Knapp, the 1999 Gospel Music Association’s winner as New Artist of the Year. Knapp, featured in Flamy Grant’s song I am Not Ashamed, told Christianity Today in 2010 that she had been in a same-sex relationship since 2002. The picture also includes Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, singer for former award-winning CCM band Plumb..In response to Feucht’s tweet, Flamy Grant replied July 26, “End goal? Baby we’re just getting started.”.Feucht retorted, “Well good for us hardly anyone listens or cares what you do. Bad for you is that one day you’ll sit before Jesus and give an account for the perversion you tried to force on kids. There’s a verse about a millstone to warn you (Matt 18:6). 🙏🏽”.In a September 2022 interview with Shout Out Social, Blake said his drag name was inspired by Amy Grant, “arguably the most successful Christian artist of all time.”.“In my house growing up we were only allowed to listen to Christian and gospel music, so as a closeted queer kid Amy Grant was my version of an inspirational diva,” Blake said..Blake calls himself a “gospel & roots musician from the Bible Belt.” In March, he starred in a one-man drag show called Godless Sheathen: A Drag Comedy Cabaret about "a sinner saved by lace.”.In a highlight reel of the performance, Blake, “We need some more songs about the Bible that don't sound like they were written by Charles [expletive] Manson!” before singing the lyrics,.And I guess the lesson there.Is God would only hear a prayer.When it came from a person with a c—..The show also included a bit with a hand puppet of Jesus, speaking in what Blake called a "gay voice,” declares, "Yes, I'm gay.".Webb also featured the drag performer on his 2023 release The Jesus Hypothesis in a song called Boys Will Be Girls. A video features both performers in makeup while standing in front of a cross. The lyrics included:.I heard Jesus loved and spent his life with those who.Were abandoned by proud and fearful men.So if a church won’t celebrate and love you.They’re believing lies that can’t save you or them.Cause you’re so beautiful by any name..Webb promoted the video on Twitter as a “full drag performance,” and also also wrote a song for his new album titled “God in Drag,” with the lyrics,.You’ve heard it said.Oh, God so loves but he’ll reject you.If you so choose he will respect you.And for all time, he’ll disconnect you.From his love and those who’ve left you.And in the skies live on without you.While the devil’s flames surround you.In the place that he designed to.For eternity remind you.Of the choice that’s now behind you.Either way, I bet you’ll break a sweat..In a Facebook post, Webb defended the video. “If lovin’ you is demonic, I don’t wanna be Christian,” he wrote..In a July interview with Sojourners, Webb said he wrote the song “for a dear person in my life who came out to [him] just a few years ago” and likened being in drag to Jesus becoming human..“There is something about the experience of being put in drag by Flamy Grant that did feel incarnational to me,” Webb said..“And I think that’s a great analog to the work that Jesus did, and the power that incarnational risk has.”.The iTunes app removed the Christian and Gospel chart altogether in 2017, but later restored it. As of Aug. 1, the album Bible Belt Baby was still the chart’s top album. By then, however, Good Day had fallen to 39th on iTunes’ Top 40 US Christian & Gospel Songs.
