- Johnny Drille revealed he began his musical journey in church but never felt his sound truly belonged there.
- The Afrobeats singer said he faced backlash from some Christians after moving from gospel to mainstream music.
- Johnny Drille criticized churches for avoiding love-themed songs despite their relevance in positive music.
- He added that his role as a choir director shaped his musicianship and performance skills over the years.
Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter Johnny Drille has opened up about his music journey and how difficult it was to fit into the church space, despite beginning his career there.
During a recent podcast appearance, Johnny Drille revealed that although he once served as a music director in church, he always felt that his kind of music didn’t align with the traditional church sound.
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“I didn’t feel like my music was predominantly in church. Every now and then, I get invited to churches to sing, which is kind of interesting,” he said.
The singer explained that transitioning from gospel to mainstream music wasn’t easy, as it came with a fair share of criticism from his Christian background.
“I’ve gotten a bit of backlash from my Christian community every now and then when they invite me to churches. But at the end of the day, the music is positive. It speaks to good things that sometimes the church doesn’t want to talk about,” he shared.
Johnny Drille also pointed out how churches often avoid conversations about love in their songs, even though love is an important part of life and faith.
“The church shies away from talking about love. A lot of times, you go for some Christian weddings and you hear Davido and Wizkid. What if the church decides that we want to start doing our own Christian love songs?” he asked.
Reflecting on his early experiences, the “How Are You (My Friend)” crooner said his time as a choir director gave him valuable lessons in music and stage performance.
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“There’s a place for worship music, right? But there’s also music about so much more that the church could be singing about. I was a music director, directing the choir, but I never really sang in front of the church. I think it helped me become the musician I am today in terms of my musicianship and performances,” he said.
Johnny Drille’s journey from the church choir to the Afrobeats scene shows how he blended his spiritual background with a broader musical message that continues to inspire fans across different audiences.
