Nigerian singer and songwriter Seyi Shay has sparked a conversation around church practices and gospel music after revealing why she decided to leave her former place of worship.
Taking to her Instagram Story on May 21, 2025, the award-winning artist recounted a moment that prompted her exit. According to her, a church leader discouraged the use of modern gospel songs during praise and worship, insisting that only hymns and songs taken directly from scripture should be sung.
“One leader like that at my former church said something like ‘we need to stop singing all these new age gospel songs in praise and worship and go back to singing hymns and only songs that are direct scripture.’ Guess what, I stopped going to that church. PERIODT.”
Seyi Shay didn’t stop there. She challenged the deep-rooted reverence for traditional hymns in many churches, asserting that some old gospel hymns are rooted in the legacy of slavery and Black oppression.
“I don’t know how or why you would feel blessed and happy by singing some of the songs that slave owners wrote and forced them to sing and pass down through generations while beating and torturing your ancestors… makes no sense. Do your research! Ignorance is NOT Godly!!!”
To clarify her stance, the singer later acknowledged that not all hymns are problematic, but emphasized the importance of context, history, and intention in worship music.
“Not ALL hymns were written by slave owners ooo! But a lot of them were. In some cases, you’re better off making up your own praise and worship songs/hymns (based on scripture if you prefer).”
Her candid reflections have reignited discussions about the relevance of modern gospel music, cultural identity in Christian worship, and the need for churches to embrace both historical awareness and spiritual evolution.
As one of Nigeria’s most vocal and boundary-pushing artists, Seyi Shay’s comments continue to challenge the status quo and encourage deeper thought on how faith, history, and music intertwine in today’s religious spaces.
