Seyi Shay expressed her strong reservations about what she perceives as rigid music patterns within some churches, particularly the insistence on traditional hymns over contemporary gospel songs. She articulated a controversial, yet thought-provoking, view regarding the historical context of some hymns.
"One leader like dat 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. PERIOD!" Seyi Shay wrote.
She elaborated on her stance, questioning the spiritual value of hymns that she believes may have originated from a painful historical past. "Because 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!!!" she asserted.
However, the artist also offered a clarification to avoid a sweeping generalization, acknowledging that not all hymns share this disputed origin. "Not all hymns were written by slave owners ooo! But a lot of them were, In some cases, you’re better off making your own praise and worship songs/hymns (based on scripture if you prefer)," she added.
Seyi Shay's comments have ignited a discussion among her followers and the wider public regarding the historical context of religious music, the evolution of worship styles, and the autonomy of individual spiritual choices within faith communities. Her candid revelation highlights a growing dialogue about tradition versus contemporary expression in religious practices.