Seyi Shay expressed her inability to comprehend why individuals, particularly a church leader, would advocate for singing songs that she believes were written by "slave owners" and subsequently passed down through generations while her African ancestors were subjected to brutal treatment.
Taking to her Instagram story, the singer urged Christians to conduct thorough research into old-school Christian songs and hymns before singing them, emphasizing that "ignorance is not godly."
In her post, she wrote, “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. Periodt. 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 bearing and torturing your ancestors. Makes no sense. Do your research! Ignorance is not Godly!”
Seyi Shay's comments highlight a nuanced debate within contemporary Christian worship, touching upon historical context, cultural relevance, and the origins of religious songs.