Is Lauren Daigle Right to Push Back at the ‘Christian Artist’ Label?

Soulful music savant Lauren Daigle is breaking free of the labels and would love to simply be considered an “artist.” But no one can deny the God-related grit her lyrics exude. This Louisiana native has a strong faith background, and it comes through in her chart-topping album, Look Up Child, which came out last year.

In Daigle’s recent interview with 104.3MYfm, when asked about the label of “Christian artist,” she said, “I think part of me is just an artist because it encompasses everything.” Though Lauren affirms that she will remain true to who she is, she added, “I feel like those labels get put on you by other people.”

The recent interview also asked Daigle about her popularity in reaching beyond her genre. Now that her songs have premiered on popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy, it’s obvious she has something the world is connecting to.

Daigle says, “You look and see how people relate when you just share your experience. Like, people can’t deny, ‘Oh, this is something that I can relate to, she’s human, she’s going through that too; I wrestle with the same thing,’ and I think that connectability is what makes it move beyond just one place.”

Daigle’s music is definitely moving, and the momentum doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Her incredible album Look Up Child debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart. Her soulful, authentic sound has captured the world’s attention, with her release beating music’s heavy hitters like Ariana Grande, Drake and Cardi B in the charts.

The 27-year-old singer faced some criticism after appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show last year, which many fans viewed as an act of support for the LGBT community.

But it’s all love for Daigle, who responded, “I think the second we start drawing lines around which people are able to be approached and which aren’t, we’ve already completely missed the heart of God,” during her interview with WAY-FM Radio.

On crossing genres, Daigle said it best in an interview with The Christian Post: “[My music] is having crossover appeal, but it doesn’t mean that I’m leaving one for the other or that I’m going to be swept up by one thing or the other. For me, it’s like, ‘Oh, everything just got even more clear.’ Everything just got clearer as to why it is that we go and love people who are outside of the walls of our church, outside of the walls that we’re comfortable with.”

The fact that Daigle’s success has moved into the mainstream does not mean she is forsaking her faith. In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

We love how Daigle isn’t placing herself in a box but is truly breaking barriers and taking the Good News to people and homes who might never have heard it otherwise.

Though her genre in music has broadened, her faith and love for Jesus seem all the more grounded. This should definitely inspire us to go beyond the church walls and create music, art, products and services designed to draw unbelieving communities to Jesus. {eoa}

Bianca Tavera is a writer for the Lightworkers team. LightWorkers’ mission is to create engaging, uplifting and inspirational content that breaks through the clutter, building a community of sharing and igniting a movement in the real world that motivates people to celebrate and share the good all around them. Find them at lightworkers.com/