The podcast UOL Primepresented by José Roberto de Toledo, brings this Thursday (9) behind the scenes of journalist Rodrigo Ortega’s report on the arrival of gospel to the top of the charts in Brazil.
You can listen to the full episode above, based on the report “How gospel dominated pop music”, published on UOL Prime — section with exclusive news and the best of UOL journalism.
The report showed the rise of the genre in the voices of singers from Generation Z (or “Z-sus”) and secular stars such as Ludmilla, Ana Castela and Joelma.
Artists and entrepreneurs explain the new era of pop praise, connected and powerful as ever.
“I wanted to put on paper this impression that it is increasingly easier to listen to gospel music outside of church”, says the journalist.
The report began with a survey of the streaming charts in Brazil. In the middle of Carnival, a gospel reached 1st place on YouTube Brazil. “I Am Your Father”, by Valesca Mayssa, surpassed Ivete Sangalo.
Valesca Mayssa, 23 years old from São Paulo, is one of the stars of the generation that incorporates “the tricks of pop music to take the Christian sound to the top of the charts and algorithms”, explains Rodrigo Ortega.
The reporter described his visit to the Todah production company, a “gospel factory” with frenetic production in São Paulo. “It works in a similar way to the most successful companies in country music or funk music.”
The hits are driven by a strategy that has already generated 6.3 billion plays on YouTube. “They have a system of channels that create links between themselves and feed themselves”, says Ortega.
The journalist also talks about the partnership between agriculture and gospel — a “blessed union”, as Toledo defines it.
The producer AgroPlay, responsible for the success of country singer Ana Castela, created a gospel arm called AgroPraise — “praise agro”, in Portuguese.
“They think there is a space for gospel to enter Brazilian country parties, not just rodeo parties”, says Ortega.
City halls already pay fees close to R$200,000 to Christian stars. “It’s electorally interesting for the mayor to have a gospel artist there at his party.”
The podcast also presents the phrase that best defines this new era of gospel. “I believe that God gave my algorithm a boost”, says Kailane Frauches, 20 years old, from Xerém (RJ).
She started by covering gospel music in home videos on Instagram, made with the help of her mother, who worked as a domestic worker.
“Her story is no different from stars from the secular universe, like Anitta or Ludmilla, who left the suburbs of Rio and managed to make a name for themselves based on their charisma”, describes the journalist.
The episode shows how Christian music has expanded into subgenres like trap gospel. MCs of this style upload videos on TikTok, mixed with funk and country music tracks.
“The fans are very young people who accept gospel as another aspect of pop music”, explains the reporter.
The podcast UOL Prime is published on Thursdays on UOL Prime’s YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer and all podcast platforms.
