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By Devin Robertson
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When Kirk Franklin began crafting his latest project in January 2025, he envisioned a standard release, but the creative process gradually turned it into an ambitious double album split between traditional sanctuary worship and contemporary studio soundscapes.
The 14-track project, I Am What I Am, which was released on October 30, balances seven live sanctuary songs—recalling the roots of historic hits like "Why We Sing," "Silver and Gold" and "Hosanna"—with seven modern studio recordings featuring high-profile crossover partnerships, including a collaboration with hip-hop artist GloRilla.
"The album just really evolved into something that I didn't really see coming," Franklin said, reflecting on how unexpected the eventual scope of the project became while he navigated its development. "Seven live church songs that are more reflective of the ‘Why We Sing’ Kirk, the ‘Silver and Gold’, ‘Hosanna’ kind of Kirk. And then seven studio songs like the GloRilla record and songs like that."
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Throughout a career spanning more than three decades, public examination regarding Franklin's wardrobe choices, stage choreography and genre-crossing partnerships has frequently generated debate among traditionalists. Instead of attempting to placate observers who continuously interrogate his motives, the artist has chosen an unwavering posture of self-acceptance.
"As I continue to just go through my career, even with the recent controversy around me working with GloRilla, there's always questions of my motives, my agenda, my heart, my intent, the things I do—whether things I wear, how I dance on stage, or just whatever," he said.
"I realized that by at this stage, what you believe about me, what you think about me, there's nothing I can do to change that. I can only be intentional about who it is I'm trying to be. So I concluded with the title of the album is that whatever you think about me, good, bad, or ugly, I am what I am."
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Dismantling Elitism Through Radical Inclusion
Extending open invitations to collaborators outside conventional gospel circles aligns directly with foundational spiritual principles, which Franklin views as prioritizing expansive community over restrictive boundaries. Drawing inspiration from biblical narratives, he emphasized how authentic ministry requires meeting individuals within their distinct environments.
"Well, I think that an elitist, members-only type of approach is very counterintuitive to the message of Jesus Christ, right?" Franklin said, underscoring his philosophical alignment with scriptural accounts.
"It is Jesus sitting with the taxpayers. It is Jesus sitting with the outliers of the culture that he lived in at that moment. And so, while at the same time still not compromising his posture, not compromising his calling and his purpose, he was also very intentional to make sure that everybody had a chair at the table."
Because musical expression serves as a universal medium where diverse perspectives converge, Franklin believes art enables individuals to dismantle personal egos and connect authentically.
"And it is my goal and my agenda," he said regarding his creative mission. "And I think the music is that idea that equalizes all of us, right? It is this art form, this medium, that allows people to lower their egos and their mindsets where everybody can feel comfortable being at the table."
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Preserving Value in an Era of Digital Noise
While modern digital platforms accelerate media consumption and shorten audience attention spans, Franklin observed that the historical devaluation of recorded music was initiated decades ago when telecommunication companies began bundling free ringtones with mobile device subscriptions. Because consumers became accustomed to receiving recorded works as promotional add-ons, public willingness to sit thoughtfully with full-length projects diminished significantly.
"When we started 20, 25, 30 years ago, giving away cellphones and the ringtone would come free, we then made the value of the phone more valuable than this," Franklin said, detailing the economic shift that altered listener habits.
"When you started making free songs a part of the package to get the phone, oh yeah, you were in the decline then. You want me to stay up all night bleeding and sweating over lyrics and melodies and walking the streets that night to try to get the right verse and chorus and hook, and then I do all of that labor for you to give it away for a phone?"
To illustrate how musicians must engage listeners amid overwhelming daily distractions, Franklin utilizes an evocative seasonal metaphor regarding audience connection. Although listeners frequently seek escapism in varied musical styles to soothe personal anxieties, artists bear the responsibility of offering substance to their specific communities.
"It's very difficult to sell sweaters in July, you know what I mean?" Franklin said while examining consumer psychology. "If that's not what people are, then it's hard to impress upon them that they need the sweater. I think you just have to be authentic to your village and impress upon them that winter's coming, that you need this sweater."
Personal Reflection and the Unimagined Grace of God
During the year-long period spent crafting I Am What I Am, Franklin took time to step back from public demands, immersing himself in diverse musical listening while evaluating long-held religious assumptions. This reflective period enabled him to separate rigid institutional dogma from the core simplicity of spiritual devotion.
"Man, the unimaginable grace of God for me," Franklin said when asked about his primary revelation during production. "Learning that deconstruction is not necessarily all negative. That there are things that may have been more cultural that are not necessarily bibliocentric. Learning how to embrace that, and learning how to trust and believe in the truth that not only does God love me, but He likes me."
Expanding upon the distinction between obligation and authentic affinity, Franklin pointed out how institutional doctrines can obscure the intrinsic warmth of divine affection. Moving beyond restrictive religious frameworks opened a renewed sense of emotional freedom that permeates his new recordings.
"You can love people that you don't necessarily like," Franklin said, unpacking the weight of his spiritual journey. "So for me, liking me has even more gravity—there's more gravitas to the fact that You like me and the fact that God thinks that I'm pretty OK. And to believe that, to take the risk to believe it, is new territory."
He elaborated on the restrictive nature of dogmatic structures: "When you are embedded in religiosity and dogma, it doesn't always give credence to relationship. It doesn't give you the belief in and the freedom that everything that you've been taught or the way it has been presented doesn't necessarily mean that it has been reflected upon the origin of the great love story. Sometimes you can be indoctrinated into the culture of the dogma and the doctrine so deeply that you miss the beauty of the simplicity."
Delivering Refreshment to a Weary World
Comparing the expansive musical scope of I Am What I Am to his landmark 1998 release The Nu Nation Project, which famously incorporated collaborations with secular icons Mary J. Blige and Bono, Franklin considers his upcoming release his most diverse work in twenty-five years. By offering a broad array of sonic styles, he hopes to bring genuine hope and emotional rejuvenation to listeners navigating difficult personal circumstances.
"Let it be a large glass of cold water," Franklin says when describing his vision for the listener's experience. "Let it be refreshing. Let it be new. Let it give you a spark. Let it give you hope. Let it give you life. This album for me is full of life. It's full of refreshing ideas and moments and conversations. I want people to feel that it was breathing a new wind, a new wine into their hearts."
Ultimately, Franklin remains committed to communicating spiritual encouragement across traditional boundaries, using every available medium to ensure that listeners feel acknowledged.
"I am excited for them to hear and to be reminded of how big God is," Franklin said. "How big He is. But He still cares about the smallest detail of us. He's big, but His heart is tender enough where He still cares about the simple details of His children. I am unapologetically a Christian, and it is my job to make sure that people are filled with the beauty of that love and the comfort of that truth."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Mark Muir and Dave Siminoff.
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