Sunday Service Choir

Beginning in 2019, the Sunday Service Choir emerged as part of Kanye West's rebranding as a born-again Christian. Performing at rapturous live events throughout the U.S., they made their first appearance on the rapper's gospel-influenced, cuss-free chart-topper Jesus Is King. Months later, they took the reins for their own debut, the purely gospel Jesus Is Born. In addition to West as a guiding force, the Los Angeles-based faith crew features choir director Jason White, supervisor Ray Romulus, vocalists Ant Clemons and Tony Williams, and many others. They performed throughout the year, including at the 2019 installment of the Coachella festival and during guerrilla-style promotional pop-ups in Chicago, Detroit, and New York. They made their official studio debut that October on the chart-topping Jesus Is King. Three months after that album's release, the choir took a turn in the spotlight with their own debut, Jesus Is Born. Issued on Christmas Day, the traditional gospel album features their takes on spiritual numbers from the Clark Sisters, Rev. Timothy Wright, and Richard Smallwood, injecting a contemporary, secular touch with interpolations of pop favorites by SWV, Sia, and Soul II Soul. Although West's vocals don't appear on the effort, his production touches can be subtly heard throughout, and the choir offers fresh takes on West's own "Ultralight Beam," "Faith," and "Father Stretch" from The Life of Pablo. Upon release, the album landed on the Billboard 200 and rose into the Top Five on the U.S. Independent and Gospel charts. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi