Separation of Church and Spotify

Sacred Sounds: The Role of Religious Imagery in Modern Music

Illustration: Sydney Hanson

“You can’t listen to that song, it’s blasphemous”. My cousin said this when we were listening to music, referring to Take Me to Church by Hozier, but it’s a sentiment I’ve heard expressed countless times throughout the years. Using religious imagery, specifically Christian imagery has often been used in music to try and convey a certain message, explore a certain idea, or describe an emotion. To me, this intersection of music and religion creates an opportunity for a profound understanding amongst different people.

One of the most beautiful examples I have of this being done is the song Bad Religion by Frank Ocean. While this song is often criticized for the way it references Islam, I think the way Frank uses religion to express his sorrow is an example of how much it can add to understanding our situation. By using the word 'religion' to describe his love for one person, it signifies his absolute devotion and commitment. And similar to all religions, he points out how this relationship is causing him pain due to the person not loving him back. While the religious imagery helps the story telling, I think the observations he makes in the line “It’s a bad religion, to be in love with someone who could never love you”, highlights how this ultimate devotion and sacrifice that is required of worshipping someone, can be a detriment.

One of my favourite albums of all time, MAGDALENE by FKA twigs, also explores this. The most glaring example is through the album name in which she references Mary Magdalene, a biblical character who was one of Jesus’ followers. She is often a victim of criticism and has her impact reduced, mainly because she was a woman. In naming the album after her and making her the central figure, Twigs restores Mary Magdalene's importance and gives her respect while relating them to each other. In being able to see herself in Mary Magdalene, Twigs has given herself grace while also creating space for her to be and to fail, something that wasn’t offered to the original Magdalene.

There is a beauty in using the inexplicable to describe the most human emotions, such as love, hurt, and anger. In doing so, not only does a personal experience become universally understood, but it manages to make sacred the most mundane things. Heartbreak and jealousy are part of life but in comparing oneself to being kicked out of heaven or ‘feeling like a Judas’, it is no longer a moral failure or the something that you go through alone but an image that anyone can picture and understand.