Gospel music icon Kirk Franklin has finally released his much-anticipated album, “I Am What I Am”, a 14-track project spread across two discs, bringing together studio recordings, live worship and different musical influences.

The line-up of featured artists is quite interesting, with appearances from GloRilla, Davido, Jelly Roll, Tobe Nwigwe, Karen Clark Sheard and Tim Rogers. Even before the album’s release, there had been plenty of controversy surrounding some of these collaborations. First, it was rapper GloRilla who sparked conversations, and more recently, the inclusion of Afrobeats star Davido also raised questions among gospel music listeners. Much of the discussion has centred on whether gospel artists should collaborate with mainstream musicians.

The first disc features seven studio recordings exploring themes of faith, hope, freedom, healing and trusting God through life’s challenges. The music draws from different genres while keeping the gospel message at the centre.

Ahead of the release, Franklin took to Instagram with a simple but exciting announcement: “THE CHOIR IS BACK!!” And that is exactly what the second disc brings. Choirs played a major role in shaping gospel music in its early days, particularly throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they remain an important part of gospel music today. Seeing Kirk Franklin return to those roots with the second disc, bringing back the rich harmonies and powerful sound of the choir, is a joy to behold.

The second disc features seven live recordings, capturing the atmosphere of church worship, with the choir taking a central role once again.

Running for approximately one hour and eight minutes, “I Am What I Am” brings together two sides of Kirk Franklin’s music, from contemporary sounds to the choir-driven gospel music that has been a defining part of his career.