Sunday Service Choir

Last updated

Sunday Service Choir
Sunday Service At The Mountain.svg
Logo used for Sunday Service's 2019 Easter Coachella performance
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active2019 (2019)–present
Members
Website sundayservice.com

The Sunday Service Choir (commonly referred as Sunday Service) is an American gospel group led by rapper Kanye West and conducted by choir director Jason White. Beginning in January 2019, the group has performed every Sunday as well as on Friday, September 27, when West's album Jesus Is King was announced for release. Their debut album, Jesus Is Born , was released three months later on Christmas Day in 2019.

Contents

History

In September 2018, West announced that his ninth studio album Yandhi would be released later in the month. He later postponed the date to November 2018 in order to record in Uganda. The album was postponed a second time in November with no set release date. On the first Sunday of 2019, West began the first "Sunday Service" rehearsal, where he performed gospel iterations of his discography and other songs with a choir group, The Samples [1] and frequent collaborators like Tony Williams, Francis and the Lights, and Ant Clemons. [2] During Sunday Service rehearsals, several songs from Yandhi have been performed. [3]

On January 12, 2019, it was reported that West was replaced by Ariana Grande as a headliner for Coachella. West pulled out because a giant dome could not be constructed for the performance. [4] On March 31, 2019, West announced that Sunday Service would perform an Easter set at Coachella. [5] The first public Sunday Service performance was at Coachella for Easter on April 21, 2019. [6] On October 5, 2019, he brought Sunday Service to The Gateway in Salt Lake City, Utah. [7] His performance occurred on an already busier than usual weekend with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holding their semi-annual General Conference the same weekend.

West collaborated with pastor Joel Osteen, who hosted West at Lakewood Church located in Houston on November 17, 2019. Although the tickets were free for the event, those who had tickets began to sell them online for up to $500. [8] On November 21, 2019, Sunday Service announced that they would be a part of the youth Strength to Stand Conference, which would be held at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee from January 18–20, 2020. [9] West's performance was added after comedian John Crist's performance was canceled after Crist was suspected of sexual misconduct. [10] On December 25, 2019, Sunday Service released Jesus is Born as West had said. Exactly a year later Sunday Service released the Emmanuel EP, featuring 5 new tracks composed and produced entirely by West in Latin, based on texts from the Roman Breviary and the Roman Gradual.

The group returned in 2024 on the Will Smith comeback single "You Can Make It", featuring the singer Fridayy. It was Smith's first new song in nearly two decades. [11]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[12] 		US Gospel
[13]
Jesus Is Born 732
Go Tell It

Extended plays

TitleAlbum details
Emmanuel
My Lord Is Here
God Is the Lord

Charted songs

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
[17] 		US
Gospel
[18] 		AUS
[19] 		CAN
[20] 		FRA
[21] 		UK
R&B
[22]
"Father Stretch"2020—10————Jesus Is Born
"Ultralight Beam"—11————
"Rain"—15————
"Count Your Blessings"—16————
"Revelations 19:1"—17————
"Excellent"—20————
"Follow Me / Fade"—22————
"Lift Up Your Voices"—24————
"More Than Anything"—25————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NG
[23] 		US
[17] 		US
Afrobeats
[24] 		US
Gospel
[18] 		AUS
[19] 		CAN
[20] 		FRA
[21] 		UK
R&B
[22] 		UK
Afrobeats
[25]
"Every Hour"
(Kanye West featuring Sunday Service Choir)		2019—45—8335713121— Jesus Is King
"Stand Strong"
(Davido featuring Sunday Service Choir)		20226—9—————9Non-album single
"You Can Make It"
(Will Smith featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir)		2024—————————TBA
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
TitleYearOther artist(s)NotesAlbum
"Every Hour"2019 Kanye West Featured vocals Jesus Is King
"Selah"Additional vocals
"Everything We Need"Kanye West, Ant Clemons, Ty Dolla Sign
"Water"Kanye West, Ant Clemons
"No Luck" [26] 2021 KayCyy Non-album single
"Jail"Kanye West, Jay-Z Donda
"Hurricane"Kanye West, The Weeknd, Lil Baby
"24"Kanye West
"Donda"
"Jesus Lord"Kanye West, Jay Electronica
"New Again"Kanye West
"Lord I Need You"
"Finish Line" [27] Elton John, Stevie Wonder The Lockdown Sessions
"Up from the Ashes"Kanye West Donda (Deluxe)
"Fractions of Infinity"2022 Quadeca Featured vocals I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
"My Soul"2024 ¥$, Big TCAdditional vocals Vultures 2

Opera performances

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References

  1. ↑ Aliya Faust (April 2, 2019). "Kanye West's "Sunday Service" Choir Director Jason White & His Wife Geneen Give Insight On The Series". Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. ↑ Lake Schatz (January 7, 2019). "Kanye West leads Sunday Service featuring gospel versions of his songs: Watch". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  3. ↑ Kyle Eustice (January 19, 2019). "Kanye West Debuts New Music During 2nd "Sunday Service"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Kanye West Pulled Out of Coachella Because the Festival Wouldn't Build Him a Giant Dome: Exclusive". Billboard . January 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Kanye West Bringing "Sunday Service" To Coachella 2019". March 31, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ Lisa Repers France (April 19, 2019). "Kanye's Sunday Service is coming to Coachella, but what is it?". CNN. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Kanye West brings song, sermon, prayer — and a crowd of thousands — to Salt Lake City's Gateway for 'Sunday Service'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Fans resell Kanye West' Sunday Service tickets for up to $500". ABC13 Houston. November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ Wilkie, Ella. "Kanye West bringing Sunday Service Experience to Pigeon Forge". FOX Carolina. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  10. ↑ Jones, Maggie. "How Kanye West became a headliner at Pigeon Forge's Strength to Stand youth conference". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Sunday Service Choir Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Sunday Service Choir Chart History (Top Gospel Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  14. ↑ Rolli, Bryan. "Kanye West Apparently Plans To Release A New Album, 'Jesus Is Born,' On Christmas". Forbes. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Go Tell It by Sunday Service Choir on Apple Music, October 25, 2024, retrieved November 3, 2024
  16. ↑ Bloom, Madison (December 25, 2020). "Kanye's Sunday Service Choir Release New EP Emmanuel: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Sunday Service Choir Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Sunday Service Choir Chart History (Hot Gospel Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  19. 1 2 "Discography Sunday Service Choir". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  20. 1 2 "Sunday Service Choir Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  21. 1 2 "Discographie Sunday Service Choir" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  22. 1 2 "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 1 November 2019 – 7 November 2019". Official Charts Company . Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Turntable Charts". Turntable Charts. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  24. ↑ Cusson, Michael (March 29, 2022). "Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Official Afrobeats Chart Top 20 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  26. ↑ "NO LUCK FT SS" . Retrieved May 14, 2023– via soundcloud.com.
  27. ↑ Stereogum [@stereogum] (September 30, 2021). "Hear Elton John (@eltonofficial) & @StevieWonder's first-ever straight-up duet "Finish Line," which also features Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir https://t.co/qebLz04KjL https://t.co/pS2Lw7DAol" (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021– via Twitter.
  28. ↑ "Kanye West: Nebuchadnezzar - An Opera". Hollywood Bowl. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  29. ↑ @kanyewest (December 6, 2019). "Twitter post" (Tweet) – via Twitter.[ dead link ]
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