American gospel legend Kirk Franklin links up with Nigerian hitmaker Davido on “Hope In You,” a cross-genre record built for gospel and Afrobeats ears.
The song appears on Franklin’s upcoming album, I Am What I Am. It draws on his choir-led gospel style while carrying the rhythmic energy of contemporary African pop. Davido adds his vocals to the arrangement, and the result sits between two worlds without belonging to just one.
Fans of Franklin have waited to see how far he would stretch the church sound this time. “Hope In You” answers that with a Davido feature nobody saw coming. It also connects Franklin’s gospel background to one of Nigeria’s prominent Afrobeats voices.
The album gathers more company too, including GloRilla, Jelly Roll, and Tobe Nwigwe. So the Davido link is one piece of a wider plan, not a loose one-off. Listeners who wanted Franklin to take a real swing should find plenty to argue about here.
Does “Hope In You” meet what you expected from Kirk Franklin? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below.
