Social media is buzzing after a video of Jackie Hill Perry calling out “the impurities” of popular musicians like Beyoncé and Kehlani, and arguing there is a major spiritual harm in listening to their music.
“I am angry that the powers that be — in social media and in culture and in music and in Beyoncé’s music and in Kehlani’s music and in whatever the others are — like I’m angry that they are really trying to convince us that all spiritualism is the same,” Perry said in the clip. “We have digested this impurity. We want so bad not to be legalistic that we actually become profane. We want so bad to have all these freedoms that we are entertaining demons.
“And you wonder why you are depressed,” Perry continued. “You wonder why you are anxious. You wonder why you have nightmares. You wonder why you can’t sleep. You wonder why you see things in your room at night. It’s because you’re opening up doors to all kinds of demons. Close them. Whatever you got in your home that’s witchcraft — throw it away. Throw it away. Burn everything you got, because we are women who are going to love God with all of our heart and all of our mind and all of our soul. We are not going to imitate the detestable practices of the Nations.”
The clip of Perry’s sermon has gone viral, prompting social media users to weigh in on her commentary.
Many are pushing back against Perry, arguing that she’s either judging too harshly or simply doesn’t understand what she’s talking about.
“These pastors say Beyoncé’s name to go viral and it’s a shame. Do they not feel evil constantly putting down someone just for clicks and possible revenue for their churches?” one user asked.
“People that just loosely call people witches without knowing nothing about that person deep down and who they pray to at night disgust me! Like who told you they were witches!?” wrote another user on Instagram.
“I can’t wait to see the faces of some of these prophets when they realize the same ones they spoke about are enjoying the everlasting life they thought they wouldn’t experience,” one user said. “I’ll say this: God is love (PERIOD). Some of the prophets who seem to be ‘the voice of God’ don’t seem to operate in that of love. Just remember the same book you preach out of is the same book that was once used to justify slavery. Let people live.”
“What is she even talking about?” one Twitter user asked. “These Illuminati witchcraft demon conspiracies revolving around Beyoncé need to stop.”
What is she even talking about? These Illuminati witchcraft demon conspiracies revolving around Beyoncé gotta stop 🙄
— Ashlee (@tweetwithashlee) April 29, 2023
“The fact that she can get so many things so very wrong to the sound of so much thunderous applause and encouragement is actually quite — dare I say — bewitching,” wrote another user.
The fact that she can get so many things so very wrong to the sound of so much thunderous applause and encouragement is actually quite—uhmmm, dare I say, BEWITCHING…
— For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Podcasts (@MAKINGhisSTORY) April 29, 2023
Still, some agree with Perry’s remarks, arguing that there are other secular artists who are partaking in this “trend.”
“I’m a Beyoncé fan, I love her, yet I understand what Jackie Hill Perry is saying… About music in general,” one user said. “There’s a trend of mysticism in current music that does subliminally open us up to certain things. I just noticed that SZA’s “Kill Bill” has a lyric that says… ‘Rather be in hell than alone.’ Though I like metaphors, that’s probably a lyric I shouldn’t continuously sing.”
