Generation Z, those born between 1995 through 2010, have been amongst those with roaring voices protesting, marching, and fighting for the humanization of people of color.
A part of that generation is none other than 22-year-old Gospel music artist Koryn Hawthorne.
The two-time Grammy-nominated songbird will forever be known for her signature song, “Won’t He Do It,” which was originally a single on the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed OWN series “Greenleaf.”
Massive response by listeners of all generations to the infectious tune caused Hawthorne to skyrocket onto Gospel’s A-list of artists.
With the release of her new single, “Pray,” Hawthorne’s transparency about identity and having a voice is exactly why she’s a part of Generation Z. Hawthorne’s sophomore album “I Am,” is slated for a fall release.
Co-written by Hawthorne, Daniel Breland, Troy Taylor, and Jeremy Hicks, “Pray” delivers exactly what it’s supposed to during these challenging times. The track, which was produced by Hicks and Traylor, is available on all streaming platforms.
Hawthorne joined The Atlanta Voice via Zoom to talk about her new single, challenges she’s had to face, and more.
She also mentioned her expectations relating to her sophomore album surpassing her debut, her acting cameo on “Greenleaf,” the importance of musical accolades for earthly recognition, and more.
On what the upcoming album ‘I Am’ means to her:
Oh wow! I think it’s centered around identity and knowing who I am and knowing who God has called me to be.
It’s so important for everybody to know who you are. It’s literally the start of anything that you’re trying to do in your life.
You have to have an identity to know who you are in order to take those steps.’I Am’ is I am here, I am supposed to be here and it is what it is.
On criticism she received from the Gospel community after her debut:
I received a lot of criticism from some people thinking I was not ‘anointed’ enough or I didn’t look like a typical gospel artist, which could bring about doubt.
Like, “Am I supposed to be here? Do I not fit in?”
But I think this is the season and the time where I step in boldly as to who God has called me to be.
On the timing of her new single ‘Pray’:
We wrote this song in December which was before the ‘rona’ (Coronavirus), before all of the 2020 shenanigans and I think it’s so important to me to put out music that will impact people’s lives.
I looked at it as God literally was speaking. He knew what we were going to need ahead of time and I’m so grateful to have moments like that.
You can have songs that are relatable to people. It doesn’t happen that often where you write songs ahead of time that are perfect for the time frame.
Her thoughts regarding the world’s current circumstances:
I feel like it’s a lot to process, for me. This is why I personally feel like a relationship with Jesus is so important is my message.
I think that what the world is showing us should be a sign of the times.
So many people are dying and I think that my message has to be we have to be living for something bigger. My message would be to live for something bigger than self.
