Explosive new doc uncovers dark side of Christian music industry

A bombshell caller documentary is pulling backmost nan curtain connected nan squeaky-clean image of nan modern Christian euphony world — and nan stories coming retired of it are thing but wholesome.

“Safe for nan Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar,” directed by first-time filmmaker Jason Ikeler, takes purpose astatine nan emergence of nan billion-dollar Contemporary Christian Music industry, exposing nan pressures, authorities and individual fallout faced by artists caught wrong nan machine.

The movie centers connected nan experiences of respective high-profile Christian euphony stars who declare nan manufacture that erstwhile embraced them later turned its backmost erstwhile they nary longer fresh its rigid expectations.

Among those featured are singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp, erstwhile Avalon personnel Michael Passons and popular creator Nikki Leonti, each of whom revisit nan civilization that helped motorboat their careers while demanding strict adherence to evangelical ideals down nan scenes.

Throughout nan documentary, artists picture an situation wherever image was everything — and wherever stepping extracurricular cautiously defined civilized boundaries could quickly extremity a career.

During nan 1990s and early 2000s, CCM exploded into a commercialized powerhouse, marketed to families arsenic a “safe” replacement to mainstream popular music. But according to nan film, nan polished branding masked an manufacture profoundly intertwined pinch blimpish belief expectations and firm control.

Artists who were branded “sexually impure,” accused of surviving a “homosexual lifestyle,” challenged governmental ideologies aliases simply questioned nan system, often recovered themselves ostracized, blacklisted aliases softly erased from nan business altogether.

“CCM wasn’t conscionable a genre — it was an manufacture built mostly retired of Nashville,” Ikeler explained. “The movie looks astatine what happens erstwhile faith, fame and commerce go inseparable, and what it costs nan group wrong that system.”

The documentary besides features interviews pinch a wide scope of influential Christian and faith-adjacent musicians, including Leigh Nash of Sixpence None nan Richer, Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen, Crystal Lewis, Derek Webb of Caedmon’s Call, Plus One’s Nate Cole, Chanel Haynes of Trin-i-Tee 5:7 and queer Christian creator Semler.

Together, they overgarment a analyzable image of an manufacture that shaped evangelical popular civilization for decades while simultaneously demanding soundlessness and conformity from nan artists fueling it.

The timing of nan documentary’s merchandise is particularly notable arsenic conversations surrounding religion, identity, sexuality and organization accountability proceed dominating taste sermon crossed nan country.

Rather than presenting CCM arsenic a niche philharmonic movement, “Safe for nan Whole Family” frames it arsenic a revealing lawsuit study successful nan collision of celebrity, commerce and belief — and nan affectional toll that collision tin return connected performers down closed doors.

For galore of nan artists featured, nan movie represents nan first clip they’ve publically spoken successful item astir nan pressures they faced while navigating fame wrong nan Christian euphony world.

And astir 30 years aft CCM transformed Nashville into an evangelical intermezo capital, nan group erstwhile expected to enactment quiet are yet telling their broadside of nan story.

A premiere day for “Safe for nan Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar” has yet to beryllium announced.