A snarky tweet this week led to drag queen Flamy Grant’s single “Good Day” hitting #1 on the iTunes Christian music chart. Plus, at this writing, Grant’s album Bible Belt Baby is sitting pretty in the #1 spot on the iTunes Christian album chart.
The shady tweet, from Christian musician Sean Feucht, read: “If you’re wondering the end goal of the deconstruction movement in the church, then look no further than former worship leader @derekwebb’s new collab with a drag queen. These are truly the last days.”
Feucht was referring to the single, “Good Day,” a musical collaboration between out singer Derek Webb (former frontman for contemporary Christian band, Caedmon’s Call) and Flamy Grant, a self-described “shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen.” Flamy clapped back at Feucht on Twitter saying “we’re just getting started.” The flame war continued with Feucht throwing more shade claiming “hardly anyone listens or cares what you do.”
And that’s when Flamy threw down the gauntlet, asking her 83K TikTok followers if they could get “Good Day” to chart on the Christian music iTunes chart. In just one day, not only did “Good Day” chart, but it hit the #1 spot. And the full album went to the top as well. #Bravo
@flamygrant Sean Feucht thinks that hardly anyone is interested in a worship song by a drag queen. Good Day belongs on the #christianmusic charts, dontcha think? #worshipmusic @Derek Webb #greenscreen
It turns out Feucht got some facts wrong (as Twitter trolls are apt to do). Webb was never a worship leader, but Matthew Blake – who performs as drag music artist Flamy Grant – was a worship leader for 22 years.
“I grew up super evangelical, fundamental in the Bile Belt,” Blake told Paste Magazine. “I was a worship leader up until last year really, the last decade in more progressive churches. I’ve always been interested in drag, but as a kid, I didn’t know it was drag. I just liked my mom’s clothes. It got pushed out of me. I realized that if I’m going to belong in that [Christian] community, I’d have to suppress it.”
Blake’s first experience with drag as an adult came in late 2019 when he dressed up as a witch for Halloween. Just months later, Flamy Grant was born out of Blake’s efforts to remain sane while homebound during the pandemic. “Instead of doing a sourdough starter, I watched lots of makeup tutorials. I started a livestream where I would dress up in drag and cover songs.”
At one point, Blake’s pastor asked him to give a sermon in drag. So, Blake made a TikTok video to practice – and the clip went viral garnering nearly a million views. Reading the comments, Blake saw people responding – “I feel so seen, I feel so safe here” – and that’s when everything clicked. Blake told Paste he realized his drag wasn’t “just for me, but for people who felt trapped like I did.”
The TikTok star admits that “it’s really hard to identify with the Christian church in America right now.” But he feels it’s important to try and take up some of that space to let the next generation of kids growing up in situations where they can’t be themselves “see that they’re not alone.”
Take a listen to the newly-minted #1 Christian music single, “Good Day,” featuring Derek Webb below. And you can follow Flamy Grant on Instagram here, on Spotify here, and on TikTok here.
Love the person hate the sin. Read your Bible and notice that being a drag queen is a sin. Homosexuality is an abomination of God. Also stated in the bible. You cannot call yourself a Christian and be a drag queen or a gay person. Also in the Bible.
Amen
What bible do you read???
No where is it mentioned in the Bible about drag or homosexuality….