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AI-Generated Artist Takes Over Gospel Music Digital Charts


By Mona Austin
(TSN): Christopher Jermaine Townsend, a Black Mississippi-born artist known by his stage name Topher is revolutionizing gospel music production with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence.
A self-described MAGA supporter and affiliate of Turning Point USA, Topher has a history in conservative rap, including the controversial 2021 track "The Patriot," which referenced storming the Capitol. Politics aside, consumers are enjoying his music. With prior success—such as a Billboard No. 1 on Rap Digital Song Sales, he has been in the musical limelight before.
In a bold pivot, Topher has leveraged AI to create Solomon Ray, an entirely gospel artist persona. He is a charismatic, fedora-wearing young singer designed to appeal broadly. Using tools like ChatGPT for co-writing lyrics, Suno for composing music, and online platforms for voice selection and mastering, Topher produced tracks like "Find Your Rest." Released under Solomon Ray's name, the song quickly climbed to No. 1 on iTunes Christian charts and secured four spots on Billboard's Gospel Digital Song Sales chart (including No. 1), amassing over 738,000 U.S. streams in days. Topher openly embraces the AI collaboration, viewing backlash as publicity, and has expressed openness to traditional label deals for the project. This marks a rare mainstream breakthrough for AI-assisted gospel music, blending faith themes with tech innovation.
But churches can not book Solomon Ray for concerts or special events. He can not spread the lyrical good news on tour. He is not real. Solomon is but the sum of animated numbers -- a soulless non-being. The nature of "digitally-derived" thoughts and beliefs about Christianity being shared through songs not only raises intellectual property concerns, but religio-ethical ones. I non-human gospel artist comes without conviction and can represent the ideal ot even perfection because it can not sin, think, feel or be held accountable for wrong-doing like real human gospel acts. A perfect image is antithetical to the core Christian belief that everyone is imperfect and in need of God's grace and mercy. Solomon can only sing about the human experience, not live it.
How AI Is Being Used in Churches and Ministry
As of 2025, AI adoption in churches has surged—up 80% year-over-year, with 45% of congregations using it and 91% of leaders supporting its role in ministry, per surveys like Exponential's State of AI in the Church and Pushpay's State of Church Tech. The focus is on augmentation, not replacement, to free up time for relational work while addressing ethical concerns like bias and over-reliance.
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