Keith Johnson

Praise is a contemporary branch of Christian gospel music centered on exuberant, congregational songs of thanksgiving and celebration. It emphasizes upbeat grooves, call-and-response between leader and choir/congregation, and memorable refrains designed for corporate participation. Stylistically, praise draws on modern gospel, R&B, soul, and pop production. Songs often feature rhythm-section drive, handclaps on the backbeat, bright choir voicings, and dynamic key changes that elevate energy. Lyric content is declarative and God-focused—expressing gratitude, victory, and joy—rather than contemplative or meditative. In church practice, “praise” commonly denotes the high-energy portion of a service (often paired with a slower “worship” segment). In recordings and live albums, it overlaps with contemporary gospel and CCM but is distinct in its celebratory tempo, danceable feel, and congregational call.

Contemporary gospel is a modern form of gospel music that fuses the traditional message and church-rooted call-and-response of Black gospel with contemporary production and mainstream styles such as R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, and later hip hop. It is characterized by rich vocal harmony (soloists, ensembles, and mass choirs), groove-forward rhythm sections, sophisticated keyboard-led harmony (piano, organ, Rhodes), dynamic modulations and extended vamp sections, and lyrics centered on praise, worship, testimony, and encouragement. Compared to traditional black gospel, contemporary gospel typically features sleeker studio production, radio-oriented song forms, and a broader palette of modern rhythms and textures.