Fantasia returned to her old stomping grounds on American Idol this week on a music mission. Almost 21 years after being crowned the third season winner of the singing competition show, she came back to serve as a mentor for contestants on season 23. Not only did she impart wisdom on these up-and-coming artists, she reminded us why she deserved the title back in 2004 with a soul-stirring performance of her brand-new gospel single “Have Your Way.”
On “Have Your Way,” Fantasia seeks to let go and let God have his way, not just in her life but in the world. She’s got Jesus on the mainline and speaks directly to her Lord and Savior on the first verse. “Lord, I come to you as humble as I know how / Asking you father, please forgive me of my sins now / I know that I’m grateful but feel empty inside somehow / I know that I let the ways of the world distract me, but I’m here now,” she sincerely sings lyrics penned by her brother Ricco Barrino.
Fantasia routinely takes audiences to church when she performs live, but she upped the ante on American Idol. Dressed in a sparkling silver gown, she stood on the stage filled with white, cloud-like smoke backed by a small gospel choir. She dropped to her knees after the first verse and remained kneeling for the rest of the song as the choir gathered behind her. Between the staging and light show, the song’s inspirational message and her show-stopping vocals, this was a heavenly moment.
With the debut of “Have Your Way,” Fantasia answers her calling and officially kicks off her gospel era after dipping and dabbling in the genre for years. Following her performance, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest spoke with the songstress who soft-launched her inspirational project on Instagram over the weekend.
“The world is going through a lot right now and we need more God, so I allowed Him to use me on the biggest stage ever,” Fantasia proclaimed. She then confirmed that she has a gospel album on the way. “It’s time. I’m always gospel, but like I said, the world is going through a lot. So it’s time for me to use the gift that He gave me,” she proudly told the host. In addition to her album news, Fantasia shared that she also a podcast coming out entitled Flowerchild that’s dedicated “to all the beautiful women.”
Fantasia’s debut gospel album will be her first solo release since 2019’s Sketchbook and follows last year’s new recording of “Summertime” with Adam Blackstone and the viral resurgence of her 2006 single “When I See U.” Until she lets the spirit move her to share more details about her forthcoming project and a premiere date for her podcast, let the spirit move you when you listen to “Have Your Way” and watch her performing the song on American Idol right here.
