J. Pyles On Hearing God’s Call And Creating His Gospel Sound

J. Pyles On Hearing God’s Call, Standing Out And Creating A Gospel Sound All His Own [Exclusive] — Source: Courtesy of Pivotal Media Consulting / Courtesy of Nakiyah Hayling/Pivotal Media Consulting

Elev8 sat down with gospel artist J. Pyles to get to know the man behind the music, his inspiration, the heart behind his sound, and how his story ties into his journey. J. Plyes grew up as a preacher’s kid but always had a deep love for music. Covered in tattoos and earrings, at first glance, you might not expect J. Pyles to be someone fully submitted to God, but his convictions about his sound and the story behind his transition tell a different story.

J. Pyles spent six or seven years doing R&B, pursuing his love for music while still loving God. But he realized his true gift was a calling from God, even though he didn’t want to make traditional church music. Through life experiences and his relationship with God, his sound evolved into something very unique—intimate, personal, and transparent.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that J. Pyles had a personal encounter with God, which led him to reflect on how he was stewarding his gift and what it truly meant to honor God with it. In an interview with Elev8, he shared: “I went through a really, really tough breakup in 2020 when the pandemic started. During the pandemic, everyone was self-quarantining and isolating. I was exposed to COVID, so I had to stay in my house alone for a month. I lost my sense of smell and wasn’t around my parents or siblings. During that time, a lot of people were streaming sermons, so I watched pastors like Mike Jr. and Mike Todd on YouTube. Their messages felt so relatable to my life. In that time, I literally heard God tell me, ‘John, I gave you your gifts. I gave you your talents, and I want you to use them. I don’t want you to change anything about them; I just need you to change the context of what you’re talking about.’”

That moment changed everything for him. God wasn’t asking him to stop making music, just to change the message. With no distractions, he was able to hear Him. From that point on, everything shifted, and since then, he has been moving towards that purpose.

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So what gave J.Pyles the courage to leave R&B behind and shift into gospel? Plyes shared, “My personal walk with God. Seeing His love, His provision, His favor. That’s what freed me to be my authentic self in my music. I don’t have to fit into anybody’s mold. My relationship with God gives me the courage to be me, and I create from that place.”

His latest EP, Set Apart, tells a two-fold story: how his sound stands apart from traditional gospel and how his life reflects his faith in the world. “With Set Apart, it tied right into not just my physical appearance but also my sound”, Pyles explained. “ People tell me all the time, ‘Before I heard the hook, I didn’t know if this was R&B—I didn’t know if you were singing about a woman.’ But at the same time, God gave me the freedom to be okay with my sound being my sound, as long as the message was about Him. That really shaped this project and helped me be confident in it, because the Bible tells us God created us to be set apart, to come out from among everybody else. God wants us to stand out from the crowd.”

The Caribbean dance vibe of J. Pyles’ latest single, “Praise Ties,” is guaranteed to get you on your feet, just like it was intended. Reflecting on the meaning behind the song, Pyles shared with Elev8, “Whether it’s good times or bad times, reflecting on all the ways God has come through for you, praise is your power. It’s not about just sitting back waiting for things to settle. We don’t know how long that will take, but as we go through life and whatever it throws at us, if we praise God and keep Him at the center, we will come out victorious. That’s really what ‘Praise Ties’ was for me.”

Beyond the music, J. Pyles wants to leave a legacy that reflects surrender and obedience to God. He wants his legacy to be living, talking proof that when you give God your “yes,” everything opens up and there are no limits. “You don’t have to let the world or anyone else put you in a box”, he says.

To top it off, Pyles made the first-round ballot in three categories for the Stellar Awards.

If you haven’t already been playing his latest track “Praise Ties,” it’s available now on all streaming platforms. Make sure to check out the visuals, too; it’s an easy addition to your summer gospel playlist.

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