Contemporary gospel stands firmly upon the groundwork paved by Hawkins’ approach to the genre as well as upon music from such artists as Andraé Crouch, The Rance Allen Group, Beverly Glenn, and others who incorporated R&B musical elements into their songs beginning in the late 1960s. While some refer to the 21st-century version as urban contemporary gospel, most fans and industry professionals generally call gospel music either traditional or contemporary. Contemporary Gospel can also feature R&B elements, but in every subsequent decade since its beginnings, the genre has embraced the latest urban musical sounds and techniques. The list includes but is not limited to jazz, blues, folk, classical idioms, hip-hop, and trap, genres generally viewed as being outside of the “ritualized” sound many have come to expect from gospel music. Because this Contemporary Gospel generally mirrors the most popular Black music of the period, it can be viewed as the industry side of gospel, for while its words minister to many, the sound allows for airplay on secular stations. For that reason, its artists tend to be among gospel’s most recognized outside of the genre.

Music that falls within this category generally does not utilize the sonic elements traditionally associated with the Black church—full-throated vocals often delivered by choirs supported by a Hammond B3 organ and handclapping. What it can include is sampling from other songs, both sacred and secular. For example, Kirk Franklin’s “Stomp,” recorded with God’s Property and rapper Salt, samples George Clinton’s “One Nation Under a Groove, and the instrumentation can include a range of electronic devices, from keyboards to the revolutionary Roland TR-808 drum machine.

The lyrics of contemporary gospel songs can mirror those found in secular love songs; the difference is that the object of affection is God rather than another human being, as in “Ordinary Just Won’t Do” by Commissioned. But the lyrics can also reference the kinds of topics expected in a gospel song, including salvation, gratitude, faith, hope, and praise as in “Shackles” by Mary Mary, as well as dedication to spreading the gospel such as Lecrae expresses in “Tell the World” featuring Mali Music.