Kirk Franklin Announces Double Album I Am What I Am, Due October 30
Gospel artist Kirk Franklin will release a 14-track double album titled "I Am What I Am" on October 30, 2026. The project splits evenly between traditional and contemporary gospel, and its lead single "This Time" featuring GloRilla debuted at number one on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Kirk Franklin will release a 14-track double album titled "I Am What I Am" on October 30, 2026. The project is split evenly between traditional and contemporary gospel music, reflecting Franklin's long career bridging both sounds.
The album's lead single, "This Time," features Memphis rapper GloRilla and debuted at number one on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart dated October 10, 2026. The achievement marks Franklin's 10th number-one on that chart, extending his record as the artist with the most leaders in the chart's history.
"This Time" is the second collaboration between Franklin and GloRilla. Their first, "Rain Down on Me," appeared on GloRilla's debut album "Glorious" and won the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award at the 2025 BET Awards. The new track features a choir-driven sound and a verse from GloRilla, who describes herself as a "prayer warrior" on the song. Its production samples the 1972 Mandrill record "Children of the Sun."
Franklin previewed the track on the "Joe and Jada" podcast and later debuted it in full on "The Breakfast Club." A performance video titled "From The Block" shows GloRilla delivering her verse at a suspended microphone surrounded by a crowd.
The album also includes new music from Shirley Caesar, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Todd Dulaney, among others.
