COVER STORY
Joanna
Hale-McGill
A Fresh New Voice
on the Contemporary
Gospel Scene
By Dean M. Shapiro
Whenever the term “gospel music” is heard,
the first thing that comes to most people’s
minds is the high-energy, “old school”
singing style associated with such gospel superstars as
Mahalia Jackson and Shirley Caesar.
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However, over the years, gospel, like all other musical genres, has
gone through changes and adapted to newer, more contemporary
styles. Joanna Hale-McGill ranks high among the current generation
of gospel singers who are bringing the musical art form into the 21st
century; a fresh, emerging voice on the local and national stage.
A self-described “contemporary gospel artist,” Joanna’s singing
career has been on a nonstop roll since winning the “Walmart’s Next
Gospel Superstar” contest at the 2015 Essence Music Festival.
Stylistically she is in tune with present-day trends in the gospel genre:
a smoother, more low-key presentation style that is sometimes mixed
with a more rapid-fire, rap-style delivery and beat.
But, for the benefit of those who prefer to hear the old-style gospel
– usually, those of an older generation – Joanna is adaptable and
accommodating. “I can do both,” she added. “I’m a contemporary
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