Who Gets to Decide What’s Gospel? The Gaise Baba Controversy

The internet’s been buzzing, and so is the church. Gaise Baba’s viral hit “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (No Turning Back)” has been everywhere—TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. Millions of streams, millions of shares. Everyone from Christian youth groups to secular influencers are vibing to the song, and it’s sparked a massive conversation.

But not everyone’s celebrating.

Recently, a Nigerian pastor took to the pulpit and tore the song apart. He said it’s not gospel music because of the vibe, the beat, and the artist’s appearance—his dyed hair, jewelry, and casual style. According to the pastor, true gospel music should convict you, make you count the cost of following Jesus, and sound a certain way. He even compared Gaise Baba to Dunsin Oyekan, saying that’s the kind of gospel artist we should be platforming.

This raises a big question:

What even is gospel music?

Let’s start here: The word gospel means good news—the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. That’s the core. It’s not about the tempo. It’s not about the beat. It’s not about whether you’re singing with a piano, a drum set, or an Afrobeats groove.

It’s about the message.

Does the song point people to Jesus?
Does it remind us of who God is and what He’s done?
Does it stir our hearts toward worship, repentance, or faith?

If a song says, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back,”—how is that not gospel?

We need to ask ourselves: Are we gatekeeping the gospel based on appearances and sound? Are we more concerned about whether a song looks and sounds like what we expect than whether it actually points people to Christ?

Because let’s be honest—the gospel doesn’t have a beat per minute. It doesn’t have a dress code. It doesn’t have a “vibes allowed” section. The gospel is for everyone, and the message of following Jesus is still the message, whether it’s sung over soft piano chords or an Afrobeats groove.