1998: J Lounge

MERGING MUSIC AND SPIRITUALITY is nothing new — many scholars believe the roots of human music and religion are inextricably entwined. From those earliest bone-flute tootlings to this week’s Hassidic hip-hop blockbuster, people have always relied on song to communicate their deepest-held beliefs.

Contemporary Christian artists the J Lounge are no exception. The group’s 1998 electro-bossa “Relax…Let Jesus Drive,” from the Clubbo EP A Different Kind of Ecstasy, tapped into ’90s lounge music and electronica while promoting a message of faith. The result? Praise music you can chill to. MORE…

LISTEN: Relax…Let Jesus Drive

(song lyrics and credits)

MORE: How the J Lounge reconciled religion and cocktail culture…