Today in ‘news you never imagined reading,’ Pope Francis is releasing a rock album. Yes, the real Pope. The album is slated for a physical release on Nov. 27, but it is getting an early streaming launch exclusively on Deezer. The lone English language track is also up to stream on SoundCloud. Hallelujah!
The Pope does not actually channel his inner rock star for this album, titled Wake Up! Instead, he speaks a collection of hymns and speeches in several different languages. The accompanying instrumentation includes some electric guitars and synthesizers.
BBC entertainment reporter Chi Chi Izundu reviewed the album, and acknowledged that ‘rock’ might be a bit of a stretch for a genre label. But the title track – the one available on SoundCloud – apparently has “a vibe of 80s rock.” Hallelujah indeed.