From 20 Grammy Awards to a 10Th No. 1 Hit: Kirk Franklin’s Phenomenal 2026 Milestone Timeline
By James H. Sterling
The road to "This Time" began picking up national momentum on September 26, 2026, when outlets like TheGrio confirmed that Franklin and GloRilla had re-entered the studio to craft a follow-up to their earlier live performance experiments. Observers of urban gospel crossover knew something unusual was brewing. Franklin has spent over three decades fusing sacred scripture with secular rhythms, but working alongside one of hip-hop’s most raw, commanding female voices represented a fresh sonic test.
Produced under Franklin’s long-standing label, Fo Yo Soul Recordings (in partnership with RCA Inspiration), "This Time" moves with blistering tempo. The production opens with thunderous 808 percussion before giving way to layered vocal runs from a 30-voice choir. When GloRilla enters, she does not soften her Memphis cadences. Instead, she directs her trademark gravelly delivery toward personal redemption, spiritual endurance, and gratitude. Franklin operates as both hype-man and choir director, peppering the track with vocal punctuations, call-and-response passages, and piano riffs that recall his work with The Family in the mid-1990s.
The single avoids the sanitizing instinct that often weakens cross-genre faith releases. Rather than forcing GloRilla into conventional church vernacular, Franklin created an environment where Christian hip hop influence and mainstream Southern rap could collide without diluting either voice.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
