By Movieguide® Staff
Christian artist Forrest Frank recently addressed the negative online comments that accuse him of spreading “toxic positivity.”
“Pretty much every time I open up Instagram or TikTok…I see some form of ‘hater’ video towards me, and it is the craziest thing,” the singer-songwriter said in a recent Instagram video. “It’s also really weird for my nervous system because it will be coming from other Christians, and I really value what other Christians have to say because these are my brothers and sisters, but yeah, every day, pretty much, when I open up the app, I see ‘Forrest Frank this, Forrest Frank that.’”
Frank continued, “An interesting narrative I’m seeing is this thing of, like, ‘toxic positivity,’ and I definitely get that…but I think maybe some people don’t understand the power of words. Life and death is in the tongue.”
He explained his “version of positivity,” sharing that when he sees these videos making fun of him, his first instinct is to want to defend himself.
Related: Forrest Frank Responds to Jelly Roll’s Question About Money, Music and Jesus
“But then I think about Jesus, and Jesus didn’t defend himself,” Frank said. “If someone does something to you that’s negative and you don’t push back, you just let God fight that battle, that has to go somewhere.”
He continued, “So, I’ve been learning to just let things go and let things flow. I will open up my Bible, I will journal, I’ll sit with the Lord and He will restore my soul.”
Frank shared how he turns his feelings into songs, adding, “I get to turn around and praise the Lord, and then I get to walk out of this room with joy.”
This isn’t the first time Frank has had to address online backlash. Last year, the artist drew criticism for his decision to refrain from attending the Dove Awards or any other award show.
“I’m convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw is that I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus,” he said in an Instagram video. “I was wrestling with this last year. I even said that on stage at the Dove Awards. I said, ‘I’m still struggling with the concept of receiving this award, but all glory to Jesus, every name will fade away, including mine, except for one name.’”
Artists like Jelly Roll and Christian band Kings Kaleidoscope questioned his decision, but gospel legend CeCe Winans encouraged Frank to “follow your convictions.”
Now, Frank is gearing up for his upcoming “Jesus Generation Tour,” which will see him hit the road this summer with opening act Tori Kelly. The tour has already sold over 470,000 tickets.
“Forrest is such a force. He continues to stay on the path that he feels led to follow,” UTA’s Jonathan Roberts told Billboard in a statement. “His authenticity, coupled with a constant release of songs that captivate audiences globally, has culminated in the most in-demand tour in Christian music history. More broadly, it shines a spotlight on how Christian music continues to impact culture and is only going to blaze a trail for other artists to follow in the years to come.”
Frank might have his critics, but the artist keeps his focus on his faith and his fans as he continues to make music that praises the Lord.
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