The gospel veteran reunites with the Memphis rapper for a spirited collaboration ahead of his upcoming album, “I Am What I Am.”

Before the hits, the headlines and the sold-out crowds, there was Gloria Hallelujah Woods.

GloRilla’s birth name feels especially fitting as the Memphis rapper joins Kirk Franklin on “This Time,” a gospel collaboration that makes room for praise in the middle of hip-hop’s hustle. Released Sept. 25 through Uptown Records, the single previews Franklin’s upcoming album, I Am What I Am, scheduled for Oct. 30.

The pairing offers a refreshing change of focus. In a musical landscape where success is often measured in money, status and desire, “This Time” turns attention toward faith and the source of the gifts that make those achievements possible.

Gloria Hallelujah Returns to Her Roots

GloRilla’s connection to gospel runs deeper than her middle name. Raised in a Christian household, she grew up listening to the genre. In a 2023 interview with GRAMMY.com, she named Franklin among her childhood favorites, alongside Yolanda Adams, Deitrick Haddon and Tamela Mann.

Recording with someone whose music helped shape her early listening gives this collaboration a meaningful connection to her upbringing. Fans who know her through commanding rap records get to hear another part of the woman behind them.

“This Time” also continues an existing musical relationship. Franklin previously joined GloRilla on “Rain Down on Me,” the gospel collaboration from her 2024 debut album, Glorious. Their reunion gives that connection another chapter.

For listeners who share a church upbringing, the appeal is familiar: adulthood can take people into different rooms, careers and experiences, while the music and faith of their childhood remain close.

Kirk Franklin Keeps Building Bridges

Franklin has spent decades bringing gospel into conversation with hip-hop, R&B and pop. His collaborations create opportunities for listeners to encounter faith-centered music through artists they already follow.

One example is “We Win,” his 2021 collaboration with Lil Baby for the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack. That record placed a mainstream rapper and a gospel leader together on a song built around encouragement and perseverance.

With GloRilla, the connection reaches a younger rap audience through an artist who already has her own relationship with gospel. There is something encouraging about hearing a young star make space for gratitude alongside ambition. The same microphone used to celebrate success can also acknowledge God.

“This Time” Sets Up Kirk Franklin’s Next Album

The release announcement describes “This Time” as interpolating Mandrill’s “Children of the Sun,” with bright horns, handclaps and a chorus built for participation. GloRilla brings her recognizable rap presence into that celebratory setting.

The single follows “Thank You for Everything,” featuring Karen Clark Sheard of the Clark Sisters, as Franklin introduces I Am What I Am. Together, the collaborations connect an established gospel voice and a contemporary hip-hop star to his next project.

“This Time” offers a welcome moment to pause the flexing and remember where the gifts come from. For GloRilla, it also brings the Hallelujah in her name into the music.

Watch Kirk Franklin’s “This Time” featuring GloRilla, and look for I Am What I Am on Oct. 30.