Former Katy Perry Backup Singer Tasha Layton Turned Down Secular Music Career To Pursue Christian Music

Before Tasha Layton recorded hits like “Look What You’ve Done” and received nominations for top artist awards, she was singing backup to national phenom Katy Perry. She could have continued her career in secular music, but God had different plans.

“Never be afraid to share your story with other people because you don’t know how it’s going to help them,” Layton told Good Morning America.

Tasha Layton Made the ‘Easy Decision’ To Trust God With ‘Every Step’

Layton, like many artists, hasn’t walked a linear path to Christian music success. Even as she struggled with her own faith as a young adult, she wondered how God “was going to work it all together for his good.”

She was able to sing for Disneyland, Cirque du Soleil, and with Katy Perry. “I was offered a deal on…the secular side, and I felt so firmly that it wasn’t what I was called to do,” she told CBN News. “And there were compromises in that world…I wanted to connect people to God with my music, with my actions, with my team, with my integrity—and I didn’t feel like I could fully do that with freedom, going that route.”

Layton explained, “The cool famous venues, the cool private plane thing—I’d already done all that. And there’s a reason Paul* says, ‘You can gain the world and lose your soul.’”

Layton wanted something different. Ever since she was a teenager, she has felt a call on her life to pursue God and a career as a Christian music artist.

Layton said the Christian music industry also presents challenges. “It’s easy to get burned out,” she said. “It’s easy to let someone else try to tell you who you are…So, it’s that continual lesson of trust.”

Layton was excited to see many of her friends at the 2024 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where she was nominated for Female Artist of the Year. Layton was “rooting” for her friend, Terrian who was nominated for the same award. “I’m so proud of her, and I think it’s awesome on nights like these, we can just celebrate all that God has done,” Layton told ChurchLeaders.

“The world is cray cray right now. They have gone mad,” she said. “I think that in this day and age it’s very important to remember: We are on a winning side against evil. We know who wins.”

She continued, “We know who wins. We know how it ends, and we don’t have to be afraid to be a Christian.”

“I think a lot of folks are afraid to be a Christian right now,” Layton said to ChurchLeaders. “They’re afraid to speak out about what they believe, and we don’t have to be afraid.”

“God says he has not given us the spirit of fear, and that is not from him,” said Layton. She referenced 1 John 4:18 and said what casts out fear, “Perfect love—when we know how much he loves us, and we know who we are in Christ.”