John Duff in ‘Is It A Sin’ (screen capture)Randy Report favorite John Duff just released his new soulful dance remix, “Is It A Sin,” from his 2021 EP Homo•Sapien.
The evocative music video, shot in black & white, features the buff Duff dancing in the pews of a church, lifting his arms to the heavens as he sings, “If all’s forgiven, then why am I imprisoned?”
Legendary remixer/producer Eric Kupper, who put his own distinctive spin on the track, wrote on Facebook, “A perfectly crafted anthemic soulful pop song that is beautifully sung, and a remix that brings out the heartfelt soulfulness of John’s vocal.”
Related: John Duff Skewers The City Of Angels In ‘I Hate L.A.’
Brad Hammer, who co-directed the video, shared on social media, “You don’t have to believe in the bible and you surely do not have to believe in organized religion to be a good human being. Thank you John Duff for having me direct a video for a song that means so much to you, b/c it means so much to me too.”
Duff wrote on Instagram:
I was raised, more or less, atheistic. There wasn’t much acknowledgement of God or spirituality in my house. Certainly no relationship to either. I guess I kind of skipped all the havoc that indoctrination wreaks on young people, but I still dealt with the shame.
Struggles with immense guilt… about everything: earthly pleasures, growing up, being human, being gay (or whatever is going on here). I reached some REALLY low points in my late 20’s. I was ready to go, but I had questions.
[snip]
I wrote “Is It a Sin” as an acknowledgement of my faith in Jesus, but also as a (rhetorical) question to the church that claims to worship his inherent propensity for understanding, forgiveness, and love.
Thank you, Jesus – for saving me.
But, Miss Church girl, I have to ask;
“If all’s forgiven, then why am I imprisoned?”
Read John Duff’s full essay below. You can stream the full album Homo•Sapien here.
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