Tamela Mann may have achieved success as an actor, media mogul, author, and fashion designer, but it’s gospel music that remains nearest and dearest to her heart. Arguably the most powerful singer to cut her teeth with Kirk Franklin & The Family, Mann launched her solo career in the mid-2000s, releasing a string of popular ballads that bring congregations to their feet with majestically booming expressions of faith. Though her style—in both music and lyrics—stays close to the vine, Mann has notched crossover hits like 2012’s “Take Me to the King” that incorporate touches of hip-hop, pop, and R&B.