13-year-old Mekhi McClain looked dressed and ready for Sunday school, but he was actually there to deliver a sermon on The Jennifer Hudson Show that gospel fans won’t soon forget! The young man with an old soul touched the hearts of listeners with his poignant rendition of “Safe in His Arms”. Mekhi has such a pure voice, but it’s still packed with soul that keeps you on the edge of your seat. And watching J.Hud’s stunned reaction to Mekhi’s powerful melodies was half the fun!
There’s something so sweet about Mekhi’s performance. He has that pure tone of a child, but there’s a deeper gravitas to his voice that really hits you in the chest. And you can tell it means a lot to him to share the gospel with the crowd. The unique way he weaved in and out of the melodies was really something too. The Music Man has to say some people were just born with it, and Mekhi is one of them!
The Jennifer Hudson Show uploaded Mekhi’s performance on May 9, 2026. Viewers compared him to a young Stevie Wonder and added comments such as “This baby can sang! That song just fills my heart” and “This little boy sang from his heart. God bless him.” There’s definitely something about the way Mekhi delivers those rapid-fire melody runs that has some big-time Stevie flavor to it.
Mekhi came to the attention of gospel fans in March 2026 with his viral performance of “Jehovah Sabaoth (God of Angel Armies).” Mekhi opens the song with his signature soul power, and you can tell from the other performers’ reaction that he is absolutely cooking here. The young talent’s lead vocals were beautifully accentuated by a powerful choir. The moment when the choir drops out at the three-minute mark and Mekhi comes back in at full power, getting a mid-song applause from the audience, is really something.
Mekhi McClain is a 13-year-old gospel singer from Washington, DC. The young singer began uploading his vocal performances to YouTube in February 2025. Mekhi’s performances at church began gaining him national attention from late 2025 onwards. His clips then really started taking off in 2026. Mekhi’s most viral performance on YouTube to date is his rendition of “Jehovah Sabaoth (God of Angel Armies)” at the Community Praise Church, which you can watch above. The popularity of the young singer’s performances on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok then gave him the opportunity to sing on The Today Show and The Jennifer Hudson Show.