Bishop TD Jakes is set to release the second installment of Sacred Love Songs on May 31, 2011.  The project, titled Sacred Love Songs 2, is a 12-track compilation of music inspired by the new movie Jumping the Broom on Sony Pictures.

With guest artists ranging from Fred Hammond to Karen Clark Sheard, El DeBarge to Joe, Bishop Paul Morton to Ledisi, this project promises to have a little something for everyone.

The first single from Sacred Love Songs 2 is a modern remake of Kirk Franklin’s hit “Love,” recorded by Anaysha Figueroa.

Here’s a full track listing…

1. The Vow featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
2. Let’s Stay Together featuring Ledisi
3. Back At One featuring Micah Stampley
4. Just Take My Heart featuring Crystal Aikin
5. Closer featuring Joe
6. The Homily featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
7. Inseparable featuring Karen Clark Sheard & Kirk Whalum
8. My Lady And Myself Featuring Fred Hammond
9. Love featuring Anaysha Figueroa & Bishop T.D. Jakes
10. Finally featuring Bishop Paul Morton
11. How Can You Love Me featuring El Debarge
12. Don’t Go To Bed Mad featuring Terry Thomas

Looks pretty good!

Word has it that BET is putting together the finishing touches for the 2011 Celebration of Gospel, which will be taped in Los Angeles next Saturday, December 11th.  A preliminary list of performers has been announced and the line-up looks promising!

Viewers can expect to see– Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Kim Burrell, Dr. Bobby Jones, James Fortune & FIYA, VaShawn Mitchell, Smokie Norful, Earnest Pugh, The Rance Allen Group, Beverly Crawford.

Also on tap is Jessica Reedy, Kelly Price, & Faith Evans (sounds like a little “Troubled World” on the horizon?), El DeBarge (this is how a comeback is DONE) and Chaka Khan.

In addition to some special tributes to Walter Hawkins and Albertina Walker, there are a few more artists still being added to the line-up.

What do you think of the roster so far?

Word has it that Marvin Sapp took home a BET Award last night– he won in the category for Best Gospel Artist.  I think we all called this one and could’ve seen it comin’ a mile away.  But I’m THRILLED for him!

Also nominated in the category were Vickie Winans, Kirk Franklin presents Artists United (for Haiti Relief song), Tamela Mann and The Anointed Pace Sisters.

By the way, did anyone catch the show???

An obvious highlight for the gospel industry was Kirk Franklin’s performance of “Are You Listening?” with Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark Sheard.  Everyone was in great voice and looked great and all that.  I could’ve used a BIT more Karen Clark Sheard on the ad libs– but couldn’t we all?

But before all that happened, we had another dope-for-gospel type of moment. I was thrilled to hear Alicia Keys, in the middle of her medley of hits, introduce Kim Burrell, who joined Keys in singing “If I Ain’t Got You” (Burrell changed the lyrics to say ”if it ain’t you, Jesus… if I ain’t got you, Jesus…”).  It was an incredible moment– the audience went BANANAS as if they, too, were die-hard Kim fans since the days of her indie release of Try Me Again (y’know, with the short haircut on it).  I’m glad for where God’s taking her.

(An aside: El DeBarge wasn’t doing gospel, but that medley ministered to my VERY SOUL, so… yeah.  Just needed to say that cuz I grew up on DeBarge.)

OKAY, tell me what you thought of the show, if you caught it, and blah blah blah…

Go!