I don’t spend a ton of time talking about music in this space. The simple reason is because I deal with so much of it everyday at the station that it’s nice to vent on the other areas of Pop Culture. The more honest and complex reason is that there just isn’t much great music to talk about. Now before this becomes too much of a diatribe against the staleness and stubbornness of the “Christian Music Industry” let me shift gears. While it is true that the industry I work in is dying a death of sameness, I come here not to bury “Christian Music” but to praise it for an example of the kind of music we desperately need to see more of, pop.
Her name is Britt Nicole, and her debut album, “Say It” is the perfect example of what happens when you pair the right producer with the right voice and take some musical risks. In a word Britt’s album is H-O-T. It was so refreshing to pop in an disc and listen all the way through with a smile on my face, and coming out on the other end with a sore neck from all the head bobbing. You may have heard her first single, “You”, on “The Fuse” or your local “Christian station”. It’s okay, but it doesn’t compare to the other tracks on this album. In fact, out of the 11 tracks on the album it may be in the bottom half. Why would the label choose it as the first single? Because they are catering to an already close minded and overly “safe” group of programmers, but that’s a whole ‘nother diatribe. The point is, Britt Nicole’s album is an oasis in the mid tempo rock desert of our industry and I want to bring attention to it in whatever way I can. While the mainstream world cruises to Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Pink, Justin Timberlake, and The Pussycat Dolls (often putting up with messages they don’t buy into), we have…. uh….. Toby Mac. Well, add Britt to that list and pick it up if you are looking for some great summer tunes, and pray that other Christian artists, labels, and radio stations realize there is a market for music that is, get this, popular.
i agree with you here…
The Britt album is really well done…
“pop” is a very difficult and tricky genre for the Christian market to handle on many levels…
there have been several failed attempts that should’ve worked, but because of the image that’s attached to your standard pop star and all the assumptions made, they unfortunately failed…
plus everyone wants to be taken seriously and most people don’t take “pop” music seriously…
it’s a genre that has gone to the kids which cyclically makes it less easy to take seriously…
anyway, i suppose that i’d add in Group 1 Crew and possibly Krystal Meyers (more of a rock feel, but very poppy as well)…
peace… love… bdg…
Tru-
I’ll give you G1C, but Krystal has definitely been grafted into the rocker chick mold. It’s the same thing that’s happened to Superchic(k), the industry takes pop and morphs it to either rock or AC, which are considered the only “succesful” Christian formats. It’s no wonder Christian CHR is so Schizophrenic, our artists continue to be commandeered. God bless Toby for sticking with the fight.
Great comments, Dice. You’re dead-on with your analysis! Glad you dig the record!
Josh Lauritch