Keeping You in Tune with Today's Music
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Boxes
We sure have a lot of "boxes" in Christian music—a lot of different styles represented. But that's always been the beautiful part for me. It's a unique genre that's not defined as much by style as it is by our inspiration.
That's precisely what first drew me to Christian music years ago. I loved discovering a genre of music that could expose me to pop, rock, gospel, folk, and hip-hop all under one umbrella. Not since the days of Top 40 radio could you listen to artists as diverse as dc Talk, newsboys, Phil Keaggy, and Rich Mullins on one station.
Of course, that was 15 years ago, and the music industry is a much bigger and broader place. Today, boxes are used in an attempt to narrow the focus … and sometimes too much so.
It troubles me, for example, that some consider an artist like Israel Houghton too pop for gospel, while others say he's too gospel for pop. (Even more disheartening, I've actually heard from people who say he's "too black" for pop and "not black enough" for gospel. Sad.) Yet look at the career of Kirk Franklin. He's a gospel artist that successfully gained attention among pop fans with the God's Property single "Stomp." And though gospel purists continue to embrace him, his music has not remained purely gospel.
Derek Webb faces a similar problem. Today, some people say his music is too folksy and country to gain exposure in Christian music. Yet ten years ago, people across the board embraced the Caedmon's Call hit, "Thankful," which has a very country bent. And besides, Webb is more rock nowadays. The problem seems more that his rock is not the right kind of rock, and his challenging lyrics aren't the right kind of Christian lyrics.
I know it's hard to believe, but I've even heard from some who consider Sara Groves too pop for Inspirational radio and too light for Christian Adult Contemporary. Comments like that force me to look back on why I originally got into Christian music. Where would diverse bands like dc Talk and Jars of Clay be today?
I, too, use boxes everyday out of necessity, but I try to use them to describe rather than to define—like using colors, shades, and textures to explain the visual medium. Not to pat ourselves on the back, but most readers praise Christian Music Today for our attempts to be comprehensive and inclusive with the genre. (Even my editor noted that we're like the Baskin Robbins of Christian music—lots of flavors, but all ice cream.) I also appreciate online radio stations that allow listeners to shape their playlists and make them as broad as their tastes will allow. And thankfully the Gospel Music Association and Gospel Music Channel both do their part to celebrate diversity within Christian music, rather than to limit it by category.
Suffice it to say, our collective understanding of Christian music today is much narrower than it was 10 years ago. Much of that comes from the specialization of radio. And I understand that things change with time, yet I can't shake this nagging feeling that the industry today is less interested in reflecting the diversity of Christ's Kingdom than it is in promoting the niches within the niche. But can we ever go back to the old way, and more importantly, do people actually want to?
Check out the of Dove nominees announced last week if you want to look at a fairly comprehensive list of what Christian music has to offer—it's certainly not everything, but it's a start.
Our new interview this week is with Natalie Grant, who talks about singing, songwriting, touring, ministering, and becoming a new mother of twins. No wonder her new album is called Relentless!
As for new albums, February 26 is a big release date. So big, that we offer you six reviews of projects that actually release next week. Classic pop singer Michael English is back with his second comeback, while Avalon offers their versions of Christian pop classics. Worship leader Jaime Jamgochian and chick-rock band Inhabited return to the scene. And check out the strong recommendations for two new artists: rock band After Edmund and pop duo Cadia. Plus, an indie spotlight for the folk-pop of Lynne Clark.
Grace and peace,
Russ Breimeier
ChristianityToday.com
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