Contemporary Christian Music
I have a couple of controversial views towards contemporary Christian topics. The first is that I don't care for The Passion of the Christ. That caused quite a stir when I said that in the pastor's office. I'm happy I didn't lose my job over it. The second id that, for the most part, I don't care for contemporary Christian music.
The main reason is that most of it is too pop-y for me. I like classic rock more than anything else. Second is that I like listening to it during concentrated worship. I just don't like listening to it in the car. At that point, it's just music. The third thing is that I have problems with many of the artists. That's what this post is really about.
I like Switchfoot. I like P.O.D. These are both Christian bands who made it big and still spread the Good News and gave their testimonies. However, for every one of these bands, there are 10 artists that use contemporary Christian music as a platform to make it into popular music. I know that there was a South Park episode about this that was horrible, but that doesn't invalidate my point. I am always questioning how genuine an artist is due to this. There is no better example than sweet little Katy Hudson. Isn't this a good song:
Well Katy Hudson had to change her name when she signed with Capitol so she wouldn't be confused with Kate Hudson the actress. She changed it to Katy Perry and produced this, well ... interesting music video:
That just annoys me so much. It's a shame that it affects my enjoyment of other contemorary Christian artists... but it does.
The main reason is that most of it is too pop-y for me. I like classic rock more than anything else. Second is that I like listening to it during concentrated worship. I just don't like listening to it in the car. At that point, it's just music. The third thing is that I have problems with many of the artists. That's what this post is really about.
I like Switchfoot. I like P.O.D. These are both Christian bands who made it big and still spread the Good News and gave their testimonies. However, for every one of these bands, there are 10 artists that use contemporary Christian music as a platform to make it into popular music. I know that there was a South Park episode about this that was horrible, but that doesn't invalidate my point. I am always questioning how genuine an artist is due to this. There is no better example than sweet little Katy Hudson. Isn't this a good song:
Well Katy Hudson had to change her name when she signed with Capitol so she wouldn't be confused with Kate Hudson the actress. She changed it to Katy Perry and produced this, well ... interesting music video:
That just annoys me so much. It's a shame that it affects my enjoyment of other contemorary Christian artists... but it does.
posted by John W. Burris at
8:48 AM
3 Comments:
I was just thinking about this on the drive to work this morning, about how christian rock is actually kind of shunned by the majority of society, as being too pop or wussy. And I was wondering if it was some general anti-christian sentiment among music listeners.
Then I realized that perhaps the person who some critics might call one of the best indie rockers of the decade, Sufjan Stevens, has a very heavy christian theme/influence to his music. He put out my favorite album of the 2000's (Illinoise), and across several of his albums there are songs that are outright christian songs. And yet the indie rock community hasnt shunned him for being overtly christian, to the contrary, he is one of the top indie rockers.
And so I thought that maybe the reason the mainstream shuns contemporary christian music isnt because they dont like christian music, it's because the bands that have decided to do christian music just suck. And when someone with actual talent comes along, like Sufjan Stevens, people recognize the talent (and therefore, it's the talent level that drives them to/from christian music, not the message).
By
Brad, at 12:44 PM
Good post, Johnny. I'd never seen as flagrant an example of it, but had heard that it was commonplace for people to build a following in the christian music industry, then jump ship once they attract mainstream label attention.
That bothers me, but that's not the reason I tend to avoid Christian music. I change the radio in my wife's car from Christian because most of the male vocalists sound like chad kroeger (sp?) of nickelback at his worst - raspy and sad enough to jump off a bridge.
By
Anonymous, at 10:06 AM
I agree with you, it is used as a platform is gain media attention and then quickly abandoned in the pursuit of fame and fortune.
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Unknown, at 1:25 PM
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