Dec 10, 2009
In a nutshell: I’m getting concerned with the lack of exciting new Christian music.
The past two weeks have found my Top 10 list invaded by K-Pop artists. Super Junior is obviously tops on the playlist (their Super Junior Happy incarnation is finding massive airplay), and I’ve got songs too from SHINee, SS501, Girls’ Generation, and, odds are this week, another addition from an early 2009 release by Lee Hyun Ji and SHINee’s Onew, a track called Vanilla Love. It’s the first time since I can remember that there hasn’t been a single Contemporary Christian song in my Top 10, a far cry from just six months ago, when every song in the list was a current Christian single.
I don’t think this is an infatuation with KPop as much as it is an indication that I’m getting a little bored with the new stuff coming in from Christian Adult Contemporary. Looking at the Top 25 songs, very few connect to me, and it’s the same artists charting well. TobyMac. Casting Crowns. Kutless. Chris Tomlin. Same old, same old. To my knowledge, only Sidewalk Prophets, at #4 with The Words I Would Say, and Chris and Conrad, at #10 with Lead Me to the Cross, are the only artists in the Top 10 enjoying their first hit singles. The Top 20 has slightly more (Among the Thirsty, Chasen, and Pocketful of Rocks), but that’s a pretty sad batting average.
Also, female artists are suffering on the chart: the highest ranked female vocal is #8, as Lacey Mosley sings with Third Day on Born Again, then after that, it’s #20 with Pocketful of Rocks’ Alive, then Francesca Battistelli’s It’s Your Life (#21) then my girl Mandisa, who couldn’t make the Top 20 with He Is With You (currently down two notches to #24. Chynna & Vaughan sputtered out with One Reason, which failed to go past #40.
I’m getting a bit bored with the current crop. It also doesn’t help that my favorite Christian artists seem to be relegated now to Inspo (Avalon, Nicole C. Mullen, Selah), working on new material (Matthew West), or seem to have dropped off the face of the Earth (where are you, Warren Barfield?)
Is there any current Contemporary Christian song you’re enjoying right now that isn’t charting on the Top 20 of Billboard’s Christian charts? Please post a link to YouTube or MySpace so I can swing by and listen to it and hopefully discover more new Christian music. :)
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Chris Cendana. He’s not really big yet in the music business and he’s not really very expressive with the whole spiritual stuff in his songs but I know he’ll get there. He’s a one-man band, and a half-Filipino (or a full-blooded Filipino, I’m not sure).
http://www.youtube.com/user/ccendana
http://www.chriscendanamusic.com/
And I’m sure you’ve heard of Brooke Fraser already, solo artist from NZ and worship leader at Hillsong Australia. She’s in the process of writing songs for her next album which hopefully comes out soon. My favorite artist. Love her “Albertine” album.
http://www.youtube.com/user/brookefrasertv
http://brookefraser.com/
I’ll post more when I think of anyone else.
Awesome! Thanks for these!
Ditto on Brooke Fraser, as what Myk said up there. :)
Oh, and where is Warren? I haven’t even heard his last album yet.
Hm. Who else am I listening to right now? Bethany Dillon, Dave Barnes (I know he’s Christian but most of his songs are love songs), Matt Wertz (Dave Barnes’ best friend) and…well, the other artists I listen to are Paramore and Safetysuit, but I don’t think they’re your type.
Oh and links:
http://www.davebarnes.com
http://www.myspace.com/davebarnes
http://www.mattwertz.com
http://www.myspace.com/mattwertz
http://www.bethanydillon.com
http://www.myspace.com/bethanydillonmusic
Ooooh! A lotta good stuff here! Thanks!!
I love Dave Barnes! I even wanted to sing one of his songs during my sister’s wedding.
I just heard of Dominic Balli. He sings Rock Reggae. I haven’t really heard all of his songs but when I heard one this post of yours immediately came to mind. Maybe you should check him out.
Thanks for the recommendations, Arthur! I really appreciate them, and you.
I like this new song of Casting Crowns: Until the whole world hears. I even posted it in my site: http://your-dailyword.blogspot.com/2009/12/until-whole-world-hears-casting-crowns.html
Yes, I’ve heard “Until the Whole World Hears.” It’s all right, and exploding – rightly so – on US Christian radio, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t think they’ll ever be able to top “Who Am I,” which I think is one of the finest Christian songs ever made.