Contemporary Christian singer Blanca Callahan has released Different Drum, the fourth radio single off her debut solo release, Who I Am. Following in the footsteps of AC single Who I Am, Soft AC Top 10 hit Greater Is He, and CHR Top 10 hit Not Backing Down, Blanca has finally released one of the album’s fan favorites to radio, and I hope that album fatigue will not stop this track from performing well on the airplay and overall Christian charts.
In her behind-the-song video, Blanca says the song is all about embracing who we are. “No one can be you the way that you can be you,” she says. “We’re all originals, we’re all one of a kind and we’re so unique in our own way.”
The song’s snare drums and irresistible marching band beat notwithstanding, Different Drum is arguably the most secular of the tracks on Who I Am. Even Blanca does not mention God or faith in the BTS video, and all we have going for ourselves are a few clever tweaks to the lyrics that lend to a Bible verse here or there (the line “Be in the world but not of it,” taken from John 17, and the lyric “we’re cut from the cloth of the Original,” hinting we are children of God, but not explicitly mentioning it).
Different Drum‘s message lends itself to easy bastardization, and I imagine any unbiblical campaign can take this song and use it for their own purposes very easily. The irony of the track is that its own message of self-empowerment waters itself down because the gospel is far removed from the message of the song. Blanca says in the video, “when you learn to just love who you are and embrace it, that’s when you truly become yourself. I just have to be me.” But it doesn’t explicitly lend itself to Who made us, or Who restored us, or Who ultimately is the reason for our being. A lyric in Different Drum says that our mission is to redirect attention, but the song doesn’t say to Whom.
And, I am sorry, but anyone who says it’s given or it’s understood that it’s Christ that Blanca is referring to, surely has to admit that it is a sorely wasted opportunity. I mean, it’s already there. Many Christians do not appreciate the full power of the Name of Jesus coming into its fullest glory when it is declared in song. That is the power of worship, and that is the power of a Christian song. What differentiates the message of Different Drum–that we are all unique, we are all special, we all have to be ourselves, that Christ is not explicitly part of that message–from any worldly message of self-empowerment?
Overall, Different Drum is an absolutely catchy song, and I truly appreciate it for its musicality and, of course, Blanca’s vocal prowess. I can’t help but feel sadly, though, for its watered down message and wasted opportunity.
DIFFERENT DRUM Lyrics
Blanca
We are the colours outside of the lines
And we paint a picture so one of a kind
Attention
We call attention
Our mission
Redirect attention
So let’s break the mold
Go off the wall
Be in the world but not of it
Against the grain
Less of the same
We’re walkin’ out what love is
We’re gonna march to the beat of a different drum
We do that left right left to our own rhythm
And we’ll keep on movin’ ‘cause we’re not afraid to stand out
We’re not a copy of the status quo
We’re cut from the cloth of the original
Attention
Gotta get your attention
All you need to try be is who you’re made to be
So let’s break the mold
Go off the wall
Be in the world but not of it
Against the grain
Less of the same
We’re walkin’ out what love is
We’re gonna march to the beat of a different drum
We do that left right left to our own rhythm
And we’ll keep on movin’ ‘cause we’re not afraid to stand out
Left right left
So let’s break the mold
Go off the wall
Be in the world but not of it
Against the grain
Less of the same
We’re walkin’ out what love is
Step one two is what we do
You know they hear us coming
Pick up your feet, make history, oh yea
We’re gonna march to the beat of a different drum
We do that left right left to our own rhythm
And we’ll keep on movin’ ‘cause we’re not afraid to stand out
