This melody, written by Hillsong worship leader and Grammy award-winner Brooke Ligertwood, is the first track from her latest album, Eight. The heart of this song instructs listeners to “Bless God” in every area and season of their lives, as He is worthy of all our praise. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Ligertwood begins this song by expounding upon the Beatitudes, saying “Blessed are those who run to Him/Who place their hope and confidence in Jesus,” reminding believers that “He won’t forsake them.” 

She then reminds listeners of what Scripture says, that “Blessed are those who walk with Him/Whose hearts are set on pilgrimage with Jesus/They’ll see His glory/Blessed are those who die to live/Whose joy it is to give it all for Jesus.” 

She goes on to share that when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will not be moved. 

In between these verses, she encourages listeners to praise the Lord and to “Bless God” in every season, every situation and every circumstance (“Bless God in the fields of plenty/Bless God in the darkest valley/…Bless God with a praise that costs me”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Have you ever listened to a worship song and questioned its theology? I have. But when I listened to this song, I didn’t. 

It’s not because I turn to Brooke Ligertwood as a renowned theologian, but because the core of this song comes straight from the Bible. It reads, in part, like a Psalm, while expounding upon the Beatitudes found in the book of Matthew. 

It’s beautiful. It’s a biblically sound reminder for Christians to bless God in all things, to die to yourself and to love Him with all of our being–simply because of who He is.

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This 42-year-old California native is probably best known for her chart-topping single “Your Hands” from her 2008 album Painted Red. And while that was 15 years ago, Heller continues to make encouraging music that looks for the wonder in everyday life. Sort of like her latest track, “Look for Miracles.” 

This beautiful song incorporates both pop and folk elements and recognizes the duality in life while encouraging listeners to search for God’s wonders all around them. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Heller recognizes that life is difficult and full of its own unavoidable troubles, and yet we can still find hope (“There’s always something to be scared of/But there’s no joy without the pain/…There’s no hiding from misfortune/But there’s always room for hope”). 

She says that life is “a little bit of both” trouble and hope, and she encourages listeners to actively “look for miracles’ and “beauty” in everyday life because, if they don’t, skepticism and cynicism can easily shroud the good moments. 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

TRACK SUMMARY

Isn’t it true that we often, so easily, allow our fears and frustrations to become our main focus? 

We have to train our minds to focus on Christ and a positive perspective. We have to train our minds and our hearts to hope and rest in God. And that’s really what this song is about. 

It’s about silencing fear so that we can see the beauty and goodness of life all around us which will, in turn, allow us to be more present and to make memories with those we most love. 

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Virginia gospel choir Voices of Fire has teamed up with award-winning artist Pharell to bring listeners a dynamic single they can feel called “Joy (Unspeakable)”.

And I bet you can guess what it’s all about.

POSITIVE CONTENT

This choir tells us how believers in Christ will testify of God’s goodness when life circumstances threaten to drag them down (“Lately, I’ve had a hard time”), as well as when things are going well (“Wanna make sure I’m sharp when I make a point of view/When them blessings come through”). 

The hope in this song emphasizes that no matter what is going on in life, God has the last say (“The last word doesn’t come from the doctor”). So don’t cave in defeat even when things feel impossible (“Just keep praying beyond the last hour”). 

For God is above it all (“Now you’ve witnessed the procedure of power”). 

Instead, praise Him (“Mumbling to myself, must think I’m crazy/But I’m humbling myself and I’m giving praise”) and he will lift you above your circumstances (“If you crumble anyhow, I know who can raise you/…If your spirit’s weighed down, he can make that much lighter”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

TRACK SUMMARY

To be honest, a lot of Christian music on the radio today sounds the same. But not this track. 

This song radiates–well, joy, not only through its lyrics, but in the music itself. And listeners are reminded that God reigns above all of life’s mountains and valleys. 

We will all deal with negative, difficult circumstances. The only way we can move through those circumstances and come out on the other side is to cling to Jesus and the joy that comes from knowing Him.

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This soulful, Adele-esque song, from her album The Album, is filled with tambourines, trumpets, drums and Daigle’s powerful voice. The 31-year-old Louisiana native is encouraging listeners to sing praises to God because today–as well as all future days–is filled with hope because of Jesus’ sacrifice for humanity. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Daigle acknowledges that everyone has struggles and walks through dark times (“We thought we’d never see the sun through the dark skies”). But our struggles and burdens do not define our stories (“if it’s not good, then it’s not over”). 

Instead of dwelling in hopelessness, Daigle encourages listeners to “let go of [their] cares” and “turn [their] cries into hallelujahs” as, she says, “Heaven inhabits our praises.” 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

TRACK SUMMARY

The heart of this track is one of joy. And the mix of Daigle’s strong vocals and upbeat instrumentals clearly delivers this message.

Daigle focuses on trusting in God every single day and encourages listeners to not “look away” or become distracted, because we are living in “the days” of “jubilation.” After all, Jesus came to proclaim that the “Good News is alive,” and so should we.

The post These Are The Days appeared first on Plugged In.

This track’s title evokes horror-movie symbolism—a theme that’s reinforced by stabbing guitar sounds and pounding bass notes that wouldn’t feel at all out of place in a jump-scare thriller.

But as is always the case with Skillet, frontman John Cooper and his bandmates are trying to reconcile the broken, dark parts of our souls with the fact that our faith illuminates such “psycho” tendencies with spiritual light.

POSITIVE CONTENT

At first listen, the lyrics in the ominous sounding “Psycho in My Head” can seem pretty grim. Cooper confesses, “Can’t stop this screamin’ voice/Or maybe I’m just sick inside/ … There’s a psycho in my head/I’m living closer to the edge/Makin’ me feel like I’m living in misery, misery/Insane.”

Not much uplifting there, it might seem. But when we look at bit closer at the song’s lyrics, there are hints that there’s something more redemptive going on.

Cooper also sings about an internal battle between this dark side and one that’s more hopeful. “This is the face I hate/The other side of me/Out of this cage/He breaks to take the life from me.” Later in the song, Cooper articulates something like a prayer for deliverance from such darkness: “Help me believe/I need to see the light in me/Tell me, tell me, tell me/I’m not crazy.”

That internal battle, between two different natures warring with each other, recalls the Apostle Paul’s similar words in Romans 7. Here, Paul reckons with the jagged tension between our new, redeemed life in Christ and the fact that we still wage war against our old, sinful nature:

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7: 21-25).  

Though Cooper doesn’t quote these verses directly here, I think the band’s subtle allusion to them will be apparent to those who are familiar with this passage of Scripture.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Listening repeatedly to this song without an understanding of that bigger spiritual context, however, could potentially reinforce the suggestion that “there’s a psycho in my head” for fans who aren’t aware of the band’s bigger redemptive intent.

TRACK SUMMARY

Skillet has a long, solid track record of connecting with its fans’ real-world anxieties and fears. Some songs—like this one—emphasize the very real, but often very private, internal battles that many quietly people face alone. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your sin or feelings of hopelessness within, a song like this one might well connect with you emotionally in a way that something more “positive-sounding” wouldn’t.

John Cooper and his bandmates have proven over and over that they understand this tension, and they deliver a bruising brand of metal that pulls no punches when honestly acknowledging such struggles.

That said, this may not be the song some parents would want their kids to put endlessly on repeat, with its strong lyrical emphasis on feelings of being a “psycho” dealing with “hysteria” and “voices.” Other songs on Dominion, namely “Refuge,” “Destiny,” “Defiant” and “Shout Your Freedom” offer a more clearly hopeful counterbalance to the very real struggle the band sings about here.  

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This single originally comes from the band’s fifth studio album, What Are We Waiting For, released in February 2022. But this version features multi-platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks and comes with a fresh, powerful flair. 

POSITIVE CONTENT 

Brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone sing that they can be “a little unstable/…a little bit difficult,” as well as “self-critical.” But they still they know that God is with them (“But somehow You’re still with me”). They, along with Sparks, continue to recognize their brokenness, understanding that they need “healing” even as they often feel “unfixable.” Still, God is with them and loves them just as they are (“It’s amazing that you can/Love me like I am/And even when I can’t/You still love me as I am”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

In an interview, the Smallbone brothers said that “It’s profoundly moving to be loved right where you’re at and just as you are — whether it’s human to human, or God to humanity.” This is the message of their song. It’s realizing how great God is, especially as we learn that we are genuinely loved despite our messes and our own personal shortcomings. As Romans 8 says, nothing can separate us from God’s love.

The post Love Me Like I Am appeared first on Plugged In.

On Oct. 23, 2019, TobyMac’s oldest son, Truett, died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The 15 songs on this album alternately express TobyMac’s lament and remorse, even as we see the 57-year-old Christian musician choose to surrender his grief to God and continue to hope in Him.

The result is a confessional album that embodies tenacity and tenderness, one that may just throw a lifeline of faith, hope and love to listeners who find themselves unexpectedly navigating the valley of the shadow of death.  

POSITIVE CONTENT

Album opener and hit single “Help Is on the Way (Maybe Midnight)” is a gospel-tinged, foot-stomping shout-out to God’s faithfulness: “It may be midnight or mid-day/He’s never early, never late/ … Help is on the way.”

From that up-tempo opener, most of the following songs have a slightly more subdued sonic vibe, one that’s in keeping with the reflective nature of the album.

Many songs honestly express TobyMac’s brokenness, even as he reaches out to Jesus for hope and help. “It’s been a long year/It almost took me down, I swear,” he admits on “Faithfully.” “Life was so good/I’m not sure we knew what we had/I’ll never be the same man.” But lest he dwell too much in those emotions, TobyMac then lifts his face heavenward: “But when my world broke into pieces/You were there faithfully/ … I may never be the same man/But I’m a man who still believes.”

That contrast, between grief and faith, turns up on song after song here, with lyrics that will likely speak deeply to anyone traversing the dark tunnel of grief themselves. “Rest” tells us, “Rest, take a breath/ … Blessed, my child you’re blessed/Fall into the arms of God and rest your weary head.” Similarly, “Cornerstone” reminds us that God’s faithfulness is the only foundation worth building our lives upon: “I’m here travelin’ down this long and winding road/Seasons come and seasons go/I been high, and I been low/But I’m standing on the only Rock I know.”

On “Everything About You,” TobyMac is joined by his daughter Marlee as they reflect on Truett’s life and who he was. “I miss everything about you,” Marlee sings simply. “I just miss bein’ around you.”   

Life After Death also includes a remixed version of the song “Promised Land,” now featuring Sheryl Crow. Together, they sing, “Through all these seasons/I’m still believin’/You’re my promised land/In all my grievin’/I’m still believin’/You’re my promised land.” Likewise, “The Goodness” proclaims: “Everywhere that I go/You keep showin’ up/Lord, You make me wanna shout it, oh/You’re the goodness in my life.”

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

ALBUM SUMMARY

As a parent myself, I can’t begin to imagine losing a child so young, so tragically. Even the thought of it feels incomprehensible.

On Life After Death, TobyMac graciously invites his generations of fans to ponder how he and his family have coped with such an unthinkable loss. Song after song strike a paradoxical balance between honestly venting grief and choosing to trust God with such a terrible blow.

TobyMac told The Media Collective, “I began writing this record right after losing my first-born son—the first few songs I wrote … were just really sad songs, lamenting songs, which you kind of would expect.  At that point, I was just like, ‘Am I just going to live here? Is this my journey for the rest of my life?’ and maybe it is sort of, but God began giving me glimpses, starting with “Help Is On the Way,” I started to really stand on that promise, and really believe that help is on the way. Where that journey sort of took me, and what I kind of landed on, was this thought: I wrote on a napkin one day, ‘you’re still the goodness in my life,’ and I started to believe that, and to see how God is good to me.”

Life After Death is aptly named, a painful, poignant but hopeful collection of songs about what it means to grieve, to remember and ultimately to move forward in faith.

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In an interview with Billboard, Fish says that the true beginning of his search for God began when he “was just so low and depressed that [he] started calling out to God like, ‘If you’re real, show me,’” he explains. “And then [he] began to see the God that [his] mom knew.”

Since that time, Fish has remained true to his faith, while also desiring to produce music that tackles emotions and the hard issues in life. And that vulnerability has amassed him more than 1 million followers on TikTok, with over 35 million likes and over 4 million monthly Spotify users. 

And his following continues to increase, especially with the release of his latest album, JAMIE–powered in part by the single,  “darling.” The track, which sounds similar to something from Bon Iver, has made it to No. 3 on Spotify’s New Music Friday list, and it’s all about Fish processing a poignant breakup–one that has deeply affected him. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Fish asks his ex-girlfriend if she is still “in love,” knowing quite well that she has already fallen out of love with him. Still, he asks her not to “run away” but to stay near. 

He knows this isn’t possible, realizing midway through that God says to him “I am here for you” as he processes his breakup, a relationship he says he’s finally releasing (“I’m finally lettin’ you go”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

Parents should know that this song is, in fact, sad. Some could argue that listening to sad music only heightens your emotional state, and while that may be true in large portions, there are no other issues to be found. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Fish says that his music is marked by his life experiences–his desire is to create authentic, transparent music. 

This has been tricky over the years, especially with the release of his latest album, JAMIE. In it, he’s taken a turn away from explicitly Christian music and many fans have shrugged him off due to the change, while others have flocked to hear what he is trying to say. 

Yet, Fish is clear in defining the kind of music he wants to make: “I didn’t want to make gospel or contemporary Christian music, so I began experimenting.”

And experimenting is certainly what he’s done. 

His style vacillates between ethereal vocals similar to that of Bon Iver and the seeming stylistic touch of a musician who appreciates jazz, R&B, rock, pop and alternative tracks. And he continues to release all of his music under the Christian genre in the hopes of redefining just what “Christian music” means.  

And while some may have an issue with that, his lyrics aren’t explicit or inappropriate, they often talk about God and reading Scripture, and they most pointedly work through heavy emotions–something that marks everyone at some point in life. 

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This track paints the picture of a lowly king born in a remote, unassuming location, and how His coming—and ultimate sacrifice—changed the world. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

The track begins by asking listeners to “dare to believe” and “dare to imagine” a king who came to earth with “no celebration and no ceremony.” The singers emphasize that many would not believe that Jesus, king of Heaven, would be born in such lowly conditions, and yet “the world was forever changed” at his arrival. 

Yet, He gave his all and as a response we begin “the celebration and the ceremony” for our King. Even when “there’s silence on earth,” the “Heavens are roarin’,” responding to the Jesus’ glory. 

Ultimately, Joel and Luke tell us, we have been given the ultimate “hope” and a “reason for living” in God himself. 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

SUMMARY

“For God Is With Us” is a stunning track that fuses strong vocals and powerful harmonies. As it builds sonically, the lyrics guide listeners through Jesus’ anticipated birth, his death and the joy that’s felt both in heaven and earth as He reigns and remains with us through His Holy Spirit. 

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For King & Country is comprised of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. While the group is classified as Christian pop, some King & Country songs on past releases have found an audience among the secular crowd as well, and these tracks’ faith-based messages may be less apparent. The band’s popular 2018 track “Burn the Ships,” for instance, addresses overcoming an addiction to prescription medication.

Fans can expect a similar thematic experience on What Are We Waiting For? Some songs directly deal with religious themes, while others deal with redemptive topics such as family, unity and dealing with suffering.

POSITIVE CONTENT

“For God Is With Us” and “Benediction” invite a deep dive into Christian belief. The former walks through the work of Jesus Christ as He is born, crucified and resurrected. We hear the Good News that changes the world forever (“Can you feel the hope that’s rushing in/ … This is where love truly begins”). In “Benediction,” For King & Country reminds us that if God has done such great things, we could never be too big a problem for Him (“If You can hold the universe/Then You can hold me, too”).

Other references to Christian ideas are a bit more vague, such as standing strong through the pain and suffering we endure in the world (“Unity,” “Hold on Pain Ends,” “Shy” and “Cheering You On”). But in each case, For King & Country consistently reminds us that our suffering is temporary, and we will be loved even in the moments when we fail (“If you bend/If you break/You’ll be loved anyway”). This theme is expounded upon in “Love Me Like I Am,” in which the band explores God’s love for man in spite of his sin: “It’s amazing that you can/Love me like I am.”

Additionally, “Hold on Pain Ends” seems to echo aspects of Psalm 62. Here, though David struggles with suffering due to enemies, he is not shaken because he knows his salvation rests in the Mighty Rock, God (Psalm 62:6-7). This becomes more apparent in For King & Country’s song in certain areas of their song as well: “The ones that he trusted/Became enemies/His whole world was shaken/He dropped to his knees/… When it’s more than you can stand/You can hold on to me then”.

Humanity’s inherent wickedness is another prevalent theme here. And though we can often act righteous, For King & Country reminds us that we are all sinners and in need of a Savior. In “Broken Halos,” the Smallbone brothers warn against being so prideful that we become reliant on ourselves instead of the Lord: “For Heaven’s sake/We’re missing hope/Been saving face/And throwing stones/ … ’Cause don’t we all wear those broken halos”.

And in song such as “RELATE” and “Harmony,” we see similar calls to learn from one another by being slow to speak (“I don’t know what it’s like to be you/You don’t know what it’s like to be me/But by the grace of God/We’ll see each other’s heart”).

Finally, a couple tracks remind listeners of how family and friends can shape us and provide us a safe place. For instance, “Unsung Hero” tells the beautiful story of a mother who has spent her life loving her children as they grow up (“Words fall short/But I am sure/There’ll never be/Anyone like you”). This theme is also prominent in “Cheering You On,” which tells the story of an unidentified person who comes alongside you in life’s darkest moments: “And when you’re questioning the why of it/Rise up in the light of it/I’ll be by your side in it all/I’m cheering you on.”

CONTENT CONCERNS

As noted above, songs are more likely to allude to God than to directly reference Him. Ambiguous uses of “you” could be referring to Jesus or a really supportive girlfriend.

ALBUM SUMMARY

For King & Country’s What Are We Waiting For? provides a deep look into how we can deal with the reality of human suffering and fallibility—and its lyrics stay clean throughout. The songs on the album explore various means of coping with pain, whether that be through family and friends, unity and growth or trust in the faithfulness of God.

Though Christ isn’t always explicitly present in For King & Country’s songs, Christian themes are subtly alluded to and will be picked up on by the seasoned ear—though many of those references are subtle indeed. When the Smallbone brothers sing about not backing down “in the name of Love” in the song “Shy,” for instance, Christians will likely think about Jesus while non-Christians will likely think about love in a more general sense.

But perhaps mixing mildly ambiguous songs with intentionally Christian ones can provide a steppingstone to help people better understand the Christian faith that these brothers embrace.

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