Picture this, you're in the car and you turn on the radio hoping to hear some good songs. You go to a station that plays the newest hit songs, and you decided to listen.
Hear songs about partying/getting drunk/sex? Yeah, not surprising. In the music world, (and society actually) topics like these are completely acceptable. Most "romance" songs are about meeting someone in a club when you're drunk. That's not love.
Its funny, actually. Those people who listen to those kind of songs are more likely to bash musicians like Owl City, LIGHTS, Skillet, ect., because of the clean messages. To those people, if a song isn't about getting drunk or high, it's a bad song.
The reason why I listen to the groups I listen to is simple. They're clean, and usually pretty positive. And their romance songs are actually deep and mean real love too. Examples:
"This is the last night you'll spend alone, I'll hold you in my arms and I won't let go." -Skillet, The Last Night (not necessarily limited to romance but it works)
"I'm not yours, and you're not mine, but we can sit and pass the time." -LIGHTS, Quiet
"Chills run down my spine, as our fingers entwine, and your sighs harmonize with mine." - Owl City, If My Heart Was A House
See? Sweet, innocent songs about real love. That's what love is supposed to look like. Not what society and music makes it look like.
And then there's the issue about God. Not surprisingly, many of todays popular songs BASH God. So, that's why there are groups who are Christian people with Christian themes in their songs who are mainstream artists. They're trying to help clean that up.
"Dear God, I was terribly lost when the galaxies crossed and the sun went dark. But dear God, you're the only north star I would follow this far." - Owl City, Galaxies
"I'm at war with the world cuz I ain't never gonna sell my soul. I've already made up my mind, no matter what I can't be bought or sold." - Skillet, Awake and Alive
So really, the reason I love Owl City/Sky Sailing (and LIGHTS, Skillet, and a few other groups not mentioned) is because the songs are clean, and either talk about God, true love, or the beauty of earth. Isn't that a lot better than a song about partying all night? I think so. So take some time to look at what you're listening. The "top songs" are not always the best choice.
Showing posts with label Owl City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Owl City. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
What is a role-model?
Who are real role-models? You know, that's a topic I've been wondering about for years. It's a rather tricky subject, to say the least.
A role-model could be anyone. Your parents, your teacher, your favorite singer, your favorite author, the list could go on. Anyone can be a role-model. Even you and I.
I guess in the end, it all depends on your views on life, religion, ect. But for a Christian, finding a good role-model is rather tricky. You want to find someone who you respect and are interested in, but also has a good faith in God. This is always the tough part. Tough finding someone like that, and tough being that person.
Let's take a look at my role-model, shall we?
Adam R. Young, many of you may know him under the name Owl City. Adam is an introverted Christian who grew up in Owatonna, Minnesota. As far as I know, he was raised a Christian and his relatives are strong in their faith as well.
Adam is one of those people who strives to serve the Lord in any way he can. He even says that if he didn't feel like God wanted him to sing and preform, he wouldn't do it even though he loves it. He writes all his lyrics in some way to honor God, and often even puts scripture in his weekly blog posts. Since he is so humble, and in no way tries to force Christianity on anyone, people respect him. Even non-Christians have said things along the lines of, "I respect his faith, and even though I am a non-believer, I respect him and his walk with God."
This is a blog Adam wrote on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 (Woah, that was the day I went to his concert, XD) Link It's a deep passage about truth and love, and he uses Biblical backup. I highly reccomend reading it.
"Yes. Jesus Christ is my everything. I’ve given Him control of my life, asked Him to come into my heart to work in my life and change me into a new person, someone He wants me to be. I strive to honor Christ in everything I do, say, make and think. Nothing is more important to me than my relationship with Him."-Adam Young
Then there's his music. He writes every word, every bit of each song, by himself, in either his bedroom or basement. That, my friends, is what I call passion and commitment. He often rewrites songs many times before he feels like they are complete, and will even spend days sometimes just thinking of a name for the song. Passion about something is another great thing to look for in a role-model.
Optimism, yes, that is something Adam definitely portrays through his music. In all honesty, it really is hard to stay in a bad mood when listening to his music. It's just so uplifting and happy that you can't help but remember that everything is going to be okay in the end. And I know for a fact that aspect of his music and personality has brought many, many people out of depression.
When you have a role-model, they are usually someone who you can relate too. So here's an example from me.
Shyness: It's pretty well known that Adam is introverted. In fact, he wasn't even able to do phone interviews until a year ago. It just goes to show how much God can help someone overcome something like that in order to serve Him. Without his faith, I doubt Adam would be able to sing for people and sign autographs. He's just too shy.
For most of you who know me, I really have a hard time speaking up. Unless of course, I'm with my friends and then often times I won't shut up. But usually, I'm quiet. Honestly, I think it's partly because 1. I'm afraid of sounding stupid, and 2. I don't just speak, I have to think about what I'm going to say. Having a role-model who can overcome something like being shy to do something he loves is really, really inspiring, and it makes me feel like its okay to be quiet. There's nothing wrong with it.
I just really love everything about his personality. He is extremely humble, and loves his fans to death. He's just a great, great guy, with an amazing God-given gift.
So in conclusion, its safe to assume that a good role-model is someone who:
1. Loves God and strives to walk in faith.
2. Someone who you can relate too.
3. Someone with a great personality for who you are.
4. Someone who inspires you.
No ones perfect. Not even the best of role-models. But its always nice to have someone to look up too, and even if they make a mistake, maybe it'll help you learn from it.
A role-model could be anyone. Your parents, your teacher, your favorite singer, your favorite author, the list could go on. Anyone can be a role-model. Even you and I.
I guess in the end, it all depends on your views on life, religion, ect. But for a Christian, finding a good role-model is rather tricky. You want to find someone who you respect and are interested in, but also has a good faith in God. This is always the tough part. Tough finding someone like that, and tough being that person.
Let's take a look at my role-model, shall we?
Adam R. Young, many of you may know him under the name Owl City. Adam is an introverted Christian who grew up in Owatonna, Minnesota. As far as I know, he was raised a Christian and his relatives are strong in their faith as well.
Adam is one of those people who strives to serve the Lord in any way he can. He even says that if he didn't feel like God wanted him to sing and preform, he wouldn't do it even though he loves it. He writes all his lyrics in some way to honor God, and often even puts scripture in his weekly blog posts. Since he is so humble, and in no way tries to force Christianity on anyone, people respect him. Even non-Christians have said things along the lines of, "I respect his faith, and even though I am a non-believer, I respect him and his walk with God."
This is a blog Adam wrote on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 (Woah, that was the day I went to his concert, XD) Link It's a deep passage about truth and love, and he uses Biblical backup. I highly reccomend reading it.
"Yes. Jesus Christ is my everything. I’ve given Him control of my life, asked Him to come into my heart to work in my life and change me into a new person, someone He wants me to be. I strive to honor Christ in everything I do, say, make and think. Nothing is more important to me than my relationship with Him."-Adam Young
Then there's his music. He writes every word, every bit of each song, by himself, in either his bedroom or basement. That, my friends, is what I call passion and commitment. He often rewrites songs many times before he feels like they are complete, and will even spend days sometimes just thinking of a name for the song. Passion about something is another great thing to look for in a role-model.
Optimism, yes, that is something Adam definitely portrays through his music. In all honesty, it really is hard to stay in a bad mood when listening to his music. It's just so uplifting and happy that you can't help but remember that everything is going to be okay in the end. And I know for a fact that aspect of his music and personality has brought many, many people out of depression.
When you have a role-model, they are usually someone who you can relate too. So here's an example from me.
Shyness: It's pretty well known that Adam is introverted. In fact, he wasn't even able to do phone interviews until a year ago. It just goes to show how much God can help someone overcome something like that in order to serve Him. Without his faith, I doubt Adam would be able to sing for people and sign autographs. He's just too shy.
For most of you who know me, I really have a hard time speaking up. Unless of course, I'm with my friends and then often times I won't shut up. But usually, I'm quiet. Honestly, I think it's partly because 1. I'm afraid of sounding stupid, and 2. I don't just speak, I have to think about what I'm going to say. Having a role-model who can overcome something like being shy to do something he loves is really, really inspiring, and it makes me feel like its okay to be quiet. There's nothing wrong with it.
I just really love everything about his personality. He is extremely humble, and loves his fans to death. He's just a great, great guy, with an amazing God-given gift.
So in conclusion, its safe to assume that a good role-model is someone who:
1. Loves God and strives to walk in faith.
2. Someone who you can relate too.
3. Someone with a great personality for who you are.
4. Someone who inspires you.
No ones perfect. Not even the best of role-models. But its always nice to have someone to look up too, and even if they make a mistake, maybe it'll help you learn from it.
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