KaBaBoom
It sure doesn't read like most pop lyrics out there today. Is it possible this is Christian pop masquerading as mainstream pop music? You can't help but ask this question especially since Aiken hasn't exactly hidden his devout southern Baptist beliefs. On the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, he wore a "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) bracelet and this week's Time magazine reports his struggles with his record label, RCA, to keep his videos and music "clean." It's not everyday such Christian symbols grace Rolling Stone's cover. Does his Christian sensibility translate into his music? As it turns out, Clay Aiken's wholesomeness, and the audience it reaches, could just be the genius in his new album.
The album and the artist himself have managed to tap into an audience the music industry has arguably ignored - the middle class, Christian, soccer mom, who wants to be able to listen to pop music with her family and not worry about sex, drugs and explicit lyrics. Clay Aiken himself has said he won't sing about sex and drugs. And since there isn't much mainstream pop music out there right now without references to sex and drugs, Aiken is emerging as a new pop phenomenon.
So he's got the mini-van driving, Oprah-watching crowd. But, what's more interesting about Aiken is, that despite his straight-laced image, he has also reeled in a respectable amount of average pop listeners, who normally wouldn't be caught dead listening to Christian pop music. With the No. 1 selling single of the year, "This is The Night," Aiken even managed significant radio play on national top 40 pop/hip hop/rap stations, alongside the likes of Christina Aguilera and Eminem. How did this "smultzy" ballad even make it to Top 40? Probably because of a lot of radio requests, but also, there is a sense that, despite his conservative upbringing, Aiken seems willing to reinvent himself, at least on some level. He did after all, with the help of some highlights and a makeover worthy of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", transform himself from geek to geek heartthrob and bare his chest and belly on the Rolling Stone cover.
Quoted from http://www.clayaiken.com.sg
One of the reasons i bought his album. GO CLAY! Geek Heartthrob... first time i'm hearting that term, hehe.
The album and the artist himself have managed to tap into an audience the music industry has arguably ignored - the middle class, Christian, soccer mom, who wants to be able to listen to pop music with her family and not worry about sex, drugs and explicit lyrics. Clay Aiken himself has said he won't sing about sex and drugs. And since there isn't much mainstream pop music out there right now without references to sex and drugs, Aiken is emerging as a new pop phenomenon.
So he's got the mini-van driving, Oprah-watching crowd. But, what's more interesting about Aiken is, that despite his straight-laced image, he has also reeled in a respectable amount of average pop listeners, who normally wouldn't be caught dead listening to Christian pop music. With the No. 1 selling single of the year, "This is The Night," Aiken even managed significant radio play on national top 40 pop/hip hop/rap stations, alongside the likes of Christina Aguilera and Eminem. How did this "smultzy" ballad even make it to Top 40? Probably because of a lot of radio requests, but also, there is a sense that, despite his conservative upbringing, Aiken seems willing to reinvent himself, at least on some level. He did after all, with the help of some highlights and a makeover worthy of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", transform himself from geek to geek heartthrob and bare his chest and belly on the Rolling Stone cover.
Quoted from http://www.clayaiken.com.sg
One of the reasons i bought his album. GO CLAY! Geek Heartthrob... first time i'm hearting that term, hehe.
posted by Unknown at 12:06 PM
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