Fantastic Jams and Where to Find Them (Pt. II)
My case for the Christian's engagement with "non-Christian" music
Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash
I recently wrote an extensive list of my suggestions for great modern Christian music, and thought it would be fun to expand that premise.
An often-discussed question in Christian circles is whether Christians should listen to “non-Christian” (or secular) music: is it a sin? Is it helpful? What’s the purpose of music? Ligonier Ministries answered this question in detail, and there are plenty of other resources online, so I won’t take time quantifying this stance.
Clearly—because I’m writing this article—I believe there’s good and depth we as Christians can find in secular music.
A Note
As with my first list, all of the music hyper-linked below will be for Spotify (again, sorry Apple Music users).
Instead of listing artists, I will be listing specific songs/albums which fit my criteria.
I will list “Honorable Mentions” for each genre, but they may well deserve equal footing with longer entries.
Though the content below may be explicit or dark at times, I believe they probe deeply into what it means to live, love, and be human. They ask the right questions—though they may not provide the right (or Christian) answers.
Enjoy!
Hip-Hop
Childish Gambino - Because the Internet (2013)
Donald Glover is one of my favorite creatives of our time. I’ve enjoyed everything from his comedic performance in Community, to his directorial-writing excellence in Atlanta, to his wide-ranging musical genius. To this day, Because the Internet is still one of the most in-depth and genius works of music. It even has an accompanying movie script and surprising marketing rollout.
Songs like “II. Worldstar” and “III. Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Auernheimer]” show Glover’s disgust with the social media world and existential musings about life, death, and everything in-between. Dissect Podcast dedicated an entire season to the depth and genius that is, Because the Internet.
J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
Perhaps one of my favorite artists in hip-hop is J. Cole. His lyricism and flow are high-grade, and efforts like KOD (2018) and (my personal favorite) 2014 Forest Hills Drive are immaculate displays of enduring talent and realism about childhood, racism, and tragedy. (Not to mention, he’s from NC!)
My favorite song of his is on 2014; “January 28th,” the album’s opener, is an introduction to the rapper with intense lyrics:
What’s the price for a Black man’s life?
I check the toe tag, not one zero in sight
I turn the TV on, not one hero in sight
Unless he dribble or he fiddle with mics
Such stark messaging about America’s history of racism is profound. Other great songs from the album are “Love Yourz” and “Note to Self.”
Mac Miller - Swimming (2018)
An emcee gone too soon, Mac Miller was at the height of his hip-hop career when he passed in September 2018—one month after the release of Swimming. What he envisioned as a double-album titled Swimming in Circles would come to fruition posthumously: Circles (2020) was the most unique in his catalogue and an ambient, chill follow-up to Swimming. Dissect Podcast also dedicated a recent season to Swimming in Circles.
Standout tracks on Swimming cover a life of regret and carelessness (“Come Back To Earth”), an ongoing struggle with substance abuse (“Jet Fuel”), and the appreciation of a hard-earned celebrity career (“2009”).
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)
As the only artist in my list with a Pulitzer Prize—and the only hip-hop artist to hold the award—Kendrick Lamar needs no introduction. His 2015 effort, To Pimp A Butterfly, was a raw and honest story about racism and Black life in America. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers finds him processing adulthood, family life, and the tragedies that occur at the top of the world.
Songs with immense meaning and creativity are “United In Grief,” “Purple Hearts,” and “Mother I Sober.” Pitchfork’s review praised its enduring honesty and vulnerability, while acknowledging that Kendrick trades razor-sharp lyricism for simple, brutal truth:
That fear of being defined by trauma and shame resonates throughout, but Kendrick and his blemishes are so defined by negation—of white gazes, of Black Twitter, of weighty listener expectations—that by the time the record ends, Kendrick’s “me” is just as nebulous as the effigy he’s spent the album burning.
Honorable Mentions
Logic, Everybody (2017); Kanye “Ye” West, ye (2018); Chance the Rapper, Coloring Book (2016); Tyler, The Creator, Flower Boy (2017)
Rock/Hardcore
Rise Against - The Black Market (2014)
As a rock band that’s always been politically-minded, Rise Against continued their typical messaging with The Black Market. With songs discussing the Black Market (obviously, “The Black Market”), veteran homelessness (“Bridges”), and religious divisions, or “holy wars,” (“People Live Here”), the album is chock-full of intense subjects.
Musically, the album follows Rise Against’s typical post-rock, upbeat style. Songs like “The Eco-Terrorist In Me” and “Methadone” break the mold to offer a unique but still comfortable style.
Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (2014)
Another bulwark album from 2014 is Linkin Park’s The Hunting Party. Breaking away from Nu Metal and diving headfirst into post-rock/post-hardcore, Linkin Park delivers on a style-change without entirely forsaking their roots. “All for Nothing” shows Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington’s growth and symphony as a Nu Metal duo, while “Mark the Graves” and “War” get thrashy with unrelenting guitars and breakdowns.
The album loosely follows a concept of war—perhaps seen as the ever-raging battle between a band’s creativity and their record label’s expectations, among other things. “A Line in the Sand,” the album’s six-and-a-half-minute closer, might be the deepest and most meaningful; it dives into the concept of war between worlds and the protagonist’s fight to be his own person.
Neck Deep - The Peace and the Panic (2017)
With The Peace and the Panic, Neck Deep made a name for themselves in pop-punk and beyond. Their breakout hit “In Bloom” is the perfect thesis for the album’s catchy riffs and melodies combined with deep meaning:
Sometimes at night I let it get to me
Sometimes I’m sure it gets to all of us
Last night it had me down, I’m feeling numb
I can try, but sometimes that is not enough
Other songs like “Happy Judgment Day” and “Wish You Were Here” balance existentialism with summer-style hits. The album’s overall concept—the events that take place two hours after an atomic bombing—provides glimmers of hope in the face of impending tragedy. If pop punk is your thing, try out this concept album.
Senses Fail - If There Is Light, It Will Find You (2018)
If There Is Light, It Will Find You is another pop punk-inspired album with depth. Especially the title track—which closes out the 44-minute LP—is a recollection of grief; it brings what I mentioned in the introduction as asking the right questions, but not coming to the right (or “Christian”) answers. Nevertheless, the song is emotional and catchy. (Not to mention, the album’s art is some of the best I’ve seen in recent years.)
Other great songs on the album include “Gold Jacket, Green Jacket…” and “Elevator to the Gallows,” the latter of which finds Senses Fail questioning the lasting impact of their lives: “In everything I’ve ever done, I’ve never been the one. I hope that when I’m gone, my love will live in song.”
Honorable Mentions
Real Friends, Teeth (2021); NOTHING MORE, The Stories We Tell Ourselves (2017); The Almost, Fear Caller (2019)
Metalcore
Sleep Token - This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2021)
Sleep Token is an anomaly. They’ve been around since 2016, and their 2021 album This Place Will Become Your Tomb was my favorite album of the year. Still, they haven’t gained real traction in the metal community until late-December 2022, when they released singles for their forthcoming album, Take Me Back to Eden, set to release in May 2023. (They went from around 400,000 Spotify listeners to nearly 2 million, monthly.)
This Place Will Become Your Tomb is one of the most dynamic metal albums, bringing heavy breakdowns and talkbox-infused songs to a deep and dark storyline. “Atlantic” and “Hypnosis” are the perfect one-two punch to start this album; other great songs are “The Love You Want” and “Alkaline.”
Dayseeker - Dark Sun (2022)
Dayseeker may have been everybody’s favorite COVID-19 metal band, due to the breakout success of their LP, Sleeptalk (2019), but their follow-up cuts deeper, even though it doesn’t bring as many crushing breakdowns as its predecessor. Dark Sun is an album dedicated to Rory Spencer’s (vocals) grief and mental health following the death of his father. Songs like “Paper Heart” and “Parallel” are deep cuts, even if they don’t fit in the metalcore genre.
Other great songs include “Afterglow (Hazel’s Song),” “Without Me,” and “Crying While You’re Dancing.” Give this dynamic metal-pop album a try and be enveloped by its deep questions on life, love, and meaning.
Invent Animate - Heavener (2023)
Invent Animate has always been an atmospheric, ambient prog-metal band; their latest installment, Heavener, is ever-more transcendent—it shows Invent Animate honing their craft and diving deeper into meaning and self-awareness.
Their single, “Immolation of Night,” shows a taste of the self-worth they promote: “I am enough! I am whole!” Other songs like “False Meridian” and “Void Surfacing” survey self-worth and moving past the sins of your youth.
Honorable Mentions
Whitechapel, Kin (2021); Greyhaven, This Bright and Beautiful World (2022); Periphery, Periphery III: Select Difficulty (2016)
Indie/Alternative
The Antlers - Hospice (2009)
Among the saddest albums I’ve ever heard is Hospice. A concept album (can you tell I’m a sucker for them?) about a hospice nurse’s unlikely love story with a patient who suffers from terminal bone cancer, Hospice functions as a metaphor for Peter Silberman’s (vocals) abusive past relationship.
This album is eerie, sad, and ambient, if not absolutely crushing at times. It encompasses hopelessness shrouded in anger, but offers a glimpse of the two-fold, superimposed tragedies of end-of-life resonance and relationships unworthy of revival.
The Lumineers - III (2019)
The Lumineers solidified their place in the folk-pop mainstream with “Ho Hey,” but their 2019 effort delves into the obscure: III is a concept album of three generations of a family rent by alcoholism, among other vices.
III is by far the most in-depth offering from The Lumineers—a melodramatic yet raw survey of what everyone can relate to: family troubles. Standout tracks are “Donna,” “My Cell,” and “Leader of the Landslide.”
Coldplay - Everyday Life (2019)
One of the most popular indie-pop bands of our time, Coldplay broke away from all expectations with their 2019 effort, Everyday Life. Taking the bent towards multi-cultural lifestyles and religious diversity, the album—split between two parts: Sunrise and Sunset—makes stark claims about religion, politics, and pressing issues.
The album addresses a child whose father died in war (“Daddy”), kids in refugee camps dreaming of a “normal” life (“Orphan”), and a call for the all-encompassing humanness of everyone, (“Champion of the World”). This is easily one of their most meaningful and diverse albums to date; give it a spin!
Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There (2022)
An odd and confounding album from last year is Ants from Up There. reinvigorating experimental rock, Black Country, New Road have brought some of their best songwriting to their deepest (and a quite sad) album. Their best song, according to their own appraisal, is the album’s first full track, “Chaos Space Marine.” Other deep songs are “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade” and “Concorde.”
For a dynamic, odd, experimental, and emotional album about moving on from good things, Ants from Up There is a great choice.
Noah Kahan - Stick Season (2022)
I’ve returned to Stick Season more than any other 2022 album (from any genre). Noah Kahan sheds influences of pop to dive into the indie/folk style that makes this album so endearing. Released in October, this album screams “sad autumn” vibes. Every song has deep lyrics and great melodies.
Among my favorite tracks are “New Perspective,” “Orange Juice”—which discusses a friend’s turn from alcoholism to Jesus; though she may be overbearing in her new religion—and “Growing Sideways,” a song about mental health and the lopsided way we tend to “grow” as people. This album is perfect—a meaningful, emotional, and musically excellent experience.
Honorable Mentions
Front Porch Step, Aware (2013); Sleeping With Sirens, If you were a movie, this would be your soundtrack (2012); Manchester Orchestra, A Black Mile to the Surface (2017)
Pop
X Ambassadors - Love Songs Drug Songs (2013)
X Ambassadors may still be well-known for their hit single, “Renegades,” but their earlier work on Love Songs Drug Songs is more raw and deep than their made-for-radio music. “Stranger” and “Brother” are about alienation and newfound joys in life.
The album’s most powerful track, however, is “Litost,” a five-minute breakup song about the ugly side of a fight and the aftermath of a lost relationship. It’s emotional and raw, as well as one of Sam Harris’s best vocal performances.
Jon Bellion - Glory Sound Prep (2018)
Jon Bellion’s 2016 studio debut, The Human Condition, may be one of the best (and most well-produced) albums of the 2010s. It could easily make this list for its depth, meaning, and hope for a brighter future amid a mad America.
His follow-up, Glory Sound Prep, may not be as well-known, but offers equally as much depth and creativity, bouncing between hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Among the best tracks are “Conversations with my Wife,” “Stupid Deep,” and “Cautionary Tales.” The album’s eight-minute closing track is a story of love and loss, about Jon’s mother tending to his grandmother as she battled dementia (likely Alzheimer’s Disease). The album as a whole is transcendent, yet powerfully intimate.
Taylor Swift - folklore (2020)
I married into being a “Swiftie.” While I was dating my (now) wife, I did a discography run of her music; I liked a good bit of it (especially “All Too Well” and Lover [2019]), but it wasn’t until folklore that I truly appreciated her lyricism and storytelling. As you can tell from this list, I’m a huge fan of a good story in song—which is exactly what you get with her Grammy-winning album.
Standout songs for this mellow-pop LP are “exile” (featuring Bon Iver), “my tears ricochet,” and “betty.” If you’ve never been a fan of T-Swift, you may love folklore and its follow-up, evermore (2020).
Nightly - night, love you. (2020)
Nightly’s 2020 album, night, love you. sounds like the 1975 mixed with The Band Camino (that’s good). For a pop album that doesn’t relent on catchy summer vibes (see “time online” and “the movies”), it’s still deeply honest about doubts, fears, and anxieties. These lyrics from “older” are a perfect example:
Last year I almost threw in the towel
I was tired of suits telling me what to write about
Yeah, but then I remembered the girl from Rhode Island
That said that our music saved her life and
I'm not a saint but I still talk to Jesus
I hope he knows that I really mean it
For a catchy album that shows Nightly honing in on their style and lyricism, night, love you. is the band at their best.
Honorable Mentions
Adele, 30 (2021); Lewis Capaldi, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent (2019); Justin Bieber, Justice (2021)