Hateful and judgmental. That’s what some critics are saying that Taylor Swift’s new album is labeling Christians. Swift’s double album that dropped recently created waves in the music industry as it smashed records on Spotify as “Swifties” from around the world swooned. However, this new album apparently doesn't have the same "wholesome" qualities as her previous ones with over a third of the songs containing explicit lyrics. While it should come as no surprise that secular popular music has explicit lyrics and often glorifies what the Bible calls sin, apparently this new album crossed a line. In referring to people of faith in one song, Swift sings “these people only raise you to cage you” and “these people try and save you ‘cause they hate you”. I’m not here to provide direct commentary on Taylor Swift or her music, but rather to open up the broader question of how we are to make choices about our music.
There is a foundational premise about music that, when you think about it, should be universally understood: It makes an imprint on your inner soul. Have you ever found yourself humming a tune out of the blue that you hadn’t thought of in years? Have you even got a tune stuck in your head that just keeps playing on repeat? There are reasons that popular products have “jingles”. Marketing professionals have long known and utilized the power of music to communicate their message. Even in dementia patients who have lost many other faculties of their mind usually retain their ability to recall and sing along with familiar songs they once loved. It is clear that music makes a very personal impact on people.
The Bible affirms this principle about music as well. In Colossians 3:16, Paul encourages believers to “let the word of Christ dwell in your richly”. The rest of the verse tells them how to accomplish this. Namely, by “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” He tells them to harness the intrinsic soul-imprinting power of music to get the word of Christ to dwell within you. Use songs that contain the God’s truths in order to get them embedded deep inside you.
In contrast, what is the average Christian’s attitude toward music today? Our preferences in music are very personal and often territorial. We are defensive of our music choices. Don’t try to “take away” the music that we love or we will come out fighting. I’ve heard some say that it is inconsequential – it doesn’t matter what we listen to. Others feel that we should listen to music that directly defies our beliefs (such as the latest example from Taylor Swift). Still others would say that only Christian music is acceptable for believers. I’m not here to settle the debate in this short blog, but I would like to turn it around with a few self-diagnostic questions about your listening habits.
- Are you listening to music that reminds you of God’s truth or reinforces the devil’s lies?
- Have you purposely used music to dwell on God’s Word more fully and richly within you? (i.e. Colossians 3:16)
- Can you truly say that you are able to glorify God in your music choices? (1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us in “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”)
If you are honestly assessing your listening habits, how many of those questions may have offered a point of rebuke or conviction? Whether it is Taylor Swift or any other popular artist today, we need to be conscious of what we are consuming. Popular music is designed to be appealing to the ear but it is not always good for the soul. In cases where music goes against our faith or the truth of God’s Word, perhaps it would be better to just “shake it off”.