It’s my birthday. Rather than some weighty ruminations on reaching the half-century mark, how’s about I reprint my most recent column for the Examiner?
Demi Lovato’s antidote for teenage pressure
Pity the Christian parent of a teenage daughter or daughters in the East Bay, or for that matter anywhere on this planet. In a world of pop culture drek and high school societal pressures to play along with the crowd by indulging in recreational sex and alcohol consumption, even the most loving parents are confronted with a tremendous challenge above and beyond dealing with their child’s rampaging emotions as they make the transition from child to adult. Easy it is not.
Since as most every parent knows there are going to be more than a few moments when in fits of adolescent isolationist pique their children will tune them out because there’s no way Mom and/or Dad could possibly understand – or have a clue about anything – trying to aim your kid in the direction of someone they will listen to even though the message is identical to parental counsel is an important if not vital element of surviving the teen years. Pastors, especially youth pastors, are invaluable in this. Yet they can’t function alone. People gravitate to their peers because they know what’s going on. Or at least it’s perceived they know what’s going on by dint of sharing the same timeline.
So in whose direction should a parent gently nudge their tweener or teenage daughter, hoping their attempt won’t be so heavy-handed as to be noticed as such by the intended recipient?
Enter Demi Lovato.
Lovato is one of the current crop of Disney tween/teen artists singing and acting their way through assorted innocuous television programs and excursions into music. Although the closest association Disney has with anything close to an overt Christian message is the Candlelight celebration each December at its theme parks when a mass choir sings traditional Christmas carols while a celebrity reads the Christmas story straight from Scripture, more than a few of the aforementioned contemporary batch of performers make no bones about not only being Christians but committed to maintaining their virginity until the day they wed. There is a tendency to assign this to a cynical notion Disney goes out of their way to find young Christian performers for the sole reason of hoping their faith will keep them grounded, thus avoiding any embarrassing flameouts as they navigate the treacherous waters of teen stardom. This may well be true, but as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians about those who preached Christ in the hope it would make trouble for him, what difference does it make? The important thing is Christ being preached.
Back to Lovato. Her sophomore record Here We Go Again was released earlier this week. Like its predecessor Don’t Forget, it is chock-full of catchy tunes firmly rooted in Disney’s stock in trade: danceable power pop with cleaned up harder rock flavorings sprinkled throughout. Lovato does this as well as any of Disney’s other artists. Actually, she does it better. Lovato has a much stronger voice than Miley Cyrus, and she uses it to full effect.
Lyrically, the record also sticks to the Disney way: teen relationship joy and angst minus any genuine unpleasantries, a world where nothing more than a kiss is permitted. Nothing here will be mistaken for anything that comes from Bono’s pen, but neither is there anything for a parent to worry their daughter listening to is going to encourage dangerous experimentation. If anything, the sentiment expressed more than once that the boy going bye-bye isn’t worth getting worked up over is a positive reminder to those at an age where every everything is usually seen as overwhelming and in no context other than the immediate.
No, Here We Go Again isn’t in the same category as No Line On The Horizon by U2. It isn’t trying to be. It’s safe music nudging its intended audience in the direction of relationship sanity at an age when such seems impossible, especially for those looking in from the outside. Like Mom and Dad.
Sneak your daughter a copy of this record if she hasn’t already asked for it. Just don’t let on it’s good for her.
Addendum: In the record’s ’special thanks to’ liner notes Lovato starts off with this: “God – Without Him, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have a voice and I definitely wouldn’t have a second album. All of my passion comes from Him, and I hope this work inspires someone because this isn’t my work, this is His.” Hardly the standard lip service to God so many artists mouth.
Hee hee…I would, but it’s not in Japanese.