The After Party

Since the young age of 5 years old, Cortni Bilderback has been entertaining crowds with not only her voice, but her passion to reach a hurting world. A native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Cortni has spent her life singing and writing not only on her own, but as a member of The Bilderbacks, her family’s southern Gospel group. But while her family’s musical roots live firmly in Southern Gospel, Cortni’s heart has always been with the big vocals of pop and gospel music. On May 10th, this young artist released her debut album The After Party. Opening tracks “Trophy Man” and “The After Party” really set the tone for this upbeat and entertaining album. Fans of mainstream pop singers Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Pink looking for a faith-based alternative will enjoy these opening two songs. The message of “Trophy Man” is great for girls who struggle with the idea that they can find true hope and security in their relationships with worldly guys rather than godly men. The song is super-catchy and has solid lyrics as Cornti belts out, “I don’t need a trophy man. I need a guy who’s gonna act right, treat me right. I want a man who sees me through God’s eyes. I don’t need a trophy man!” “The Af...

Since the young age of 5 years old, Cortni Bilderback has been entertaining crowds with not only her voice, but her passion to reach a hurting world. A native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Cortni has spent her life singing and writing not only on her own, but as a member of The Bilderbacks, her family’s southern Gospel group. But while her family’s musical roots live firmly in Southern Gospel, Cortni’s heart has always been with the big vocals of pop and gospel music. On May 10th, this young artist released her debut album The After Party. Opening tracks “Trophy Man” and “The After Party” really set the tone for this upbeat and entertaining album. Fans of mainstream pop singers Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Pink looking for a faith-based alternative will enjoy these opening two songs. The message of “Trophy Man” is great for girls who struggle with the idea that they can find true hope and security in their relationships with worldly guys rather than godly men. The song is super-catchy and has solid lyrics as Cornti belts out, “I don’t need a trophy man. I need a guy who’s gonna act right, treat me right. I want a man who sees me through God’s eyes. I don’t need a trophy man!” “The After Party” has a catchy dance beat and in the song Cortni wants to remind us that while standing up for your faith isn’t always easy, we are told in the Bible to be full of joy: here, now, on Earth. Why wait until Heaven to have fun? We can have a taste of heaven right here and love life now, and Heaven can be our “after party.” The message of finding love in the right place is furthered in debut single “True Love.” The song intimately shares Cortni’s story of spending life in and out of bad relationships. Even at her young age, Cortni realized her search for love was repeatedly ending up in all the wrong places. “True Love” exposes that nothing can fill that void other than the true love from God. The song is a beautiful ballad and a confessional love song to God. I have three young daughters and this is a great anthem for girls and guys to express what it means to know the biblical truth from 1 John 4:8-“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.“ In the song Cortni very passionately sings, “Is this true love I feel? For the first time in my life? Is my search over? Can You fill the void inside? ‘Cause I’ve let others in before, and my heart can’t take much more. Emptiness, is this true love I feel inside?” Later in the song, Cornti confesses that her search is over, and that God is her “true love.” It is a beautiful ballad and Cortni’s strong vocals are very engaging and passionate. You can hear Cortni’s yearning and sincerity in every word. CLOSING THOUGHTS Recently, Christian artists Charmaine and Beckah Shae also released “dance” and urban-style albums and overall this album has some songs that also fit that category, along with pop, rock and gospel. Cortni lists Kirk Franklin and Beyonce as her musical influences and their musical styles can be found throughout this album. In particular, there are gospel-style songs, “Sunshine,” “Love Is Always Waiting,” “Change Me,” “God Knows,” “Walls of Glass,” a rock song “Alone With You,” and catchy pop songs, “Trophy Man,” “The After Party,” “Dream Big” and “Ruin Me.” Don’t miss stand-out single “True Love,” one of my favorite songs of the year. Cortni’s got strong vocals, relevant messages and The After Party is a solid debut album from a talented young artist.