In the weeks after the tragedy of 9/11, as our country worked to come together after such a horrible attack, music offered a method of healing. While the albums that were released at the time had been written and recorded months prior, some of them found success in the wake of that fateful day.
On the surface, an upbeat pop/rock album might not seem like that kind of album. But when that album comes from iconic artist Steven Curtis Chapman, it's a different story. Always known for his profound and heartfelt lyrics, Steven's 2001 collection continued the sonic direction the artist began on his previous album, Speechless.
Living Out Loud
Carrying on well from the energetic direction blazed by Speechless and its signature hit "Dive," "Live Out Loud" is a rousing and upbeat anthem. Referencing the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (which, while still a known game show, was a huge pop culture thing back then), the song muses about easily winning its signature cash prize and then burying it because Christ's love is an even better prize. It's still one of Chapman's most known hits with one of his most singable choruses ever.
This album seemed to have an above-average collection of hits to its credit. "Jesus is Life" was another anthemic hit that found its way to Christian radio. "Declaration of Dependence" gave the album its name, as well as another chart-topping hit with a memorable and energetic chorus.
Not forsaking Steven's more laid-back output, this album had some of his most recognizable contemporary hits as well. "God is God" and "Magnificent Obsession" would find themselves included among the elite songs in Chapman's entire career.
Declarations
Steven Curtis Chapman has always had a finger on the pulse of the average Christian. Songs like "God is God" spoke to the need to surrender to God's will for our lives, while "Live Life Loud" was a call to proclaim Christ's goodness to the world. "Magnificent Obsession" was a worshipful Chapman classic asking for God to capture our whole being.
"When Love Takes You In" spoke of Steven's experience adopting while the quasi-title track proclaimed how we need Christ to get through each day.
Regardless of where you were in your walk with the Lord, odds are Steven had a song to speak to you.
Getting The Word Out
Declaration may arguably be Chapman at the peak of his commercial success. Pretty much every album he did since 1989's More To This Life reaches either Gold or Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Declaration would continue this trend, as would its follow-up All About Love. But albums after that, as of this writing, are still yet to reach that milestone (2007's certification for the single, "Cinderella," notwithstanding.) I also notice the amount of iconic hits packed into one album isn't as prevalent moving forward.
Back in this era, if Steven released a radio single, you'd hear it everywhere and it would likely be a contender to crash a Greatest Hits project. Steven's career was far from over. On the contrary, he's still a powerhouse presence in Christian music to this day. But it's hard not to feel like this might've been a sort of pinnacle. Regardless, as this album turns 20, there are several iconic hits that fans of Christian radio in the early 2000s will fondly remember. In an era where things are beginning to feel as frightening and uncertain as those dark days in September 2001, maybe a revisit to this encouraging album is just what we need.
J.J. Francesco is a long-time contributor to the NRT Staff. He's published the novel 'Because of Austin' and regularly seeks new ways to engage faith, life, and community. He is currently working on releasing a brand new novel.
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