As a father of three young daughters, I was immediately drawn to the strong message of the ultra-catchy song “Not So Average” by pop/R&B singer V.Rose. This new artist especially targets young girls with her lyrics, encouraging individuality and self-confidence in spite of the pressures that society gives to fit a certain mold.

“I really wanted a concept that I could relate to and that other young girls could relate to,” V.Rose says, “and reach out to them with issues that are so major but that aren’t really being talked about.”

Born in Sacramento, V.Rose began singing as a child, and at just 15 years of age she was one half of the pop duo Harmony, which was signed to noted production house Spechouse Media. After appearing on two tracks on FLAME’s No. 1 Billboard release Captured (Clear Sight Music, 2010), including the hit single and music video “Surrender,” V.Rose was signed to Clear Sight Music.

“During my teenage years, I felt the Lord calling me to create relevant, Christ-centered music to reach the world, especially my peers,” says V.Rose. The result is her debut album, which tackles issues that she battled in her own life as a teen. “I never thought that I was pretty or smart enough, and I was always looking for someone to follow or be like. Thankfully, my commitment to God kept me on the straight and narrow.”

Her album, self-titled V.Rose released in stores and online on Aug. 16, 2011. This album is an amazing fusion of Christian Contemporary, Pop and R&B. You will find current, trend-setting production and vocals along with gospel-saturated lyrics. I had the great opportunity to interview V. Rose about “Not So Average” and this is what she shared with me.

Please tell me the personal story behind writing “Not So Average.”

Since you have three daughters, you totally understand what I’m trying to say in this song--especially as you see them grow up and the challenges that they’ll face from their peers and from the world. I wrote this song in relation to my experiences growing up.

I have a little sister named Amyiah that I mentor, who was nine years old at the time, and this song came from watching her. She would come home from school every day and have all these problems. Some days she would want to be a tomboy. Other times, she’d want to change her hair style or color. She was constantly worried about her appearance. I thought that she was way too young to be worried about those things. She is in elementary school. I asked her what was going on, and she was trying to imitate whoever was popular at the time. How ever many friends she could make, that was the most important thing to her.

I saw myself when I was her age. I remember wanting to be exactly like my best friend, always wanting to dress, act and talk like her. I felt that I wasn’t special enough being who I am. When I saw that in Amyiah, I sat her down to minister to her. I told her she is beautiful and has an amazing personality. God gave her the eyes, hair and personality that she has. She’s different from other people and that’s okay. I wish someone had spoken into my life at her age. I continued to act like that through my teen years.

I wrote this song to tell other girls that God made you right, God made you beautiful. It’s okay to be not so average. You don’t need to try to fit in.

Please tell me about any Bible verses that you used to write the song.

1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

… and Psalm 139:14: “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

What do you consider to be the takeaway message for listeners?

There’s a line in the song, “models aren’t really models when they’re not modeling.” What I mean is that you see advertisements and these girls and women seem to have perfect hair and bodies and perfect skin. Those pictures are airbrushed and photoshopped, and it takes a team of people to help someone look like a model.

We walk around and try so hard to be accepted. People waste a lot of time and energy on their appearances and it makes people so insecure. I want girls to know that their Dad and God will always think they are beautiful. You are beautiful just by being yourself. That’s where this song is coming from.

I felt growing up that I was too focused on my appearance. When I was 16, I understood my salvation and God really started shining His light into my life. He called me out of darkness into His light like it says in 1 Peter 2:9. I started to realize how ridiculous it is to constantly worry about what people think of me. Only God can help you understand your true value.

Sometimes people think they aren’t funny so they don’t say much around other people. When you look to God, you’ll know that He made you. Once you accept that God made you different, you’ll understand you are His and you are beautiful. Psalm 139 tells us that God made us individually and different from each other. I pray for my ministry, that God would continue to give me platforms to give the message that He’s given me and to minister to who ever He puts in front of me and whether its young girls or teenage girls or whoever. I just want to be used by God. I hope girls will be themselves, stop trying to impress people and look to God.

Lyrics:
Who made up the rules of how you got to be
Picture-perfect everything? Some magazine?
I mean, I'm stuck in a world where I can't just be me

So what if my nail polish always chips
So what if I prefer to where my kicks
You know, models aren't really models when they're not modeling

Why don't you tell me something
Cuz what I'm really wondering
Is how long do you expect to be following
Trying to be a star like them
It's not the way you're gonna win, always trying to fit in

So I'm takin ay, ay, ay cuz no matter what you say, ay, ay
We gonna do it God's way, ay, ay
Cuz I'm just your average, not-so-average
Ay, ay, ay, so tell em it's okay, ay, ay
You know what to say, ay, ay
I'm just your average, not-so-average girl
I'm just your average, no-so-average girl

So what if I don't got everything they have
I'm the prettiest, you can ask my dad (go ask him)
Cuz I'm not gonna spend my life chasing that

So what if I'm not a cheerleader and
So what if you don't even like my band (so what)
I'm gonna be happy with whose I am

So let me tell you something
You're more beautiful than them (than them)
Cuz who you have inside of you is part of Him
And trying to be a star like them
Is not the way you're going to win
Stop trying to fit in

Now we're takin ay, ay, ay, it doesn't matter what you say, ay, ay
We gonna do it God's way, ay, ay
Cuz I'm just your average, not-so-average
Ay, ay, ay, so tell ‘em it's okay, ay, ay
And we know what to say, ay, ay
I'm just your average, not-so-average girl
I'm just your average, not-so-average girl

The only way to shine like a star
Is to realize whose you are
You were created to go far
Baby, doesn't matter what you look like
If you have Jesus on the inside
Cuz everything that you need, in your life
Ay, ay, ay, ay

Asbury’s Bible commentary on 1 Peter 2:9: “Being God's people means fulfilling their function as the elect of God. Some find the doctrine of election difficult to understand. For Peter, however, it is simply a fact that Christians are the elect people of God. What does it mean to be the elect of God? Quite simply, the elect of God identify with the vocation of Christ and are a holy people who manifest God's glory in the world. As Christ bore the rejection of humanity, so will His followers. Yet as Christ fulfilled his calling as the Elect of God and was honored, so it will be for His followers. God's elect people identify with God's elect Son and assume His vocation in the world. Like the redeemed of old, those who have been redeemed through Christ are God's chosen, holy people who make known the wonderful deeds of God in the world. As the elect people of God they are the unique people through whose Christ-like conduct God reveals His mercy and power to the world.”

I can’t get enough of this great song, especially the endearing lyrics, “I’m the prettiest, you can ask my Dad (go ask him).” I try to tell my daughters Natalie, Cassandra and Bethany how much I love them every day, and that they are all truly beautiful because of their identity in Christ.

“Who made up the rules of how you got to be picture perfect everything? Some magazine? I mean, I’m stuck in a world where I can’t just be me,” V.Rose sings in the first verse of “Not So Average.”

She’s speaking out against conforming to the pressures brought about by society but that she’s saying to young girls, find your identity in God. In speaking about the concept of “Not So Average” she said its about “Not caring about what other people say but looking at God and asking God who am I?”

As Christians, we are “not so average,” we are God’s elected sons and daughters and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Don’t let the world tell you who you are. It doesn’t matter what you look like, if you have Jesus on the inside. That’s where we can find our true identities, in Him! Amen to that!

(Check out the cool music video here.)