The "GOD" CD
Rebecca St. James' hugely successful, self-titled debut album in 1994 was an exuberant and inspired burst of youthful, pop energy. And now her follow-up, simply titled GOD, emerges as the voice and the sound of a young woman wise and mature far beyond her 18 years. Under the steady but adventuresome hand of hit producer Tedd T. (E.T.W., Code of Ethics), Rebecca writes and sings of soul-deep faith with boldness and a modern edge, as both her sense of purpose and self continue to take deep and solid roots.
"This album has been quite an amazing labor of love," says Rebecca, who co-wrote with Tedd T. eight of the album's ten songs. "I've grown musically and found my own style which is an extension of who I was on the first album, but different in some very significant ways as well. I've been involved with the writing, pre-production and laying of instrumental tracks as well as singing, and I find I have much more of an idea this time of who I am, what I want to say and how I want to say it."
The album GOD is filled with songs and production that deftly manage the delicate balance of being both highly imaginative and instantly accessible, though the album's title song stands as its undeniable centerpiece and one of the cornerstones of Rebecca's already admirable career.
"With everything on the album, and "GOD" in particular, we really wanted to create something strong and believable," says Rebecca. "The lyrics are making challenging statements and they demanded powerful, dynamic music to support them. You can't sing a song like "GOD" and not have it be explosive.
"I've been writing constantly in the last six months, and it's been incredible," says Rebecca. "Ideas, hooks, even entire choruses have seemed to have been just dropped into my lap. The idea for "GOD" came one day while Tedd and I were praying together. In the middle of the prayer, the words just started coming to me. It's actually based on Psalm 8, and it's filled with tangible, picturesque things and places in which we can see God. Then the end of the chorus just sums it up: I can't explain any other way...it's God."
"GOD," the single, also debuts exciting new technology, and ventures into multi-media new to both Rebecca and most of Christian music. Currently in release is the Audio Vision CD taken from the album. Played on CD-ROM computers, it offers a sampling of music and three of Rebecca's videos, as well as interviews with Rebecca, a tour through the studio where the album GOD was recorded, and daily devotionals shared by Rebecca from her upcoming book, 40 Days with God. The audio portions of the AVCD are also playable on a conventional CD player.
40 Days with God, Rebecca's first foray into the literary world, began as a series of journal entries and devotions Rebecca wrote while touring in the past two years. The complete album GOD, in traditional CD and cassette formats is scheduled for release June 25 as is 40 Days with God.
"GOD is the perfect name and focus for this album," Rebecca concludes, "because He's the only reason I sing...the only reason I live...and what my whole life is about. There's no other way to explain it. It's just God."
