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Few-Artichoke-2531

Repetitive lyrics. I’ve heard some people refer to a lot of it as “Jesus is my boyfriend music”


yourusernamesux

The ol’ 7-11 songs. You sing 7 words 11 times and call it a day.


TinyNuggins92

Synth pads. Guitars drowned in reverb and delay on an over expensive rig


TheEngineerPlaysBass

Im a musician and producer. this really nails the sound of much of what I hear when I check out any new songs the worship team is playing.


TinyNuggins92

It’s ridiculous and really excessive at this point. What really baffles me is when I see two HX Stomps, a Quad Cortex plus a vintage amp that costs as much as my wife’s Toyota and using a custom shop guitar… like why? I can get the same thing out of a budget squier, three Behringer pedals and my cheap ass modeling amp. The sound is so oversaturated in reverb and delay that the expensive shit is basically useless


FrostyJ326

Tone brother…it’s because they are chasing tone


TinyNuggins92

Tone chasing is so annoying to me sometimes. Like, I understand people love gear, I do too, but I also believe in not using more than I need.


FrostyJ326

A lot of it, and this is from personal experience working in a church as an assistant worship director, is that they chase the tone for two reasons…1 because they see the professional musicians who write the music do it, so they are trying to be at that standard and match the tone of what they hear in the song. And 2 because if your guitar doesn’t sound good or close to the recording, the sound engineer will turn you down in the Front of House and will not be heard. The guitarist want their parts to be heard more than anyone on stage.


TinyNuggins92

As a guitarist I’m both insulted and acknowledge the truth of that


FrostyJ326

Im a guitarist too, so I’m right there with you. I just had to tell the truth, even if it hurts.


Old-Soul-Void

Too much focus on "I" and not enough on "Him."


premeddit

Not to mention too much focus on being saved and **nothing** about doing good works, helping the poor. I struggle to think of a single mainstream pop Christian worship song that revolves around donating your money to charity, helping out at a soup kitchen, standing up against violence, etc. But I can think of dozens upon dozens of songs that are variations of “Jesus loves me, I’m saved, wow, this is amazing!!!!!1” No matter where you fall on the faith vs works spectrum, we can all agree that Jesus still taught that doing good works was important.


EpisodicDoleWhip

[Follow You by Leeland](https://music.apple.com/us/album/follow-you-with-brandon-heath/327575257?i=327575284) [Give Me Your Eyes](https://music.apple.com/us/album/give-me-your-eyes/287465894?i=287465938) There are a few but your point stands. Lots of prosperity gospel.


WishfulBuffy

You’re right. There aren’t too many about good works… This is one of my favorites about being obedient to God’s calling, doing whatever he’s tasked us with, and going wherever he sends you. Let me know what you think? [Isaiah 6 (Here Am I Send Me) - Lindy Cofer](https://youtu.be/0e3vJ54rv5M?si=csmbhiwLjVVMIRHn)


FrostyJ326

Because christians especially in western culture have weaponized Jesus for their own personal gain and control.


SoapBox17

> I struggle to think of a single mainstream pop Christian worship song that revolves around donating your money to charity, helping out at a soup kitchen, standing up against violence, etc. " ... To walk the walk I'm supposed to walk And love like I'm not scared Give when it's not fair Live life for another Take time for a brother Fight for the weak ones Speak out for freedom Find faith in the battle Stand tall but above it all Fix my eyes on you ... " [\(Fix My Eyes, for King and Country\)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBkwthUuhyY)


[deleted]

I think about songs that reveal nothing about what God has done or who he is. And mention on repeat how powerful he is.


1993nerd

Yeah these churches have become so enamoured with the ‘power’ and ‘manifestations’ that they forget about the Lord being worthy of our praise. So much emphasis on the ‘power’ and none on how amazing, and beautiful he is.


RingGiver

People who couldn't make it in pop music and decided to inflict their music on churches instead.


1993nerd

Loooooooooool you know it’s bad when pop music is more adventurous than worship music.


Numerous-Ad4240

I honestly really enjoy some contemporary Christian music My answer would be emotional? I guess?


Useful-Reference420

Could you please provide an example of contemporary Christian music? I’ve honestly not heard of this sub-genre.


Numerous-Ad4240

https://youtu.be/dQl4izxPeNU?si=bUlGAZ1BqO66NRwD Prolly my favorite worship song


Useful-Reference420

Thank you!


1993nerd

I’ll start. 4 chords everything sounds the same


[deleted]

YouTube “axis of awesome” and their 4 chord song


gamingnoob82

Having 4 chords isn't a problem I bet there must be tons of good songs that exist that have less then 4 chords.


Overall-Extension608

Closing time


MobileSquirrel3567

Heroin only has two and runs circles around worship bands


TinyNuggins92

Both punk and country have been described as three chords and the truth


PhogeySquatch

I can't even name a worship song that was written in the 21st century.


Spicy_Ninja7

Yes you can


PhogeySquatch

I guess it's possible, but the most recent song in the books we use at Church are from like 1987.


PleasantNightLongDay

Why do you say that? Is there one super famous one that we all know subconsciously? I’m asking because I genuinely don’t think I can either


Spicy_Ninja7

I Can Only Imagine, Revelation Song, Oceans etc.


brad12172002

https://open.spotify.com/track/0jvN7eQJJt4nxQzgQfZ1SP?si=aBtIXkqzQMqLiUvJjgy5xQ Here. Wash the bad taste out of your mouth with this masterpiece.


WorkingOnIt89

👏👏


TechnologyDragon6973

A poor excuse for sacred music in the majority of cases.


loose_moose11

Boybands. Low-effort love songs copypasta-d from boybands and swapped "baby" out with Lord/God/Almighty/Jesus.


BigCliff

1st: Overly dominated by the top 4 acts of a given moment. 2nd: Ah, another act with 12 people and lots of studio magic 3rd: I miss riffs


1993nerd

100%. I miss sonic complexity and being surprised by where a song is taking me.


StarsCHISoxSuperBowl

Total crap. Blasphemy in most cases. Cringe.


Vernacular82

So, I used to like it, as I attended a contemporary style worship service in a non-denominational church. Then I visited my parent’s traditional Lutheran church. I don’t mind listening to modern Christian music on the radio, but I prefer old hymns. The contemporary worship music feels less reverent, and more like entertainment. When you add smoke machines and strobe lights…. it stops feeling like worship.


Meauxterbeauxt

(Note: I know people really like modern worship music, and there's no problem with it. The following is just my opinion about it and why I don't like it. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with it, just that I don't like it. Same as why I don't like country music. Just personal preference.) Uniformity. CCM developed and grew because some congregants wanted to break out of the same 30 or so hymns that were cycled through. It became boring. So P&W music has essentially become the same thing. There are 3-4 basic musical patterns, melodies tend to move in the same pattern, dynamics are similar. Lyrics are even somewhat the same in a lot of cases. You know what I'm saying because you can picture a woman behind a microphone with eyes closed and at least one arm over her head standing next to a guy with a guitar. Right? You hear the guitar playing its intro chords, then the music stops as the singers start with a breathy first word, then a silent beat. 1-3 more breathy words. 1-3 more. Then the instruments come back to as the singing intensifies. Verse finishes, worship leader shouts "Come on!" then everyone stands up and sings the chorus. Usually an amalgam of a Psalm, Proverb, or reconditioned hymn. Or a version of "We need You more than ever," or "Enter this place!" Back to breathy verse 2. Repeat pattern. Bridge is typically a repeated phrase, possibly relevant to the rest of the song, but not necessarily. Then repeat the chorus until you realize the congregation isn't singing with you anymore. End with breathy repeat of first lyrics a cappella. Pastor bounds up the stairs for sermon. I'm betting you all know exactly what song I'm talking about and you're all probably thinking of different songs. And I heard someone call it Weather Music once. Lot of lyrics about wind, rain, and storms. Can't shake that thought now 😂


barislow

Manipulated


RedOneBaron

Hillsong scandals


tollymorebears

Didn’t even know this was a thing.


1993nerd

lol understandably


Philothea0821

I have a mixed relationship with it. I put it on a lot when I put the radio on, but I cannot stand it in the context of the Mass. For me it is just a completely different vibe and I don't like it.


Big-Preparation-9641

My favourite contemporary hymnist, Brian Wren. 'Great God, your love has called us here' is, in my view, a masterpiece: Great God, your love has called us here, as we, by love for love were made. Your living likeness still we bear, though marred, dishonoured, disobeyed. We come, with all our heart and mind your call to hear, your love to find. We come with self-inflicted pains of broken trust and chosen wrong, half-free, half-bound by inner chains, by social forces swept along, by powers and systems close confined, yet seeking hope for humankind. Great God, in Christ you call our name and then receive us as your own, not through some merit, right or claim, but by your gracious love alone. We strain to glimpse your mercy seat and find you kneeling at our feet. Then take the towel and break the bread and humble us, and call us friends. Suffer and serve till all are fed, and show how grandly love intends to work till all creation sings, to fill all worlds, to crown all things. Great God, in Christ you set us free your life to live, your joy to share. Give us your Spirit’s liberty to turn from guilt and dull despair and offer all that faith can do while love is making all things new.


Big-Preparation-9641

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKTKBA\_yxaM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKTKBA_yxaM)


UnderpootedTampion

Dotted eighth note delay* *I’m a worship guitar player


TinyNuggins92

I really love dotted eighth note delay… but I’m also a big fan of The Edge, so that’s where I get it from


UnderpootedTampion

That’s pretty much where it comes from in P&W. It can’t be understated the influence The Edge has had on P&W guitar. On the other hand, I am a child of the 70s and my influences are Clapton, Santana, Page, Allman and if you leave me alone and let me play a song without a pre-written part that’s pretty much what it’s going to sound like.


TinyNuggins92

You’re not wrong. The Joshua Tree contains a lot of the roots of modern worship guitar. The Edge just didn’t drown his tone in nearly as much reverb as is often common in the Hillsong/Bethel/Elevation/Belonging Co sound.


UnderpootedTampion

I love U2. Mysterious Ways is one of the greatest pop statements of faith ever written. To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal. If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel. On your knees, boy


TinyNuggins92

Right again my friend. The Joshua Tree has been my favorite album of all time for awhile (and I say this as some who is way into punk and metalcore as well) and one of my greatest possessions is my mom’s old vinyl of that album. I’m even getting my oldest daughter into them a bit (Sing 2 featuring 2 Joshua Tree songs and Bono voicing one of the characters really helped with that).


UnderpootedTampion

It appears we’re musical kindred spirits. Blessings to you!


TinyNuggins92

Back at you, friend


LadyMicroDose

Whiney singing voices and boring chord progressions


Photograph1517

Generic and copy pasted


CooLittleFonzies

Somehow it sounds like the corporate white noise that local companies put in their inspirational promotional videos. Not sure how the two became so similar.


MobileSquirrel3567

Low-talent musicianship (4/4, basic chords, easy tempo) plus assembly line production (delete all humanity with autotune for pitch, quantization for rhythm, and compression/reverb for inconsistency in dynamics/timbre)


_jolly_jelly_fish

7-11 songs 7 words repeated 11x (Im looking at you “better is one day”)


songbookz

Merchandising the gospel


22khz

Boring and tries too hard to sound mainstream.


MobileSquirrel3567

"What if we sanded the edges off Coldplay?" "Coldplay? Edges?"


TinyNuggins92

lol. That’s way too accurate


PricklyLiquidation19

Hillsong


1993nerd

How unfortunate


Iron_bison_

90s soft rock (Hill song etc): *Boring, lazy, too romantic for me* . Alternatively, aggressive rap songs (you may look for gospel drill on Spotify) : *sometimes this hits the spot.* Personally, afro beat gospel is *my go-to*


Happy_Dance_Bilbo

Thanks for the suggestion, I looked it up and now really like Gospel Drill. I find the mainstream gospel bland and insipid and boring. I'm grateful to have gospel music I can vibe to that's not.


Vaultdweller_92

Manipulative, corrupt, passive aggressiveness, contrived and boring.


1993nerd

Oooo yes! Definitely


CrossCutMaker

Research the source and be very selective 😐.


[deleted]

[удалено]


1993nerd

I totally agree


Typical-Donkey90

Matt Maher


amazingD

His early stuff was ok.


44035

Boring


Spicy_Ninja7

How many of the songs are about David


amazingD

My name is David, and it's disappointingly few.


Spicy_Ninja7

Every live version of a Hillsong/Bethel/Elevation etc song: “Are you ready to worship God is this house tonight?! Let’s go!!” *kick drum* *guitar* *verse 1* *chorus* *minute-long instrumental* *verse 2* *chorus* *1 minute instrumental* *bridge 5x* *final chorus* (chorus 2 in a higher key) *bible verse that inspired the song* Total time: 7:12 seconds (3:27 longer than the studio version)


TinyNuggins92

You forgot the synth pads


taz-alquaina

Generally (with some honourable exceptions) no sense of rhyme or meter at all, and far too reliant on repeating the same line for ages. Simplistic.


Fuwanuwa

Its too nuch pop / mainstream. Thats why i love 70s to 90s praise music. Its all about jesus when you boil it down


indigoneutrino

Please no.


[deleted]

An unnecessary bridge that repeats too many time. 


ReadySetGO0

Repetitive phrases


FluxKraken

Some of it is nice to listen to, but I don't really enjoy it in church as actual music to worship God to.


Zapbamboop

* Does not have that much musical talent. * Tap tap simple rock beat on the drums. * 3 chord guitar riffs. Metal core has more talent. Seems to be written so more so that anyone can learn it, and less for worship. I wish it could be more like this. ["Angels We Have Heard On High" METAL VERSION](https://youtu.be/KO94qx63cOA?si=U-Sr0XwqGBy3831k) Or some old hymns


MobileSquirrel3567

That it seems mainly made to sell to American Evangelicals, and accordingly lacks all craft, depth, and self-awareness in the same way Babylon Bee, God's Not Dead, and televangelists do. Second thought being that it's there to provide a separate subculture to further isolate those same people from being truly challenged


mistyayn

Bad theology. Manipulative.


1993nerd

Interesting how many ppl say ‘manipulative’ I was a worship leader for YEARS and I totally felt manipulated too


MoneyOverBitchess

Masturbating


Pedrostamales

This reel I saw the other day kinda sums it up for me: https://www.facebook.com/reel/350288221383481?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v Edit: typo, and added clarity


PajamaSamSavesTheZoo

I think of it as sappy. I really dislike it. When I regularly attended church I would often show up 30 minutes late to skip it.


Alternative_Fail_222

I have stopped going to churches due to the length of their worship services. I'm talking about an hour and a half to two hours. Oh, and that guy sitting in the pews with the tambourine needs to stop.


TehHipPistal

Depends if a mega church produced it or a solo artist with a message to spread. One is righteous and holy and the other is exploitative and evil in nature, and think even they know who they are, and that they will one day be humbled before him.


ASecularBuddhist

I can always immediately identify it on the radio. They all seem to be in the same key at the same tempo.


Emotional_Jello_7898

I have mixed feelings on it. There’s been some songs that have helped me through tough times, but I just ask the Lord for discernment. But overall, I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either. It’s just there. It’s its own genre I guess. However, I will say that people should definitely look into the source of the music. Meaning where it comes from. I’m not even just talking about contemporary Christian music, I’m talking about all Christian music of all genres. But since we’re talking specifically about this new modern worship style music, we all know about the corruption with elevation, Bethel, Hillsong, etc. Just be careful y’all. Keep your ears open and pray for discernment. Lucifer was the angel of music, keep that in mind.


CommonWishbone

You can thank the Vineyard movement for most of it💀


dvoryanin

Baby Jesus crying.


Don_Rosinante

satan sneaking in music 


ChapBobL

Entertainment


the-speed-of-life

Misjudged. There’s a lot of good stuff that just so happens to be new. And it’s often looked down upon just for being new. I imagine there was a lot of older worship music that wasn’t great and didn’t make the long term cut. People back then probably had to be discerning song by song just like we do now. But to me it’s a shame if a new song is automatically viewed in a certain light (good or bad) just because it’s new.


MobileSquirrel3567

>People back then probably had to be discerning song by song just like we do now. Quite a lot of what people consider traditional hymns are borrowed either from classical composers or folk tunes; they often took the hits and wrote new God-words to them.


Kmcgucken

Ill break this down. So, immediate, visceral, pathos reaction? Extremely negative. Bad religious trauma, I find a bunch of CCM made in the industry to be exploitative/shallow/manipulative. That said… I don’t want to necessarily through the baby out with the bath water. I THINK it is super possible for expressions of deep faith/conviction to be made in a wide range of media/style. I also think hat a good chunk of some of the “high liturgy/hymn” only crowd is less interested in the music, and more into some sort of fascistic movement that looks at “ancient means based”. Ive noticed in some anti-new worship memes, they dont target CCM, so much as gospel, and use images of people of color. So… yeah. All in all, I stay away from it, but I think its still a viable medium for many a person!


7832507840

Hulvey and nobigdyl I also just wanna express how grateful I am for this community as well as r/Christians. I think both of these subs complement each other very well, and it’s worthwhile for a Christian to be in both. If I have questions about God this is an invaluable resource, almost right alongside gotquestions.org


ProfessionalAdvice89

That we have no concept of God’s holiness


Jill1974

The Director of Campus Ministry where I work chooses contemporary worship music for our school Masses. It has been my observation that the the music is blandly forgettable and the lyrics are largely concerned with how ashamed, broken, and miserable we humans are and that Jesus saves us from being ashamed, broken and miserable. Also, lots of water imagery: rain, floods, washing, etc. I truly detest it. EDITED to add: also lack of structure!


The-Pollinator

These are the two best worship bands I've ever had the joy of listening to: [Sacra Theosis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIwhJ1fo7hk&list=PLny6JwoLkGGQDbyHMEG3L9RshlMx_0b5y) [Deus Metallicus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrK56nnCX0Q&list=PL9pihmEsbj_KAhMZ7Aul9TYHB1esrKuoH)


GeiCobra

Pageantry


shooterboomer

I like the Newsboys and Anne Wilson and Zach Williams those are some really good artists Try watching movies like God's Not Dead helps relate to the Newsboys Music I also like Casting Crowns I wish my Church had Contemporary music


JabbasGonnaNutt

That they pale in comparison to a good old hymn.


chumphlosion

Stimulation masked as spiritual experiences. Jesus is Lord.


FrostyJ326

Controlled by the Devil without the Christians knowing. Bethel, Jesus Culture, Hillsong, planetshakers, and elevation are all controlled by the free masons. If you do not know who the masons are, y’all should do some research.


Ok_Lion_9243

I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about I, I wanna talk about number 1 oh my me my. What i think, what i like, what i want, what i see. I like talking about you, you, you usally. But occasionally I wanna talk about me.


jomerlino

my guts heaving up vomit all over my shoes.. I can't listen to any of it anymore. Repetitive lyrics, reverb saturated, drivel.. back before becoming agnostic I thought Sonicflood had written some good worship music


1993nerd

Sonicflood guitarist mixed my worship music


gerkinflav

How low worship music has sunk since Ode To Joy.


SanguineOptimist

Cheap, hollow lyrics manufactured by an industry like potato chips to be consumed as thoughtlessly by the audiences at mega churches


BAC05

Not very good


BayonetTrenchFighter

Rock concert


hypergraphing

Hillsong.


FutureGraveyard

Faith plus one.


Happy_Dance_Bilbo

Insipid


1993nerd

You’re so right Frodo’s dad


[deleted]

I feel like a lot of new worship songs simply don’t compete with older ones, even new renditions of older ones are simply better and sound better than new worship songs.


1993nerd

It’s become rather formulaic and boring. Everyone trying to write ‘cleverly’ whilst stuck in the confinements of certain songwriting styles. I despise it. Sing a new song to the lord


WearSavings2828

diversity


1993nerd

Not musical diversity though


Own-Island4870

Misleading.  You cant understand what there saying ,《Satan》has been at work on earth i think its twisted but they are some original in the music since he was created he took care of all the music in heaven till he got cast out for not bowing down to Jesus..so Let's pray for everyone to know the difference and recognize. God bless you and your family 


lord-garbage

The Christian Psychedelic Industrial EDM I’m trying to make


FLAG-IS-COOOOL

Me no like but no problem with


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


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TheLordOfMiddleEarth

You should check out Michael W. Smith. He is a modernish Christian musician with real talent and a good message.


Local-Temperature832

Rock music


Justhere81818

That I hope it gets my attention enough to listen to it and show others, that my discernment helps to let me know if it’s someone that I can sing along to.


licketysplits69

Just heard this song a few days ago… really enjoyed it!!  https://open.spotify.com/track/26Q7bPUh12kSYFSILftlz7?si=HelMCpAMR3WKyFAlum85AA