Brittany Nicole Waddell, better known as Britt Nicole, was
born on August 2, 1984. She began
singing at age 3 in her home church, Truth Temple, in Kannapolis, North
Carolina. She is an alumna of Duke
University’s Brightleaf Music Workshop.
Her first album, SAY IT, dropped in 2007 and included the hits ‘Set the
World on Fire’ and ‘You’. She followed
this up with THE LOST GET FOUND in 2009.
It reached Number One on Billboard’s Christian Album’s chart. Britt says she values the authenticity of
artists such as Adele, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, and Coldplay. Britt’s third, and latest project, is
GOLD. It was originally released in 2012
on Sparrow Records. I am reviewing here
the mainstream re-release of GOLD (2013) on Capitol Records.
The title track ‘Gold’ starts things off. Penned by Britt, Dan Muckala, and Jess Cates,
this contagious dance number is the first mainstream single from the
album. It was inspired by Britt’s fans
who told her they were being bullied, were struggling, and didn’t feel that
they fit in anywhere. The song is a real
self-confidence booster: “Don’t let anybody tell you that you’re not loved/And
don’t let anybody tell you that you’re not enough/Yeah, there are days when we
all feel like we’ve messed up/But the truth is that we’re all diamonds in the
rough/So don’t be ashamed to wear your crown/You’re a king, you’re a
queen/Inside and out/You glow like the moon/You shine like the stars/This is
for you/Wherever you are.” ‘All This
Time’ was written by Britt, David Garcia, and Ben Glover. It is the first single for the Christian
market, spending eight weeks in a row at Number One. The song talks of how her parent’s divorce
caused her pain, but states that God was there for her: “I remember the moment/I
remember the pain/I was only a girl, but I grew up that day/Tears were
falling/I know You saw me/Hiding there in my bedroom, so alone/I was doing my
best, trying to be strong/No one to turn to/That’s when I met You.” This pop song musically and vocally sounds
like pre-major-controversy Miley Cyrus.
‘Look Like Love’ asks some very important questions: “If I
believe there’s a Savior/Is the proof in me?/Is He alive and breathing?/Is He
what they’ll remember?/Is He what they see/When they look at me?/Do I look
like, look like love? (2X). Britt slows
things down musically with ‘Who You Say You Are’. This one finds her confidently placing her
faith in God: “Life’s gonna knock me down/It’ s not gonna keep me down/I’m
gonna trust You now in every season/I know You’re here/I know You’re for me/I
know that joy comes in the morning/God, I believe it now/God, I believe You
now/You’re who You say You are/When life knocks me/I won’t stay down/I’ll get
back on my feet now/You’re more than a conqueror.”
‘Ready or Not’ features successful Christian hip hop artist
Lecrae. It has a cool feel to it and is
about witnessing for Christ: “I’m not ever sellin’ out/A love out loud is what
it’s all about/Givin’ everything to see the lost get found/Yeah, it’s goin’
down/You, you, you want me to take my light/Fit it in your box, right?/I want
you to look me in the eye.../I refuse to keep this buried deep inside of
me/Yeah, this lil’ light of mine, it’s time to let it shine a bit/Cause there’s
no point in hidin’ it/It’s everything I am/The source of all my hope.” ‘Breakthrough’ is a great pop song that
reiterates that Britt is a fighter: “You used to have me stumblin’/Yeah,
trippin’ again and again/But I been studyin’ you/And now I know you like the
back of my hand/You can’t keep me here/I’ve cried too many tears/Yeah, I’ve had
enough/Now I’m gonna call your bluff/You made your bet, but the stage is set,
get ready/’Cuz I’m lightin’ the fuse!/...I can feel a breakthrough comin’”.
‘Stand’ was penned by Britt, Dan Muckala, and Jason Ingram. It shows her vulnerable side: “I wake up to
another day/I don’t know if I can face/All the fears that are starin’ me
down/Yeah, I’m tryin’ to be brave/But I’m a thread about to fray/I want to
stand, but I don’t know how/I look up and all I see is Your love holding
me/When I feel like giving up/When my heart has hurt too much/Feels like I’ve
reached the end.” This one is a mellow,
radio friendly song. ‘The Sun is Rising’
is a song of encouragement that falls into the modern inspirational music category. Here are some of the words: “The night can
only last for so long/Whatever you’re facing/If your heart is breaking/There’s
a promise for the ones who just hold on/Lift up your eyes and see/The sun is
rising.../Even when you can’t imagine how/How you ever gonna find your way
out/Even when you’re drowning in your doubt/Just look beyond the clouds/The sun
is rising.” ‘Amazing Life’ is
appropriate music for a club’s dance floor: “It’s a colorful, colorful
world/Painted so bright/Gonna walk on air, gonna take flight/I’ll never
understand it all/It must be supernatural/I wanna drink, drink, drink every
drop of sunshine/Got a smile on my face, I won’t apologize/I’ll never
understand it all/It must be supernatural.”
‘Still That Girl’ is a quiet song written by Britt, David
Garcia, Christopher Stevens, and Ben Glover.
It asks a good question of those of us who sometimes question God’s
ways: “What if the picture is bigger than you see/And God has you right where
He wants you to be?/Just listen to your heart.”
‘Seeing for the First Time’ finds Britt having an intimate encounter
with her Creator: “I lay here under the stars/In awe of who You are/You’ve
never been so real/I’ll never understand it fully/Lost here in Your beauty/No
words could say how I feel/It’s like I’m seeing for the first time/Like You
opened my eyes/To show me everything I missed before/And I want more.”
Britt Nicole is married to Joshua Crosby. They have a young daughter named Ella. Britt says: “I write songs to myself and it’s
always great to see them connect with other people who need to be reminded that
worth doesn’t come from having all the right things or from success-it’s about
being who you are.” GOLD is a clean,
fun, Christian pop album that does not disappoint! Britt’s voice is great and the pictures of
her accompanying this mainstream re-release are cute and tasteful. This album, which I’m rating 93%, is a good
alternative to a lot of the sexually infused pop music on the market today. For more info visit: www.brittnicole.com.