True Vibe

It was only a matter of time before the boy band craze found a foothold in contemporary Christian music. Sure, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync guys are of the Christian faith, but while they're singing playfully about girls and naïve relationships, the four members of True Vibe are getting down, going to church, and singing for the Lord. The production, hooks, and harmonies are so strong and slick, you might think you're listening to the other groups if they didn't say the words "Lord" and "Jesus" and make Biblical references in each song. The connection to the secular boy bands goes deeper than just a similar sound. This group is led by Jonathan Lippman, one of the founding members of pop supergroup 98°. Their themes are pretty basic. "Jump Jump Jump" is about the simple joy of the Lord; the anthemic "Now and Forever" is a declaration of love for God; and "You Are the Way" is a pop version of the classic John 14:6 passage where Jesus declares Himself "the Way, the Truth and the Life." "Sweet Jesus" sounds like any one of those wonderful yet generic pop ballads, directed at Jesus instead of the girl across the classroom. Lippman had a hand in writing that song, "Give You More," and "I Live for You."