Adam Jiwan, Technology Entrepreneur

When you’re doing it right, success should open up doors to bigger or greater success. But that formula can be difficult to solve if you are typecast or stuck in a certain “box.” This is often the case for entertainers who are very successful in one form of media or in one genre, but want to make the jump to another. That leap can be fraught with pitfalls, but it can also be very much worth the risk. 

Multiple Dove Award winning CCM singer Lauren Daigle’s debut album, “How Can It Be,” was certified platinum, one of only a few CCM records to achieve that level of sales. The milestone instantly made Daigle a standard bearer for a genre of music that is often marginalized, but whose fans expect a certain kind of representative. 

Speaking to entertainment media, Daigle said she’s cognizant of the pressure on her, “You’re sitting there with these awards and it’s a beautiful moment… how do I maintain this responsibility, how do I uphold this level of expectation?” 

As Ken Kurson noted, “One way is to advance the collective narrative of Christian Contemporary Music beyond the church and into the mainstream, much as former NFL and college football superstar Tim Tebow has. So far in her career, Daigle embraced those opportunities, singing a duet with C&W superstar Reba McEntire at the CMAs and even recording a song for the science fiction film, Blade Runner 2049.” 

Daigle followed those opportunities with what became the number 3 album on Billboard’s all-genre chart, “Look up Child.” But the success of that album doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in appealing to a more mainstream audience. In a conversation with the Associated Press, Daigle took the opportunity to reach across the aisle so to speak, talking about “breaking down walls” in Christian music. 

“As much as we want to create a white picket fence, it’s not real. It’s a facade. And I think the sooner we realize that people can be messy and people are fragile, the more we actually start to see through the eyes of God, or the God that I know. We experience kindness for humanity. We experience joy for humanity. And we run toward them instead of building all these barriers…” 

Daigle talked about “extending the tent pegs,” using language that would be immediately understood by her market to suggest that it was necessary for her genre to reach out, rather than stay isolated. “I don’t want to leave anybody behind, but how to do I also make music that people who might not listen to Christian music they can also connect to? They can also relate to? That’s super-important to me to make music that permeates all the walls and just tear all the walls down…” 

It’s a narrative that many fans of CCM music have heard before, especially from genre luminaries such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, DC Talk, and Skillet. While each act did find some mainstream success, they also struggled with some of the consequences of “crossing over.” Daigle’s message, for now, is clear, but she would be wise to consider the successes and failures of those who have been right where she is in prior generations.