We Want Spirituality, Just Not Too Much Of It

I'm going to a rock concert this month with my brother. Creed has reunited and I'd kick myself if I miss them this time around. Creed has me thinking about spirituality and the role it plays in music. As with most of my blogs, I should give some background explanation.

As a band, Creed has always explored themes of spirituality in their music. They've been praised and criticized for this. They were sometimes labeled a Christian rock band due to the fact that all of their albums focus on questions of faith, Christianity and eternity(1). I find this curious and intriguing.

Did people love Creed because of their Christian leanings or simply because they were a great rock band? I'd like to think a little of both. Their singles that had the most success, Higher, My Sacrifice, What's This Life For, My Own Prison, With Arms Wide Open and One Last Breath all contain allusions to Christian theology. Is this a coincidence?

Here's where I'm going with all of this: Now that Creed has reunited, will their upcoming album, titled Full Circle, contain the same spiritual allusions that brought them previous success? More importantly, if this album doesn't contain any spiritual content, will it be as successful as the other albums?

People seem to be drawn to spirituality...just not too much of it. There's this invisible line in secular music where, if God and Jesus are mentioned too much, it doesn't fly. Yet musicians that ponder the supernatural and the spiritual tend to be commercially successful. I use Creed as the most prominent example. Alanis Morissette, Garth Brooks, Tupac Shakur and Natasha Bedingfield are other artists that come to mind.

So what does all of this mean? I'm not quite sure. It could mean that spiritual issues should be dealt in small doses if they're to have a substantial impact. Spirituality and theology are complex subjects. Too much tends to fall on deaf ears. Maybe I'm just looking way too deep into this topic. Still, it intrigues me and I can't wait to hear what Creed has to say on their upcoming release.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creed_(band)