Beyond The Turntable

Bethany Dillon may still be young, but she's established herself as a mature artist. The 16-year-old even got the songHero from today's sophomore release, Imagination, included on the soundtrack for the upcoming Narnia movie.

I was blown away in 2004 when I saw Bethany play during GMA (Gospel Music Association) week in Nashville, and gave her first CD, Bethany Dillon, a very favorable review. She was subsequently nominated for New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year and her debut was nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Imagination shows that she'll be a frequent nominee in those categories. With 2005's GMA Producer of the Year Ed Cash (Caedmon's Call, Chris Tomlin) again lending his talents, Dillon wrote or co-wrote all 11 tracks on Imagination.

The focus is on songs about grace and redemption, an attempt to honestly portray a life of faith as seen through the eyes of a teenager who's life has been a whirlwind of activity since her pre-high school days. Musically, the project varies from quiet tunes stripped down to the basics, to up-tempo pop rock offerings. Cash understands how to showcase Dillon's abilities and perfectly complements her talents. One of my favorite songs is the simple but passionate praise song, Hallelujah:

Hallelujah, hallelujah / Whatever's in front of me, help me to sing hallelujah

Imagination is for fans of Bethany Dillon, female pop rock artists and songwriters. This is not bubble gum pop or Christianized Britney. Bethany Dillon is a true artist and songwriter with something worthwhile to say, not merely the result of a marketing gimmick.

Visit: Bethany Dillon. It's kind of a "girly" website, but that's okay when the artist is a high-school aged girl.