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Introducing Britt Nicole
05-16-2007
by Kevan Breitinger
Britt Nicole is gearing up for the release of her debut Say It next week, (May 22nd), but she was kind enough to squeeze in a phone call with CMCentral about GMA week and reaching a hurting generation.
CMCentral (Kevan Breitinger): Hey, Britt, thanks for calling.
Britt: No problem, I’m glad I’m getting to do this with you guys.
So you must be really busy with the new album coming out.
Yeah, I just got back from GMA week. Then I went to Alabama this weekend to visit my brother at a youth conference he leads called The Ramp. But this week hasn’t been too bad.
I’m guess you really dug that conference, because your heart is all about reaching young people, right?
Yeah, I love it. I was so thankful to be there, after GMA week. The past month had been kind of a spiritual battle to me. I felt like the Lord’s been asking me to lay down my life more. I’ve surrendered my ministry to God and all that, but it’s a daily walk, and a daily decision that we make to serve the Lord with our whole heart. There are things I was still holding on to, but the Lord really spoke to me through Karen Wheaton, who leads the conference. She used to sing Southern gospel, and she came to me at the altar and prayed with me, a real divine moment. It was one of those moments in your life when you know, man, God changed something in me!
Since I got back I’ve had the best 4, 5 days! I’m so excited about the record, the ministry, and the opportunities that God is opening for me. Even more than that, on a personal level, I’m excited about my relationship with God. There’s a fire and a passion there that is renewed.
Very cool. All that makes sense to me since GMA week is so about business and as an artist and a minister that must take a toll on you.
Yeah, I don’t ever want to take it for granted. At GMA, you do interview after interview, often one every 30 minutes. But there’s two ways you can look at it: miserable with a complaining attitude, or you can realize that this is what we’re called to do. I want to be thankful that people want to talk to me. It’s another opportunity to minister to people. I like to think that when we talk, here on the phone, that there’s an actual purpose for it.
This was my first time at GMA as a signed artist, so everything was new to me. But it was a great opportunity to convey my message, what I felt God wanted me to say to the industry and to young people.
That’s cool, Britt. I hope the Lord enables you to keep that attitude and that energy.
"It's a process, a daily decision to wake up and say, 'I'm not gonna worry or fear, I'm gonna trust you'."
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I have so many awesome people surrounding me. The Sparrow people [Britt’s label] are so awesome, how passionately they love the Lord. They let you be your own person, they don’t try to put you in a box and say ‘this is what we want you to be so we can sell this many records.’ I believe it brings God’s favor to the record, and I’m excited about it.
I’m sure He’s blessing you for a purpose, because He knows the generation you’re reaching out to has such enormous needs. I know your promo material says you want to minister to the discouraged and broken hearted, but what do you think it is that’s breaking the hearts of this generation?
Young people and all people in general are searching for answers. If you look at the church, over 50% is divorced. I came from a divorced family. Kids are watching their families fall apart, and then there’s all the pressure of the world and the media. If you look at it from a young girl’s perspective, she faces pressures to look and be perfect, to be the right weight, have the right hair and the right skin. And then there’s more pressure from the marketplace, and it’s all about you, it’s all about me. When you live for the glory of yourself, you find yourself empty, because God created us for something so much deeper and more real, to fulfill the purpose and destiny He has for our lives. As a generation we’re hurting and searching for answers.
I’m called to be a voice of hope and a voice of freedom and love. When I see these kids hurting and breaking, I have to ask the Lord, what is my purpose? I know it’s to sing and share His message, but God made it really simple. He spoke to me and said: your purpose is to love. That’s my heart, not just when I’m on stage singing, but daily, to be Jesus in peoples’ lives.
You’re right. We make it so complicated, but it’s so simple. (laughing) Duh!
Yeah, it really is (laughing). We get caught up in ourselves, our lives, our finances, our work, the things of this world. But God tells us not to worry, not to fear, but to simply trust Him. We fall short so many times, we forget we serve a God who has everything under control.
I’m just walking through this myself. It’s a process, a daily decision to wake up and say, I’m not gonna worry or fear, I’m gonna trust you. I’ll spend time in Your Word because I know I need it to sustain me, to fill me. It’s like bread to me. I can’t afford not to spend time in the Word, in prayer, in worship because the call You have on my life is so much more than I even know. I have to be prepared. If I go without Him, I’m just another singer, just another artist singing songs off her record. We really don’t need any more artists or singers; we’ve heard good singers and good records. We need more than that. I’m hoping I can go out and see peoples’ lives change for God.
If that’s your perspective, I can see why you got along so well with the GRITS guys. They’re truth speakers, too.
Yes, they really are. I met Coffee at GMA week last year, he invited me to come out to tobyMac’s studio in Franklin, where I live, to write together. So I started hanging out a bit at the studio, and when he gave me an opportunity to sing on his record (“Redemption”) it was an honor for me.
Your sound has an urban edge to it, too.
It does, I love hip hop. I love anything that’s gonna make me dance, high energy and fun. (laughing) Hip hop is definitely a part of my sound.
So then you must have had a good time on the Winter Jam Tour. What was your favorite memory?
I loved watching the speaker, Tony Nolan, give the message of salvation every night. My favorite memory of every night was listening to him speak, share the gospel, and watch like 2,000 people stand up in response. It was such a powerful thing to see that many people stand to their feet and give a declaration together, to say ‘I’m gonna give my life to serve God.’ There was also a lot of fun times, but that was my favorite memory, to be a part of something like that.
You know, I knew I enjoyed your music, but I also dig your heart. I’m thrilled when I see God elevate and use someone with your kind of heart.
Yeah, I feel a connection with you, too. It’s great, isn’t it?
It is. Thanks again for your time.
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