Bebo Norman Readies Self-Titled BEC Disc

Starting fresh with a new label behind him, singer/songwriter Bebo Norman is set to release his seventh project on September 16, 2008. Following the 2007 holiday Dove-nominated album, Christmas From The Realms of Glory, Bebo will release this self-titled, full-length project as a BEC Recordings artist. The forthcoming CD is co-produced by Norman, Jason Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp.

Bebo Norman is rooted in the tuneful sensibilities of comparable artists like James Taylor and John Mayer; all the while, he is confidently stretching the musical arrangements to his worshipful melodies.

"I ended up making a record that I'm really proud of because it is melodically simple in a refreshing way, with space, depth and pop-sensibility that makes it feel current and in line with what inspires me these days musically," shares Bebo Norman of the upcoming album.  "I like that we took the core of where I come from as a writer and made it feel new again."

Thematically the new project communicates fresh beginnings.  Each song is tied with the common thread of rebuilding from brokenness and realizing that faith is not about what is accumulated or accomplished spiritually, but rather a desperate clinging to Christ.  The debut radio singles for AC ("Britney") and CHR ("Pull Me Out") tell the tales of such rebuilding.

"'Britney' is a song about what our culture says and does to young women these days," explains Norman of the August 1st AC single. "It's about the lies we tell them about fame and money and what's beautiful and what will give them life.  It's an apology for those lies.  But more than that, it's an invitation to the truth about a God who is bigger than the pain this world so often leaves them in."

Radio stations are already being impacted by "Britney" weeks before the official add date. Bob Sloane of KVMV shared this after listening to the single, "I wasn't sure what to expect, but by the end of the song, my wife and I were both moved to tears. (That happens to her all the time, but not me!) I told her that if that song wasn't God inspired, nothing is and she agreed. "Britney" is exactly what Christian radio needs...songs that compassionately peer into our culture, address problems, and offer a Christ-centered solution. Definitely the most powerful and moving song of the year!"

Talking about the CHR single that was the most added song this week, "Pull Me Out," Norman shares the background behind the lyrics, "I have silently walked the last four years or so with a building and recently diagnosed struggle with anxiety. The irony is that the struggle has been with the one thing I have always found comfort and consistency in - singing the songs that I so dearly love to sing. This song is about letting go of the earthly things that drag me down and holding tightly to the things of heaven that pull me out."


To support the new record, Bebo Norman will head out this fall as a special guest with MercyMe, in addition to various headline dates throughout the fall followed by a Christmas tour.