Music Monday: {You Are} by Colton Dixon

Hello, hello!  Thank you for stopping by for today's edition of Music Monday!  I'm glad you're here!

I first heard this song last week, and I immediately loved it. With a little research, I found out that this great song comes from American Idol contestant, Colton Dixon.  I didn't watch season 11, so it's been fun to get to know a little bit more about this up-and-coming Christian artist.  If you're not familiar with this inspirational young man, you can read more about him and his journey below.

Enjoy and be blessed!

Colton Dixon Bio from KLOVE's Website:
Tennessee native Colton Dixon first caught the attention of listeners on “American Idol” season eleven, with his cool vocals and positive attitude. Placing seventh on the popular music competition, Colton is now following in the footsteps of fellow Idol alums Mandisa and Jason Castro, by venturing into the world of Christian music.

His latest song, “You Are,” off his upcoming debut album A Messenger (January 29, 2013), is a worship song that Colton began writing long before his days on reality TV. “It’s a song that basically says that God is everything you’re not,” he explained to K-LOVE. “When we’re hurting, God’s always gonna be there to comfort us. He doesn't care how messy we are, He wants us. It’s a chance for me to worship him through this song.”

Colton started singing as a young teen, and always wanted to use his gift for ministry. “I started singing when I was 13 years old. I truly believe my voice was a gift from God to share the Message,” he says. “I hope that you enjoy my music, but furthermore, I hope you can connect with it personally and apply it to your everyday lives.”

During his time on Idol, Colton sang a powerful rendition of "Everything," by Lifehouse - a song that is very significant to him. "‘Everything’ by Lifehouse is one of my favorite worship songs of all time,” he said. “I was on YouTube and I saw a skit that someone had done with the song and it was so powerful! I can’t watch it with out crying...it’s so impacting! I saw ‘American Idol’ as an opportunity to bring the same impact to the viewers on the show.”

Shortly following his performance of "Everything," Colton performed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," a decision he now regrets. “I feel like singing 'Bad Romance' was not the best decision I made,” he explains. “Just because we're Christians doesn’t mean were perfect. We’ve all wanted something bad for us. But it probably wasn’t the best message to sing in front of people, if I could go back again I would probably chose a different song.”

Besides making a different song choice, the singer believes his time on Idol was well spent.“I’m so happy with the way things turned out...it was a fun ride!" he said. "I knew God was with me the whole time and it was obvious to me that I was doing what I was suppose to be doing.”

On his upcoming album Colton teamed up with with fellow artists Brandon Heath and Lifehouse's Jason Wade to write music. The singer recently shared his experience on his Facebook page: “Wrote with Brandon Heath today about how if we truly understood the love that God shows us, we would go crazy. In other words....it's impossible to understand.” He added, “Grace isn't something that is normal to us. It's impractical in a practical world, which is why it is not of this world.”

Even with Colton’s mass exposure from “American Idol,” he remains committed to share an inspirational message to the world. “'A servant isn't greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the One who sent him.' John 13:16. I try to live by this every day,” he says. “I believe that I am just one of the messengers that God has called to this world.”

You can visit Colton Dixon's website here.