



It was bound to happen. What was once confined to the secular pop music arena has made its way into the religious one. Watch out: Bubble-gum pop has officially invaded contemporary Christian music.

Teen pop has long reigned the charts of the Top 40 scene, as nubile young singers flourished amid their even younger fans. Leading the pack of today's, ahem, artists in this niche include teen singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, along with the male heartthrobs of 'N Sync.

Yet Christian music has been mostly immune to teen-pop acts. Really, though, is it any surprise that it has arrived? We've seen genres such as hip-hop, punk, ska, and hard-core rock find a successful place in Christian music, so why not teen pop?

Spearheading this frontier is Plus One, Christianity's version of the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, 98 Degrees, et al. The stats alone show that success is already coming. The group's first album, The Promise, sold more copies its first week than any other from a new contemporary Christian artist, and the first single, "Written on My Heart," nabbed the top position on the Christian Hits Radio chart for several weeks.

But is there more to the five guys who comprise Plus One than pretty faces, synchronized dance moves and decent voices? At first glance, the groups looks like they came from the same cookie-cutter mold that baked up their secular counterparts.

You know the formula for these groups: An industry suit rounds up four or five guys who don't know each other from Adam, gives them music to sing, teaches them some dance moves and voila! A contract is signed, a tour date is set, and the next thing you know, your 13-year-old daughter has their pictures adorning every wall in her room and will whine nonstop till she gets tickets to their concert.

Initially, the group didn't like being dubbed a "boy band" when they were put together about a year ago, but they've accepted it.

"We are a boy band, but we have come to embrace our own identity," said Nathan Walters, 22, by phone from Nashville, Tenn.

But some of the traits that accompany boy bands are strangely absent from Plus One. For instance, in the group's video for "Written on My Heart," not one crotch-grab is evident. And where are all the songs with sexually suggestive lyrics? Not on this album. Almost every song deals with faith, life and a relationship with God.

Yes, Plus One looks like a parent's dream come true: Here's a band of guys that your daughter will drool over, yet their songs are uplifting and as clean as Mom's freshly sanitized kitchen

In addition to Walters, the group is made up of Nate Cole, 19; Gabe Combs, 21; Jason Perry, 18; and Jeremy Mhire, 20. Though from different parts of the country, the members have similar traits.

"We're tight, and it has to do with our similar backgrounds," explains Cole, "Three of us are pastor's kids, and we all grew up in a church atmosphere. We were all involved with music growing up, in choirs and ensembles and stuff. We're used to working with others, which has made it easier coming together as a group."

In its sound, Plus One compares admirably with the other boy bands out there. No, these guys aren't revolutionizing music with something that's never been done before lyrically or musically. But what they are revolutionizing is teen pop as a viable category in contemporary Christian music. As pioneers in this field, they will appeal to the large demographic known as Generation Y -- and especially to those with double-X chromosomes.

How long can they last?

There's no long-term outlook for these artists, as they are the guinea pigs in this teen-pop experiment. But since contemporary Christian music fans aren't as apt to musical amnesia as mainstream listeners, there's a good chance that these artists will have long and successful careers, especially if they're willing to grow in their music. After all, Amy Grant was signed when she was 16, and Rebecca St. James' music was being shopped to music execs when she was just 13. Those two sing to a different audience, but both have found success.

What's exciting at the moment, however, is watching a significant niche being created in contemporary Christian music before our eyes. Though parents might not listen to these young artists as their first choice of music, they certainly shouldn't object to their kids hearing them, as they provide a nice alternative to secular teen pop. And who knows, those parents may even treat their kids to the artists' concerts -- no whining needed.

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