#MusicMonday: Colton Dixon's EP will show you the way to true Calm and godly peace

Welcome to my next #MusicMonday post. Today, I am going to review Colton Dixon's newest EP Calm. In the rare case you are unfamiliar with Colton Dixon, he was a contestant on the 11th season of the hit reality singing television competition, American Idol. He's from  Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He ended up being cast off the show and placing seventh that season. It appeared all hope was lost because the show wasn't a fan of the fact that he wanted to become a Christian singer instead of just a secular pop rocker. Ryan Seacrest during one episode actually interrupted Colton when he was sharing some of his faith story. When he was voted off, I bawled my eyes out (He was both equal parts handsome and talented, and he loved Jesus. Excuse me for fangirling). Yet, a few years after leaving American Idol because he was so musically talented and could write his own songs, plus he stuck with Jesus despite the pressures of popular society and opinion, he was signed to Sparrow Records. I was so excited for him. Recently, during the weekend of Night of Joy 2015, on September 11, 2015, he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Annie Coggeshall. Simultaneously, The Calm Before The Storm was released on the same day, dual EPs where Calm contains acoustics of songs from his previous albums Anchor and Messenger, and Storm contains remixes of tracks from both albums. 

Song By Song Review

"Limitless": A song about how nothing is impossible with God, I personally wake up with this song in my head lately. The song was co-written by Christian music legend, Matthew West. My favorite verse from the song: 

Doubt sees a mountain, no way around it

Faith sees a victory, no doubt about it

Fear sees a ceiling, hope sees the stars

Love be the light inside of our hearts 

"Never Gone": My favorite part of the acoustic version of this song is the bells that are played alongside the piano track. One of my favorite Colton Dixon songs about how God never leaves us or forsakes us, Colton's vocals slay on the acoustic version of the track.

"You Are": This track off the Messenger album originally helped me through one of the toughest seasons of my life. The acoustic version features vocals from Colton's younger sister, who also originally auditioned for the eleventh season of American Idol, Schyler Dixon. It's a beautiful song just praising God for who He is.

"Through All of It": This song recently helped me through my grief over Geniveve's passing. It's a song about how God helps us through the trials in our lives:

And this is who You are

More constant than the stars up in the sky

All these years of our lives

I, I look back and I see You

Right now I still do

And I'm always going to

"Where I End": An original track written by Colton for this EP, it's a beautiful song about how God takes our weaknesses and makes them strengths. Based on 2 Cor. 12:9.

Obviously, I recommend the album to anyone young or old who needs to find some calm in the midst of whatever storm they may be facing.

Until next time, remember: At first, I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." -2 Cor. 12:9, MSG.♥

Love Times Infinity,

Chelsea

xoxo

God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming~