A Real Story To Tell Posted January 26, 2024 By BraddenFord_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know Kevin Quinn is one of the newer faces making waves in Christian pop music. Kevin first stepped into the spotlight for his role on the Disney Channel show Bunk'd. He eventually landed the starring role in the Netflix Christian musical A Week Away, where his experience helped him rededicate his life to following God. Since then, Kevin has released two EPs and toured with Winter Jam as a part of their 2020 and 2022 lineups. His most recent pop offering, Real Me, shares his battle with mental health and trusting God's plan for his life in the middle of it.
What It Sounds Like Real Me is a fantastic showcase of Kevin's modern sound and honest songwriting ability. Many of the songs find a sound between mainstream pop radio and current CCM sounds, giving the project a welcoming and heartful sound for listeners. Songs like "I'm Not There Yet" and "Rise Above" lean in on Kevin's vocal delivery paired with acoustic and contemporary music influences, while songs like "Real Me" and "Way Up" put his signature pop sound at the forefront. Kevin even ventures into the R&B music scape with the project's lead and catchy single, "Blessed."
Spiritual Highlights Real Me is a project of growth. The EP tackles these topics like trying to fit in, finding purpose, and learning we can't make it ourselves. Songs like "I'm Not There Yet" stand out as an honest prayer. The lyrics are filled with emotions of confusion and frustration before accepting God's plan beyond our own. Even the more fun-sounding songs like "Way Up," "Learning To Let Go," and "Give You Up" are songs of overcoming, surrender, and having faith in God's plan for us. The whole project is a powerful reminder, especially for young listeners, to keep trusting in God through the growing pains of life.
Best Song
The project's first song and title track, "Real Me," immediately struck me when I first heard it. The song is an honest look at struggling with mental health and accepting the freedom to be ourselves. Over the past few years, I've gone through my own battle with mental health and learning not to live as a "people pleaser." The identity and the story God has given us wasn't a mistake to hide. He uses it to make us into who He has made us be.
Although I've walked through my shares of trials, brokenness, feeling left out, and finding myself again, I look back and see how far He's brought me. It's a testimony for myself to keep holding onto Him and to share with others who are going through the same battles. The song shares that even in our broken state, God is restoring, revealing, and walking with us to become more like Him in the perfect identity He destines for us all.
Final Word
After watching the movie A Week Away, I became a huge Kevin Quinn fan. Hearing behind the scenes how being in that movie impacted his faith and helped him decide to pursue Christian music was even more exciting to me. I had high hopes for his first project, and Real Me delivered. It's a solid modern pop project that pushes the lines of what I usually hear in Christian music. The EP is upbeat, deep, honest, and full of God's truth of identity, told to connect with listeners for whatever challenges they are walking through.
