About the Artist

Who Sounds Like Who
Deas Vail  For KING & COUNTRY  Lincoln Brewster  Tenth Avenue North  Newsboys  MIKESCHAIR  Satellites and Sirens  Desperation Band  Acquire The Fire  WorshipMOB  Tauren Wells  Landry Cantrell  Zealand  Chris August  Jason Gray  Apollo LTD  Hillsong United  Unspoken  Citizen Way  Matt Maher  Austin French  Trinity  Bethel Music  Kevin Quinn  Futures  Brandon Lake  Local Sound  Mosaic MSC  Ben Fuller 

Who Are They
If it weren’t for OneRepublic, songs like Beyonce’s “Halo”, Kelly Clarkson’s “Halo” and Adele’s “Turning Tables” wouldn’t exist. That’s because in addition to being an excellent front man, lead singer Ryan Tedder is one of the busiest songwriters in modern music. His prolific pen has contributed hits for artists as stylistically diverse as Ellie Goulding and U2. And the band’s own catalogue is full of lyrically rich songs including “Apologize”, “Secrets and “Counting Stars. Formed in their college days in Colorado, the Grammy-nominated guys of OneRepublic have weathered failed record deals and lineup changes and established themselves as a band that is both reliable yet always looking to evolve musically.

What Are Their Messages
Tedder grew up in a family of pastors and missionaries, going to church most of his life. He claims to be a Christian but was also reportedly put off by many things he saw within the Christian music industry during a two-year stint living in Nashville. As such, OneRepublic occupy the same space that bands like Mumford & Sons and The Fray occupy; mainstream bands whose lyrics are often filled with obvious spiritual content and truths. In fact, when quizzed about the meaningful nature of their lyrics, Tedder responded, “If everybody else sings about sex and love and lust and money, then somebody's gotta be singing about life and faith and hope and things of that nature.” Pointing to U2’s lack of #1 singles but constant cultural relevancy, OneRepublic seem poised to continue to add songs to the pantheon of pop music that make a lasting impression.

What Does A Youthworker Need2Know
It is rare for a band as successful as OneRepublic to remain as consistent and levelheaded as they have. It is even rarer to find an established band’s discography free of lewd or crass content but these guys have made a career out of defying expectations. If your students are OneRepublic fans, they are privy to some of the most quality mainstream music being made today, both in quality and content. Never resorting to gimmickry or over-sexualization to sell records, this band has the talent to stick around for a while. Hopefully, they will continue to remain solid and steadfast, making music from the heart and not the wallet. Keep an eye on their songs, sometimes it can be an easy step from an honest song into God's truth.