High-Energy Songs: the Shift from Upbeat to Anthems
When I grew up in church in the 90s, one of my favorite things were "clapping songs." In fact, when my family told me we'd be moving from Stillwater, OK to Arlington, TX, the way they pitched it to 4th-grade Chris was that "this church sings clapping songs!"
"Clapping songs" were songs, usually with a faster tempo, with clapping on the up-beats (2 and 4, not 1 and 3...never 1 and 3). "I Will Call Upon the Lord" and "Firm Foundation" were the standards in our hymnal, and with the rise of Zoe Group and Hallal in the 90s and 00s, more songs were added to the list quickly.
Not every song needs clapping to be upbeat, but it was clear that upbeat songs were on the rise. And from my personal vantage point, it appears that "upbeat" was the newest form of high-energy singing. Some older hymns brought this level of energy, especially ones with call-and-response. We also had the Stamps-Baxter style of church music, of which a few songs remain. But in the 90s and 00s, most new high-energy songs were upbeat, uptempo, and often clapping-friendly.
Recently, however, I have a theory that a new type of high-energy song is gaining prominence: anthems. Anthems have a "strong tune and serious feeling" while usually having a moderate or slower tempo. Anthems are rousing, and often impel the congregation to stand and sing...how could you sing this song sitting down?
Examples of anthems include: O Praise the Name (Zoe Group, Hillsong), Highly Exalted (Praise & Harmony), Reckless Love (United Voice Worship, Bethel), and Living Hope (P&H, Phil Wickham), to name a few.
Why the Shift from Upbeat to Anthem?
I can only guess at why this change is happening, but I think I have a good working theory. First, with the rise of modern worship music, we've traded a keyboardist for a full band. Anthems are easier to pull off with backing music, and they encourage people to sing along more than an average song does. Second, in acappella traditions, many of the more progressive churches are moving to instrumental worship. These churches were the ones where clapping-style upbeat songs were popular. As those churches continue to shift, the worship leaders and songwriters will focus less energy on writing and arranging songs that would've been the upbeat songs of this generation. So we continue to borrow and adapt from the instrumental scene—which has been a blessing, overall; there are a lot of good songs out there!—and have fewer resources to writing new songs. Third, those churches that remain acappella are relatively less interested in clapping, upbeat songs. Anthems generally stay away from clapping, so they have gained a lot of popularity, and upbeat songs gain little.
I'm not saying this is good or bad; music styles change, and worship styles can change, too. But as a worship leader, I have to shift my focus from including "upbeat" songs in our service, and focus more on "high-energy" songs, which will include upbeat songs or anthems.
And of course, not every new worship song is an anthem, and there are many popular songs that don't fit this category. (And I think it goes without saying that you can find good and bad theology in any style of song.) But it feels like a growing trend, and we as worship ministers should be aware of such trends and what they mean for our worship services.
"Clapping songs" were songs, usually with a faster tempo, with clapping on the up-beats (2 and 4, not 1 and 3...never 1 and 3). "I Will Call Upon the Lord" and "Firm Foundation" were the standards in our hymnal, and with the rise of Zoe Group and Hallal in the 90s and 00s, more songs were added to the list quickly.
Not every song needs clapping to be upbeat, but it was clear that upbeat songs were on the rise. And from my personal vantage point, it appears that "upbeat" was the newest form of high-energy singing. Some older hymns brought this level of energy, especially ones with call-and-response. We also had the Stamps-Baxter style of church music, of which a few songs remain. But in the 90s and 00s, most new high-energy songs were upbeat, uptempo, and often clapping-friendly.
Recently, however, I have a theory that a new type of high-energy song is gaining prominence: anthems. Anthems have a "strong tune and serious feeling" while usually having a moderate or slower tempo. Anthems are rousing, and often impel the congregation to stand and sing...how could you sing this song sitting down?
Examples of anthems include: O Praise the Name (Zoe Group, Hillsong), Highly Exalted (Praise & Harmony), Reckless Love (United Voice Worship, Bethel), and Living Hope (P&H, Phil Wickham), to name a few.
Why the Shift from Upbeat to Anthem?
I can only guess at why this change is happening, but I think I have a good working theory. First, with the rise of modern worship music, we've traded a keyboardist for a full band. Anthems are easier to pull off with backing music, and they encourage people to sing along more than an average song does. Second, in acappella traditions, many of the more progressive churches are moving to instrumental worship. These churches were the ones where clapping-style upbeat songs were popular. As those churches continue to shift, the worship leaders and songwriters will focus less energy on writing and arranging songs that would've been the upbeat songs of this generation. So we continue to borrow and adapt from the instrumental scene—which has been a blessing, overall; there are a lot of good songs out there!—and have fewer resources to writing new songs. Third, those churches that remain acappella are relatively less interested in clapping, upbeat songs. Anthems generally stay away from clapping, so they have gained a lot of popularity, and upbeat songs gain little.
I'm not saying this is good or bad; music styles change, and worship styles can change, too. But as a worship leader, I have to shift my focus from including "upbeat" songs in our service, and focus more on "high-energy" songs, which will include upbeat songs or anthems.
And of course, not every new worship song is an anthem, and there are many popular songs that don't fit this category. (And I think it goes without saying that you can find good and bad theology in any style of song.) But it feels like a growing trend, and we as worship ministers should be aware of such trends and what they mean for our worship services.
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