Bethany Dillon's "Imagination" Turns 10 Years Old

On August 16, Bethany Dillon's Imagination turns 10 years old.  "Imagination" is the then 16 year-old's sophmore album that takes a step closer to CCM than her self-titled debut. Imagination is an optimistic, thoughtful album, full of interesting  melodies and interwoven with string arrangements and heartfelt lyrics. This album is half energetic worship service, half quiet solitary confession. 

This CD which prompted CCM Magazine to label her as the future of contemporary Christian music. This is what CCM Magazine has to say about "Imagination:" 'In just over a year's time, Bethany Dillon has managed to turn quite a few heads with the critical and commercial success of her self-titled debut and a maturity far beyond her years. Now with the release of her stellar sophomore record, IMAGINATION, an opening slot on Jeremy Camp's next tour and a song on the upcoming NARNIA soundtrack, her momentum continues to build." 

"Imagination" produced three singles: "All That I Can Do," "Imagination" and "Dreamer."  All of which were top 40 Christian hits, with "All That I Can Do" making all the way to #23 on the Billboard Christian Song chart.

Of the lead single "All That I Can Do," Dillon reveals: 'This past spring Ed (Cash) played some music for me that he and a friend, Dave Barnes, had written while I was at home in Ohio. I immediately fell in love with it... it was so alive and inviting. We sat on the deck outside of the studio one afternoon and, yet again, God provided the lyric in just a few hours. The wonderful thing about it was that it echoed our hearts during that frantic time of feeling pressure to finish the record: 

"When the waves begin to rise/And all my hope fails/In confidence, I'll close my eyes/Trusting You'll be there/Be there..." 

I admit that I'm so easily led away by busyness and schedules; I look over the need to trust God and just depend on myself. And the strange thing about it is that only creates more worry and anxiety. I'm learning that the only way true peace can be found is when I let go of my fear and self-sufficiency and hold tight onto Jesus." 

Another highlight from the record is the single "Dreamer."  "Dreamer" was also slated as the theme song to the film Dreamer starring Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, and Elisabeth Shue.

Speaking of the song, Dillon explains, 'It was so much fun writing this one. I was writing in my room one night, trying to come up with some song ideas, and a melody started to take form. I called Brad and Ed as soon as I finished it. I sang it for them with the phone resting on my knee (that takes talent, by the way). I took a deep sigh of relief... we had the last song for the record. The next week when I was in Nashville, Ed and I wrote the lyric. We wanted to call it "Dreamer"-for it to be a song about faith. There was a movie that we had been able to see in a screening a few weeks before that inspired a lot of it, actually. The song slowly became a story about a good King who gave up everything for his kingdom... a story about the heart of Jesus told in a very mythical way.' 

 

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