1 Girl Nation was originally made up of five talented young women but since its formation, Kelsey has left the band. Each lady possesses a strong, distinctive voice and tons of personality. “The really cool thing about the group is all five of us are individual people,” says Lindsey. “We have individual looks and styles and our voices are different. A big part of our message is that five completely different girls can come together and be unified and sound like one. We’re driven by our over-the-top, fun personalities. We have a blast!”
Each member of 1 Girl Nation had been pursuing separate musical careers when they heard about a unique opportunity to audition for a faith based, all-female pop group. They decided to try out and see where the open door would lead, and through a series of events, all were distinctly chosen to make up the group.
“We couldn’t imagine doing this journey alone,” says Kayli, who grew up on military bases all over the world due to her father's career in the Air Force, settling in Orlando, Florida. “I was already an artist on my own and heard about the audition for this group and thought it was the perfect fit. It’s such an incredible experience. We’re sisters. More than friends, we’re family and it’s just amazing.”
The 1 Girl Nation musical family also includes Lauryn Taylor, a 21-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama who heard about the opportunity from a friend who works inside the music industry; Kelsey, a Chicago, Illinois native with a degree in music education; Carmen, a singer/dancer who grew up in the Nashville area and attended famed Belmont University and the youngest member of the group, Lindsey, a pastor’s kid who hails from Jacksonville, Florida. “I was leading worship there and teaching K4,” Lindsey says of life before 1GN. “I’m overwhelmingly honored and blessed to be a part of a group of so many talented people.”
That bold sense of purpose and genuine affection for each other informs the music of 1 Girl Nation. Its influences range from the country sounds of Vince Gill and Alan Jackson that Kayli listened to as a child to Stacie Orrico and Kelly Clarkson, who are among Carmen’s favorites. Lauryn Taylor says her family listened to Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. Kelsey says those artists were also favorites in her home along with Rachael Lampa, 4Him and ZOEgirl. Lindsey smiles as she recalls being “obsessed with Jump5” and has always been a big Amy Grant fan.
Indeed there’s a sense of fun and a musically adventurous spirit that is pervasive throughout 1 Girl Nation’s debut, self-titled album. The title track, co-written by Lauryn Taylor and Lindsey, is a buoyant anthem sure to get audiences on their feet as the girls declare their mission. “Lauryn and I wrote ‘1 Girl Nation’ with Barry Weeks and this is our theme song,” says Lindsey. “It’s our message. It encourages girls to stop all the gossiping and trash talk, but come together, be strong, and live for their faith. Come together as a 1 Girl Nation. Our message is unifying the generation that’s rising. When we sat down to write the song, we talked about what our name meant to us and thought, ‘Let’s just write it down so no one has a question.
The group co-wrote more than half of the album, collaborating with such noted writers as Jason Ingram, Kipp Williams, Tony Wood and others. “We had a huge hand in the writing and song selection process,” says Lauryn Taylor. “I feel like our hearts are definitely in this album. It’s our stories.”
Those stories evolved into songs that carry powerful messages about finding identity in Christ and not in the things of this world as well as encouraging people to lean on God during times of struggle. “In the Eyes” reminds listeners “You are treasured/You are beautiful/In the eyes, in the eyes/Of the one who made you.” “As a girl group it was really important to us that there be a song that addresses self-image,” says Kelsey. “For our generation, that’s one of the most difficult things that girls face every day. I know that for each one of us, we’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced those feelings. We’ve all looked at those magazines. We’ve all wanted to be that girl in that picture. You don’t need to be defined by the things that the world tells you that you need to be defined by. The message of this song is: ‘You are a treasure. You are beautiful and that’s the truth.’”
“While We’re Young,” the group’s first radio single, encourages young people to make the right choices early in life. “There are a lot of songs on the radio today that say, ‘Let’s live while we’re young, just do whatever and take it day by day. You only live once,’” says Kayli. “It’s fun, but it’s only fun for a short amount of time. We wanted to put our own spin on that idea and say, ‘While we’re young we want to live out our faith and bring the message to young girls that you only live once, so why not live for Christ?”
“Count Your Rainbows” is an uplifting reminder that rainy days don’t last and “beauty begins right after the pain.” “I wrote that one with Casey Brown and Jonathan Smith,” says Lauryn Taylor, who sings lead on the tune. “While writing it, we were thinking about the young girls and their mom’s that are going to be listening to our music so it really took me back in thinking about my mom and the things she taught me growing up. One of the main things she taught me was to think on the things that are good, pure and lovely. Whenever a situation goes bad or there are negative things happening, count your blessings. Another cool way to say that is to count your rainbows.”
Each member gets a chance to shine on its debut. Carmen takes the lead on “Turn Around” while Kayli takes on “Vertical” and Kelsey steps out on “In the Eyes” and throughout the album, each member’s unique talents sizzle. However, even in the midst of all the fun, the dance moves and overall musical joyride that is 1 Girl Nation, the group members hope listeners will also take to heart the messages in their music. “We feel like it’s our job with the platform we’ve been given to inspire girls and give them the courage to stand up,” says Kelsey. “We want to be the voice for those girls who don’t have one. We want to give them the courage to say, ‘I’m strong. I’m empowered to live out what I believe.’ We want to make it cool to be the good girl because it is cool and we want to let them know.”
1 Girl Nation wants to encourage and inspire its audience, but ultimately they want to lead them to the source of all power. “The whole point of everything that we do is to bring more people into the Kingdom of Christ,” says Kayli. “We were given these talents, abilities, tools, opportunities and platforms to get people to know the name of Jesus and that’s the only reason why we do what we do. It’s a fun life and we get to play out our dreams because of the talent God has given us, but it all goes back to Him.”
Angels We Have Heard On High
1 Girl Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
in excelsis Deo
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
in excelsis Deo
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
in excelsis Deo
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Gloria, all the angels sing
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Gloria, all the angels sing
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Gloria, all the angels sing
See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
in excelsis Deo
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
in excelsis Deo
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Gloria, all the angels sing
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Gloria, all the angels sing
The song "Angels We Have Heard on High" is a Christmas carol that tells the story of the angel's announcement of Christ's birth. The first stanza describes the angels' joyous singing over the plains and mountains. The repetition of the word "Gloria" emphasizes the angel's praise to God ("Gloria in excelsis Deo" means "Glory to God in the highest"). The second stanza encourages people to go to Bethlehem to see the newborn king and to kneel before Him in adoration. The third stanza focuses on Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the manger while the angels continue to sing praises to God.
The song connects to the story of the Nativity, but it also reflects the joyous spirit of Christmas. The repetition of "Gloria" creates a joyous and celebratory atmosphere, reflecting the idea of Christmas as a time of jubilation and hope. The song also emphasizes the importance of worship and adoration, inviting the listener to join the angels in glorifying the newborn king. The gentle and cheerful melody of the song adds to its joyful character.
Line by Line Meaning
Angels we have on heard high
We are able to hear the angels singing high up in the sky
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
Their singing is beautiful and pleasant, spreading over the open fields
And the mountains in reply
Even the mountains are echoing their joyous music
Echoing their joyous strains
The mountains are reverberating with the joyful sounds the angels are making
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
Glory to God in the highest!
in excelsis Deo
This is a Latin phrase that means "in the highest to God"
Come to Bethlehem and see
We are invited to travel to Bethlehem and witness what is happening
Christ whose birth the angels sing
The angels' songs are praising the birth of Christ
Come adore on bended knee
We should worship and show respect by lowering ourselves down on our knees
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Jesus Christ is the king who has just been born
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
Glory to God in the highest!
in excelsis Deo
This is a Latin phrase that means "in the highest to God"
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Glory to God in the highest!
Gloria, all the angels sing
All the angels are singing out their praises to God
See him in a manger laid
We can witness Jesus being laid in a manger
Whom the choirs of angels praise
The angels are praising Jesus, who they believe to be worthy of their songs
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
Mary and Joseph are called upon to help in some way
While our hearts in love we raise
As we watch and experience this event, we should also raise our hearts in love
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
Glory to God in the highest!
in excelsis Deo
This is a Latin phrase that means "in the highest to God"
Glo-oh-oh Gloria Deo
Glory to God in the highest!
Gloria, all the angels sing
All the angels are singing out their praises to God
Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
볼아
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o`er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come and adore on bended knee
Christ, as the Lord, our newborn King
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Myra Liana
I always find myself jamming and dancing when I listen to your music
courtney warner
these ladies are wonderful,just heard them live on the church channnel on tv. i love the energy they bring :D
Anya Carlson
Love it! You girls are so talented!
solideogloria
well done mom and dad. I have two girls of my own. it is such a blessing that there still are good role models out there for the next generation!
newjonny
love it !!! great song
Luisa Rivera
Y'all are amazing singer's
Hannah Chesnutt
Luisa Rivera yes!
Kailyn Joviak
I love you guys! Just saw you tonight at the concert South Park! Loved it! Joy was my favorite song!
justine dc
I love how they make the songs more modern!! Awesome 😁more hip
James Zawacki
That's what I'm talking about! This song is just waiting to be sequenced with a nice Christmas light display!