1 Girl Nation was originally made up of five talented young women but since its formation, Kelsey has left the band.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.”
Go Tell It On The Mountain
1 Girl Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.
While shepards kept their watching
o'er silent flocks by night,
behond, throughout the heavens
The shepards feared and trembled
when lo, above the earth
rang out the angel that hailed our Saviour's birth!
Go, tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.
Down in a lonely manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent our salvation
that blessed Christmas morn.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.
The song "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by 1 Girl Nation is a Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It begins by urging the listener to spread the news of Jesus' arrival by telling it "on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere." The song then recounts the story of the shepherds watching over their flocks when suddenly a holy light appears in the heavens. The shepherds are afraid, but an angel appears to tell them the good news of Christ's birth.
The second verse of the song continues with the story, describing how Jesus was born in a manger and offering thanks for the salvation that God provided on that special day. The refrain repeats the exhortation to tell others about Christ's birth, both locally ("over the hills") and globally ("everywhere"). The song ends with a final affirmation of the good news: "that Jesus Christ is born."
Line by Line Meaning
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Spread the word about Jesus Christ's birth with enthusiasm and urgency.
over the hills and everywhere.
Share this news far and wide, leaving no place untouched and unannounced.
Go, tell it on the mountain
Repeat this message incessantly, making sure it reaches all people.
that Jesus Christ is born.
Proclaim joyfully that the savior has been born, bringing hope and forgiveness to all humankind.
While shepards kept their watching
At the time when the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks,
o'er silent flocks by night,
during a calm night time,
behond, throughout the heavens
Suddenly, the entire sky was illuminated
There shone a holy light.
A glowing, divine light appeared and filled the sky, signifying a significant event.
The shepards feared and trembled
The shepherds were afraid and overwhelmed by this incredible sight.
when lo, above the earth
Suddenly, as if out of nowhere,
rang out the angel that hailed our Saviour's birth!
the angelic voice proclaimed that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was born!
Down in a lonely manger
In a poor and humble stable,
the humble Christ was born,
our savior, Jesus Christ, was born in a lowly and unassuming manner.
and God sent our salvation
On that blessed Christmas morning, God sent us our salvation,
that blessed Christmas morn.
fulfilling His promise and delivering hope and redemption to us all.
Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@catexev9899
people need to love these guys more. Only 10,000 subs? these guys deserve more!
@hannahchesnutt9812
Lovely song! Almost Christmas now!
@pattypeng3828
May now!
@nymfettes
I started listening to this in 2014 and it always gives me a really cool Chrismassy Spirit at morning and night!
@hannahchesnutt9812
Cool! This will be my 3rd Christmas season watching/listening to this too!
@hannahchesnutt9812
Yes. It has a really cool Christmassy Spirit at morning and night.
@nymfettes
oh lord this was 2 years ago
@hannahchesnutt9812
Chimi Fushiana It’s almost Christmas!:)
@nymfettes
@Hannah Chesnutt 2 days! I'm excited!
@hannahchesnutt9812
It's after Christmas and I'm still listening to it.