1 Girl Nation was originally made up of five talented young women but since its formation, Kelsey has left the band.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. βThe really cool thing about the group is all five of us are individual people,β says Lindsey. βWe 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. Weβre driven by our over-the-top, fun personalities. We have a blast!β
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.
βWe couldnβt imagine doing this journey alone,β 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. βI was already an artist on my own and heard about the audition for this group and thought it was the perfect fit. Itβs such an incredible experience. Weβre sisters. More than friends, weβre family and itβs just amazing.β
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 pastorβs kid who hails from Jacksonville, Florida. βI was leading worship there and teaching K4,β Lindsey says of life before 1GN. βIβm overwhelmingly honored and blessed to be a part of a group of so many talented people.β
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 Carmenβs 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 βobsessed with Jump5β and has always been a big Amy Grant fan.
Indeed thereβs a sense of fun and a musically adventurous spirit that is pervasive throughout 1 Girl Nationβs 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. βLauryn and I wrote β1 Girl Nationβ with Barry Weeks and this is our theme song,β says Lindsey. βItβs 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 thatβs rising. When we sat down to write the song, we talked about what our name meant to us and thought, βLetβs 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. βWe had a huge hand in the writing and song selection process,β says Lauryn Taylor. βI feel like our hearts are definitely in this album. Itβs our stories.β
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. βIn the Eyesβ reminds listeners βYou are treasured/You are beautiful/In the eyes, in the eyes/Of the one who made you.β βAs a girl group it was really important to us that there be a song that addresses self-image,β says Kelsey. βFor our generation, thatβs one of the most difficult things that girls face every day. I know that for each one of us, weβve all been there. Weβve all experienced those feelings. Weβve all looked at those magazines. Weβve all wanted to be that girl in that picture. You donβt 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: βYou are a treasure. You are beautiful and thatβs the truth.ββ
βWhile Weβre Young,β the groupβs first radio single, encourages young people to make the right choices early in life. βThere are a lot of songs on the radio today that say, βLetβs live while weβre young, just do whatever and take it day by day. You only live once,ββ says Kayli. βItβs fun, but itβs only fun for a short amount of time. We wanted to put our own spin on that idea and say, βWhile weβre 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?β
βCount Your Rainbowsβ is an uplifting reminder that rainy days donβt last and βbeauty begins right after the pain.β βI wrote that one with Casey Brown and Jonathan Smith,β says Lauryn Taylor, who sings lead on the tune. βWhile writing it, we were thinking about the young girls and their momβs 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.β
Each member gets a chance to shine on its debut. Carmen takes the lead on βTurn Aroundβ while Kayli takes on βVerticalβ and Kelsey steps out on βIn the Eyesβ and throughout the album, each memberβs 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. βWe feel like itβs our job with the platform weβve been given to inspire girls and give them the courage to stand up,β says Kelsey. βWe want to be the voice for those girls who donβt have one. We want to give them the courage to say, βIβm strong. Iβm empowered to live out what I believe.β We want to make it cool to be the good girl because it is cool and we want to let them know.β
1 Girl Nation wants to encourage and inspire its audience, but ultimately they want to lead them to the source of all power. βThe whole point of everything that we do is to bring more people into the Kingdom of Christ,β says Kayli. βWe were given these talents, abilities, tools, opportunities and platforms to get people to know the name of Jesus and thatβs the only reason why we do what we do. Itβs 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.β
Let It Go
1 Girl Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door
The snow blows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen
Like the swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in
Heaven knows I've tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always had to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door
And here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let it go, let it go
The cold never bothered me anyway
It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all
Up here in the cold thin air, I finally can breathe
I know I left a life behind
But I'm too relieved to grieve
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door
And here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let it go, let it go
The cold never bothered me anyway
Standing, frozen, in the life I've chosen
You won't find me, the past is so behind me
Buried in the snow
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door
And here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let it go, let it go
The cold never bothered me anyway
Let it go
And here I'll stay
'Cause the cold never bothered me anyway
"Let It Go" by 1 Girl Nation is a song that talks about a woman who has been suppressing her feelings, pretending to be someone she is not, and trying to fit into the mold that others have expected her to fit into. She finds herself in a kingdom of isolation where she is the queen, but she feels she cannot express herself freely. She sings about the swirling storm inside of her, which she has been struggling to contain. Eventually, she realizes that she cannot hold back her true self any longer, so she decides to let go and be true to herself.
The lyrics talk about how the distance from others can make your fears and worries seem small. Once you are far away from the people who have been controlling you, you can finally breathe fresh air and be free. The mention of the snow that is burying the past is symbolic of new beginnings and leaving the past behind. The singer is finally ready to let go of everything that has been holding her back and move on with her life.
In conclusion, "Let It Go" is a song about personal growth and discovering one's true self. The lyrics are empowering and resonating with anyone who has ever felt the need to pretend to be someone they are not to fit in with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Let it go, let it go
Allow it to leave your mind, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
It's impossible to contain these emotions any longer
Turn my back and slam the door
I'm leaving and never looking back
The snow blows white on the mountain tonight
The weather reflects my current state of mind
Not a footprint to be seen
No one else is here to see me let go
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen
I'm alone and in control of my decisions
The wind is howling
My emotions are building up and becoming uncontrollable
Like the swirling storm inside
Just like the storm within me, everything is spinning out of control
Couldn't keep it in
I tried to suppress everything, but it didn't work
Heaven knows I've tried
I've done everything I could to keep it all in
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Don't let anyone else see my vulnerable side
Be the good girl you always had to be
Always be the perfect, obedient girl
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Hide my emotions, don't show any weakness
Well, now they know
But now everyone knows what's been hidden all along
And here I'll stay
I'm planting my feet and not moving anymore
The cold never bothered me anyway
The past hardships don't matter now; I can handle anything
It's funny how some distance
Being removed from the past makes it seem so trivial
Makes everything seem small
Nothing from before has an impact on me anymore
And the fears that once controlled me
All the fears that once held me back
Can't get to me at all
No longer have an effect on me
Up here in the cold thin air, I finally can breathe
Now that I'm free from fear, I can finally breathe with ease
I know I left a life behind
There is a past that I walked away from
But I'm too relieved to grieve
Even though there's loss, I'm grateful for my newfound freedom
Standing, frozen, in the life I've chosen
I'm choosing to stay put and not let anyone else influence me
You won't find me, the past is so behind me
Referring to the fear in the past, it's always behind me
Buried in the snow
My past life is buried and gone now
'Cause the cold never bothered me anyway
Past pains will not disturb me anymore
Writer(s): Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
Contributed by Samantha P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nippotle
I love how you guys sing in harmony...
It's so cool!!!
And you are all blessed with AMAZING voices:)
Thank you so much for being such an inspiration!! Merry Christmas!!
CertainlySoup
theyβre just blessed with auto tune lol
The Best Movie
Praise God!! This version sounds a trillion times better than Disney's version! β‘β‘β‘β‘
C and T McComb
AMEN
dzutz
Sooooooooo riiiiiiiggggggghhhhhhtttttttt
Araya Gonzalez
true dat. π
BatZion Francesca
That was AH-MAY-ZING. One of the best 'Let It Go' covers I've ever heard! :)
BatZion Francesca
claps hand over mouth to prevent giggles
whispers It's not a suchΒ secret anymore....
Kyle Perry
I have a secret love for @1 Girl Nation 's music.Β #shh #dontell Β
Deborah Dunbarr
They are so blessed with beautiful voices.
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR