Th… Read Full Bio ↴ZOEgirl was a very successful Christian pop rock band from 2000-2006.
The group was started with the three ladies: Alisa Noelle Girard, Chrissy Conway and Kristin Swinford. The three have each gotten married since then and go by the following names: Alisa Childers, Kristin Schweain, Chrissy Conway-Katina.
With more than 1 million albums sold worldwide and an impressive track record that heralds them as the fastest-selling debut artist in the 26-year history of Sparrow Records, ZOEgirl has managed to create a success story that continues to get bigger and bigger with the release of each new album. Performances at venues like New York's Madison Square Garden, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Walt Disney World have helped ZOEgirl become one of the top female pop groups in Christian musica platform upon which Chrissy Conway, Alisa Girard and Kristin Swinford keep building brick by brick. ZOEgirl exploded onto the scene in 2000 with the group's self-titled debut (ZOEgirl), scoring four Top 5 radio hits. They followed with a sophomore album, Life, which continued to propel the girls' blossoming career. Those first two projects placed ZOEgirl in front of hundreds of thousands of fans on stage with artists such as Newsboys, Plus One, Avalon and Carman. Following the late 2003 release of their last album, Different Kind Of FREE, ZOEgirl hit the ground running as a featured artist on the 25-city Shoutfest tour before heading out on their first headlining tour in early 2004.
The FREE Experience tour, which also featured Superchick, Joy Williams and Focus on the Family speaker Susie Shellenberger, was a huge success with audiences across the country. The FREE Experience tour saw sell-out attendances in many markets during a year when the touring industry was taking a hard hit. Now, with Room To Breathe, their first new album in over a year, ZOEgirl is moving forward with some of the most compelling music of their career. Produced by Mark Heimermann, Double Dutch (Robert Marvin), Josiah Bell, Shawn Shankel, Tedd T and Dan Muckala, Room To Breathe encompasses ZOEgirl's growth as singers, songwriters, artists and women. "I think with each album we've been able to integrate more and more of who we are," Alisa says. "We've really seen a need and have been trying to fill that void for young girls to have a different option when it comes to pop music, and we've done it without trying to fit into any kind of mold or demographic. I think we've just really focused in on who our listeners are and what they want to hear." As every recording artist knows, longevity does not come easily in a fast-paced music industry that is constantly chasing the next big trend. But ZOEgirl's biggest accomplishment is their unending ability to connect with their fans around the world. "Our audience is constantly expanding," says Chrissy. "We've got younger girls, teenagers (including boys!), and parents coming to all of our shows and they are having a great time.
We've had some great conversations with them and we really love getting their feedback."
That feedback whether it comes through letters, after-show meetings or one-on-one time spent with young girls on recent mission trips translates into some of the real life moments Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin write about on their albums. Room To Breathe captures those poignant moments that come straight from the heart. Filled with soaring harmonies and brimming with a personal style that is quintessentially their own, the CD's tracks include the album's first radio single, About You, an up-tempo pop melody about learning to take the focus off yourself and make it all about God. Dead Serious, the track ZOEgirl calls the most fun song on the album, is a tribute to "all of those kids who really are standing up for what they believe, even though it's not always the most popular thing to do", Kristin explains. The album's title is pulled from a song called The Way You Love Me, written by Chrissy and songwriter Lynn Nichols. "This song talks about how it's so unfathomable to realize how much God loves us despite what we do every day", Chrissy explains. "We can't ever fully grasp how he could love us so much that he died for us. The lyrics say, You gave me room to breathe, a place to get away. I'm standing in your presence with a debt I can't repay".
One of the album's most honest and affecting songs is Scream, a lyric and music written by Alisa and inspired in part by some painfully revealing stories told by girls the group met on the road and while on a mission trip. "There are girls out there who admit to all kinds of self-destructive behaviors like eating disorders, drug abuse, drinking and cutting themselves out of a desperate need to numb the pain and cry out for help," Alisa shares. Does anybody know how I feel? Sometimes I'm numb; sometimes I'm overcome...Do I have to scream for you to hear me? Do I have to bleed for you to see me? Because I grieve and you're not listening to me. The song was a shower of emotions for Alisa, who was jointly inspired by hearing the deep hurts shared by the girls she'd met, and in honestly grieving her own personal pain and dealing with depression. "It took me two hours to write the whole song, and it was as if in that two hours I went through the pain of it and the healing of it. It was as if God just poured it out of me. It was so powerful." Having traveled on summer mission trips for the past two years, Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin have gained a renewed passion and vision to reach the world. As part of that effort, they have launched ZOEgirl Missions, a way to partner with their listeners in reaching out to areas in need. The first official ZOEgirl Missions trip took place last summer in Quito, Ecuador. Partnering with Big World Ventures, ZOEgirl took a missions group to visit retirement homes, play with children in orphanages, perform drama and music, and participate in various work and building projects for churches in Quito. This July, ZOEgirl is planning a second trip to Ecuador, partnering again with Big World Ventures, and taking various teams with specific gifts. Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin will bring with them construction teams, music and worship teams, and teams that will visit nursing homes and orphanages. They will spend time with the residents, nurturing and serving them with whatever they need, whether it's a haircut, a hug, or someone to sit with them and hold their hand. It's ZOEgirl's hope that they will touch those who experience so little human touch. "If we hadn't done these trips we wouldn't be the group we are now," says Alisa. "The girls who have gone on these trips have inspired more songs than they know." "These trips have really opened my eyes to the world,"
Chrissy adds. "It has given me a new appreciation for life and has taught me so much in the process." Glancing back, in the rear-view mirror of their career, it's the relationships they build, the lives they touch and the impact they make for Christ that fuels this trio of women more than anything else. "At the end of the day, in 20 years, I want to get a letter that says, I gave my heart to Jesus at a ZOEgirl concert,'" Alisa says. "To me, that's success. It's great to sell albums and win awards, but we aren't truly successful if we aren't leading people to heaven. That's eternal." Chrissy adds, "If we were remembered for anything else it wouldn't seem like we had fulfilled what we know God has called us to do."
ZOEgirl after 2006:
After Chrissy Conway's 2005 marriage to one of the Katinas, she now goes by Chrissy Conway-Katina.
When ZOEgirl announced their disbandment in 2006, Kristin took some time off but in spring of 2007, started working on solo material. Her tentative solo album was set to release on March 1, 2008 but in March 2008 announced that on her official MySpace that she will no longer release a solo album in favor of forming a new musical group ColmanBlue. As of May 2008, the group consists of Kelli Trontell and herself. Chrissy was interviewed by Amy Hagberg in April 2008: The hour long interview can be heard here.
Plain
ZOEgirl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When he forgot your name
Let me tell you something
I have felt the same
I know you're in pain
But be another boy along the way
And God he made you beautiful and
You are jewel you're a treasure
You are one of a kind
And you shine just as bright
As the stars in the sky
You're a rare kind of wonder
Created just right
So keep your head up no matter the pain
There's nothing about you that's plain
No no no
You tell me, you're not the type
The kind of girl that they like
And your a little insecure about
How you look in their eyes
Well fashion will change
And trends come and go everyday
But God only made one of you and
There's nothin' about you that's plain
'Cause you are a jewel you're a treasure
You are one of a kind and
You shine just as bright as
The stars in the sky
You're a rare kind of wonder
Created just right
So keep your head up no matter the pain
There's nothin' about you that's plain
See your mind, it is precious
Though your heart may be restless
And your eyes they will see
All that you're meant to be
'Cause your spirit is strong
And your soul carries on
You'll keep your head up no matter the pain
There's nothin' about you that's plain
You know I've had my days
When I feel out of place, yeah
I look at who I am, cover what I can
I wish it all would change but
Take the makeup away
You see the same girl still remains
She may not feel that beautiful
But there's nothin' about her that's plain
And you are jewel you're a treasure
You are one of a kind
And you shine just as bright
As the stars in the sky
You're a rare kind of wonder
Created just right so keep
Your head up no matter the pain
Keep your head up no matter the pain, ooh yeah
Keep your head up no matter the pain
There's nothin' about you that's plain
You may have felt plain but
God, he knows your name
Let me tell you something
There's nothin' about you that's plain
The song Plain by ZOEgirl begins with the lines, "He made you feel plain, When he forgot your name." The singer is consoling someone who is feeling down after someone else has made them feel insignificant. The singer is telling them that they have felt this way before but the listener should not worry because they are beautiful in their own right.
The lyrics continue to explain how the listener is a "jewel" and a "treasure" who is "one of a kind" and "shines just as bright as the stars in the sky." The singer is trying to explain to the listener that they are not plain at all, that they are unique and valuable, and that they should be proud of who they are. The chorus repeats the same lines over and over again, driving the message home that there is nothing plain about the listener.
The bridge further emphasizes that though the listener may feel insecure, they are actually special in their own way. The singer reminds the listener that their mind is precious, their spirit is strong and their soul carries on. Ultimately, the message is about self-esteem and the importance of valuing oneself, rather than seeking external validation.
Line by Line Meaning
He made you feel plain
He made you feel insignificant or unimportant
When he forgot your name
When he didn't acknowledge or remember who you are
Let me tell you something
I want to share something important with you
I have felt the same
I have also felt insignificant or unimportant before
I know you're in pain
I understand that you're hurting
But be another boy along the way
But don't let someone else's opinion or treatment of you define your worth
And God he made you beautiful and
God created you with inherent beauty and value
There's nothin' about you that's plain
You're unique and special in your own way
You are jewel you're a treasure
You're valuable and rare
You are one of a kind
There is no one else like you
And you shine just as bright
You have your own special qualities and talents
As the stars in the sky
You contribute to the beauty and brilliance of the world
You're a rare kind of wonder
You're a unique and impressive miracle
Created just right
God made you perfectly and intentionally
So keep your head up no matter the pain
Don't lose sight of your worth or value, even if things are difficult
No no no
An affirmation of the previous statement
You tell me, you're not the type
You say that you don't fit a certain mold or standard
The kind of girl that they like
The kind of girl that others find attractive or desirable
And your a little insecure about
You have some doubts or insecurity about yourself
How you look in their eyes
How others perceive or judge your appearance
Well fashion will change
Trends and preferences will come and go
And trends come and go everyday
What is popular or considered attractive is always shifting
But God only made one of you and
You are unique and irreplaceable in God's eyes
See your mind, it is precious
Your thoughts and ideas are valuable and important
Though your heart may be restless
Even if you're struggling or feeling anxious
And your eyes they will see
You will observe and experience many things
All that you're meant to be
You have potential and purpose
Your spirit is strong
You are resilient and determined
And your soul carries on
You persist and endure despite challenges
You know I've had my days
I have also experienced times of doubt or insecurity
When I feel out of place, yeah
When I feel like I don't belong or fit in
I look at who I am, cover what I can
I focus on my positive qualities and try to hide my flaws
I wish it all would change but
I hope that things will get better or easier
Take the makeup away
Remove the superficial things that I use to enhance my appearance
You see the same girl still remains
I am still the same person underneath it all
She may not feel that beautiful
I may not always feel attractive or confident
But there's nothin' about her that's plain
But I still have inherent value and worth
God, he knows your name
God is aware of you and cares about you
There's nothin' about you that's plain
You are unique, valuable, and important
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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