On September 19, 2021, 老司机传媒 was blessed with the presence of Dove Award-winning Christian pop singer Jordan Feliz. Born on March 15, 1989 in California, Feliz was a natural singer, frequently participating in church concerts and local shows. In 2006, he joined a band, A Current Affair, as the lead vocalist—a major break in his singing career. Unfortunately, five years later in 2011, the band split up. However, this was just a stepping stone for Feliz. In 2015, Feliz's solo career took off with the release of his album “Beloved.” Since then, Feliz has released three albums and has toured all over the nation.
The concert began with Feliz’s most popular song, “The River.” “The River” is a perfect example of Feliz’s style—a mix between classic rock, retro '70s R&B, and modern pop. Initially, with my prior knowledge of Christian Contemporary music, I assumed that the music would be indistinguishable from a Hillsong piece. After listening to “The River,” I changed my assumption promptly. Feliz’s hit was indeed a combination of different styles that compliment each other beautifully.
At the peak of the concert, Feliz opened his heart to us. He spoke about his personal experiences with God and gave us words of encouragement as we strive along our own paths to Him. His sermonette transitioned into an introduction to The Compassion Project, a project that Feliz both contributes to and promotes. The Compassion Project is a “national initiative” with a mission “to ensure that every primary school student in the U.S. understands what compassion is and how to demonstrate it in their lives.” The Compassion Project has partnered with many celebrities, like the late Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy,” to further the organization’s efforts, which have currently impacted 21,907 schools, 42,728 teachers, and 400,700 students—quite an impressive .
Not long after his words of empowerment, the concert eventually came to a close with Feliz’s first single from his new album, “Glorify.” The song was a great finisher, summarizing Feliz’s emotions while considering the wonderful blessings God had given him.
The concert left many attendees satisfied, especially Ethan Emde (sophomore, finance). “I love Jordan’s style of music and the messages they convey,” he remarked. His favorite song from the night was “Never Too Far Gone,” which reminded him of his summer days working at his local camp. Emde mentioned that he felt that this concert was quite different from“a worship experience like one in church,” yet he still enjoyed the music.
Jordan Feliz’s concert was a great success, in the opinion of my own and others. We will await his next arrival, hopefully in the foreseeable future.
References:
“Compassion Can Be Taught.” (16 December 2020). The Compassion Project.
“Jordan Feliz Biography, Songs, & Albums.” (2021) AllMusic, Nekation.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.