Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd
Release Date: September 18th 2020
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Delta Goodrem – Solid Gold – Single (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Solid Gold
Delta Goodrem has been synonymous with Australian culture for quite some time. Her impact and influence on Australian music is huge, and as I’ve been listening to her music throughout the years (more so on a regular basis ever since her 2016 album Wings of the World), I’ve been noticing this one thing- that God doesn’t really care what type of music He uses for people to understand more about themselves and more about Him in the process- if He chooses to convey His love for creation through a Skillet song, a Chris Tomlin song or even a Delta Goodrem song, then who are we, mere humans, to question anything that He does? Delta’s music has been encouraging, impactful, and dare I say, God-breathed at times- her songs like ‘Born to Try’, ‘Believe Again’, ‘In this Life’, ‘Enough’, ‘Sitting on Top of the World’, ‘Mistaken Identity’, ‘Together We are One’, and more recently, songs like ‘Let it Rain’ and ‘Keep Climbing’; are all testaments of the inspirational influence that Delta has in her music, even possibly without knowing it herself. As I’ve continued to embark along the road of understanding that ‘mainstream’ music isn’t as ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ as I was even led to believe, I find myself being more open to whatever the Lord has in store for me- be it a worship song, a hard rock song, or even a song from an Aussie artist, that can deliver similar punches and remind us all of our desperate need for something bigger than ourselves to sustain us in this life that we lead.
Enter in Delta Goodrem, who I can boldly say I am a fan of. Her new album comes out TBA 2020 (or even 2021), but she’s already scheduling a Bridge Over Troubled Dreams tour in April 2021, so can I assume that that will be the album title? Regardless, Delta released a total of 4 singles this year thus far- ‘Let it Rain’, a charity single in light of the Australian bushfires, ‘Keep Climbing’, the powerful first single which has been confirmed to be on her brand new album releasing soon, ‘Paralysed’, a song unveiled in July 2020, and chronicles her health battle of 2018/19, and ‘Back in ‘84’, a song that was unveiled to us last month. As I have said time and time again this last year, I’ve come to realise, that if we limit the music in which we believe God can speak to us through, then we really don’t know God and what He really can do…I know, controversial to some, but it’s the truth. And I’m understanding more and more each day, that the God who raised Jesus from the grave, is the same God who can speak through a music genre, or a music style, that may be different from what we as Christians are used to. And maybe, just maybe, that’s ok.
Songs can bear the message and meaning of one thing, and when someone hears it, they can attach their own personal meaning to it too. Which is the beauty of why music is such a universal language and a great avenue and vessel to be used by the Lord to speak to people in various different walks of life. And just like how the song ‘Paraylised’ was thought to have been about COVID-19 (and that’s what I initially got out of the song) but was actually about Delta’s own personal health battle in 2018/19; so too was ‘Back in 84’, a song that has had a number of meanings over the last month or so. The song to Delta, is a snapshot of her life, an autobiography in song if you will- looking back at her own personal history and looking forward in a way that happens when we all look at each of our lives, with anticipation, expectation and hope. But there’s another way to look at ‘Back in ‘84’- in more of a metaphorical way. While the song is referring to look back at people’s childhood with fondness and admiration, what the song can also mean is that often in our own lives, we can look back at situations where things were simpler, when advances with technology didn’t dull the minds of today’s generation. We look at those moments in our life with fondness and wonder, and long for those ‘glory days’. But I’m nevertheless reminded through ‘Back in 84’, that, and I quote from my review of it, ‘…that we can’t change the past, or turn our clocks back. Time keeps rolling on- we can reminisce and remind ourselves of how good certain aspects of life was back then, but unfortunately, we can’t go in a time machine and live there. Sometimes we wish we could though…‘Back in 84’ is a challenge for all of us- just as our past as shaped us to who we are right now in the present, so too will events now, shape us to the type of people we are to be in the future…we are given this time in our lives only once, and I know this song can be bordering on cliché, but the song indeed is true- that we ought to make these days we are in right now, the best we can possibly make them, and just to enjoy the ride of where God is taking us in this life, showing us things that we may not have known if setbacks and unfortunate events were eliminated from our proposed trajectory. To learn all the things that we learn right now, we may have needed to have gone through the things we did, back then. And maybe that’s ok…’
‘…a million books can give us knowledge, they can share with us the path of those who have walked before us. But it’s only in living and experiencing in our own life do we truly understand – when we discover true self love, heal hurt, and feel freedom! We must believe in our own worth and in our own power… and constantly create, undo and understand all the patterns in-between! This song is about OWNING your strength and embracing the evolution that is you! Take the power back. What YOU had was always SOLID GOLD. THAT is Solid Gold! Stand in it!…’ ‘Solid Gold’ released just this last Friday, and with this song being song #5 being unveiled in the year of 2020; it’s shaping up to be a great collection of songs by Delta, and if new songs continue along this trajectory of the melodies unveiled in 2020, then Bridge Over Troubled Dreams would be one of my anticipated new albums for the remainder of 2020. Because as this new song has dropped, I can hear a retro-style anthem- similar to that of Fleetwood Mac, ABBA or even Bryan Adams…and that is a very good thing. For Delta’s music has evolved over the years, and this song is no different. The message- overcoming adversity and reminding ourselves that every circumstance that we find ourselves in is constantly shaping us. Whether we are in the midst of difficulties, trials, storms, uncertainties, triumphs or joyous moments, all these things have the ability to shape and reshape us into the mature and refined people we are today. Having wisdom and a newfound sense of purpose in what we are to accomplish in our lives as we use our life and our experiences as a platform to change someone else’s life in the process of living ours. ‘Solid Gold’ is a great reminder for us all that the things in our lives that maybe we thought were the broken pieces, were in fact solid gold. Meaning this- that the broken pieces of our lives, if used by the Lord in a way that we can be real and honest with our faults, mistakes and shortcomings, have the ability to change someone else’s life- that they can be vuinerable with their issues as well. What we see as broken, God sees as solid gold- worth more in His eyes than in ours.
Gold is worth something far beyond what we can see and imagine, and if we are to believe what God sees, that what we have had all along in our lives- the broken and messy pieces, and the great pieces, were all viewed as gold to God, and all used by Him for His glory and our good, then we don’t have to hide and be shameful and be apprehensive about which particular ‘story’ we believe God can use. God uses all things in our lives, we just have to take the step of faith and believe. So let us make today, this day, a day where we believe the gold that God has spoken over our lives. Who knows, maybe a song like ‘Solid Gold’ can impact a life far greater than we know. Here’s hoping and praying that God uses such a song as this, to remind us all of the worth that we have, regardless of what we do or don’t do. Well done Delta for such a powerful song, can’t wait for the next studio album, whenever it releases.
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Vanessa Amorosi, Tina Arena, Samantha Jade, Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy