After the huge success of the Dove Award winning Song of the Year, Redeemer, a career-making song for Nicole C. Mullen, what's left to do for the talented singer-songwriter? Plenty.
Her new CD, Everyday People, from Word Records, could take her positive message to audiences who never listen to "Christian" music, since the title cut is a remake of the old Sly & The Family Stone hit.
Though she was sort of familiar with the funky hit, having heard it in a TV commercial, before she recorded it, Mullen needed to look up its lyrics on the Internet.
Then she discussed the song with her husband, producer David Mullen, whom she says is "definitely an integral part of what I do."
"I remember sitting in the music room asking my husband, 'Hey, that song, does it say something good? What does it say?' I'm not one for doing cover tunes. I'm pretty opinionated and I'd rather write something myself," she says. "But I heard it, and I said, 'This is a lot of fun.' It's disarming, and it says what needs to be said."
The bright, upbeat tune proclaims, "We've got to live together," after pointing out how we all want to label each other, setting ourselves apart. This song of unity is particularly a good fit with Mullen's ever-growing repertoire of songs that celebrate unity in diversity, racial reconciliation, and God's love for all people.
"I am everyday people when it comes down to it," she says. "We all get to do different things, but when we take everything else off - our titles, job descriptions, salaries - we're all everyday people that hurt, that bleed, that cry, regardless of skin color, regardless of the title of our job.
Though most people think of her as a recording artist, living a fancy lifestyle, hanging out with several other recording artists, it turns out that most of Mullen's friends are not rich or famous. True, her kids go to school with tobyMac's kids, and play together, and she sees Rachael Lampa at church, and used to see Stacie Orrico at church before she moved away, but, for the most part, Mullen's closest friends' connection to the music industry would be that they sing in their church's choir.
"I hang out with everyday people who have nothing to do with the music industry," she says. "Some are single moms, some are on government assistance, some are well off, some don't have money or a job... they're regular people who love Christ and Christ loves them. They speak into my life and I speak into theirs. We keep it real."