Jontez - And So It Is

Jontez is what you could call the total package ... he's a talented singer and songwriter, a faithful servant of the Lord and an all-around genuinely nice guy. His music has definite overtones reminiscent of Usher or Justin Timberlake, which for some, may bring the term "worldly" to mind, but this man is the real deal - and his focus is on what God has put in his path to do. I can say this with certainty after spending time with him at GMA Week this year and then keeping in touch with him as friends. So don't hold the R&B/dance/Latin beat against him ... just be very thankful that someone in the Christian music industry with such great, God-focused lyrics has such a smooth groove going on!

This former God's Property member really brings it with his debut offering. Stand-out tracks include: "Can't Get Enough," "Alright," "I'm Not Alone," "Don't Walk Away," "First Love" and "Rising Son."

In all honesty, the only thing that I questioned about this release was how similar some of the music itself sounded to popular songs playing on mainstream radio in the past few months. Not that it's a bad thing ... the arrangements, lyrics and harmonies blend perfectly with the music and the teen audience will probably jump all over it due to that vague ring of familiarity. But I met Jontez and I think I can safely say that he's not trying to be Christian music's answer to Usher, R. Kelly and Justin Timberlake (just with a G rating). He's not some knock-off, flash-in-the-pan with no depth. Don't get so caught up in the groove that you forget to listen to the lyrics - because that is where you will start to see just how deep that particular well goes.