"I am a 16-year-old girl who loves God and who stands up for "anticonformity" says rock artist Krystal Meyers. "I've chosen to find my identity in God instead of society. There are too many people doing what they shouldn't, and I don't want to be like that. I don't want to bow down to those pressures so I'm not going to."
With the bitter peer pressure to fit in, today's teenage girls must laugh at the phrase "sweet sixteen," but Krystal is one 16-year-old who isn't afraid to stand her ground. She's a rock vocalist, musician and songwriter who stands up for her morals and refuses to walk the lines she doesn't believe in just to follow the crowd. This conviction, which is so prevalent in her personal life, echoes through her edgy rock n' roll style and lyrics. Full of energy and punk attitude, Krystal gives her peers an anthem to live by with her self-titled Essential Records debut.
"I'm a teenager myself, so I will be able to talk to kids on levels that a twenty-four-year old can't," says Krystal, discussing the impact of her message. "All teenagers including myself can be rebellious at times and say, 'You don't know anything!' Well, I am a teenager so I'm talking a language that other teens will be able to understand."
On the song "Anticonformity," which helps set the album's overall tone, Krystal hammers out a confident vocal performance that's heightened by searing lyrics that swipe at the status quo. Likewise, the high-energy music uses clever programming and industrial touches for a thick, well-rounded sound. While "Anticonformity" has huge mainstream appeal, Krystal challenges the stereotype of teen female singers, which is why her pop power rocks hard both in music and message.
"The song is saying let God influence your decisions and set you apart because He's got a plan for your life that's different from anybody else's," says Krystal. "I'm not telling people just to rebel against what everyone else is doing. There really is Godly Rebellion and that's what I want to get across!"
Working with "The Wizardz of Oz" production team (Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair) and artist/producer Ian Eskelin, Krystal made an album that blends her teenage spunk and zeal with gritty rock guitars, explosive choruses and emotionally engaged vocals. Her lead radio single, "The Way To Begin," combines all these elements with irresistible melodies and knockout hooks that will surely take the song over the top. But that's just the start. Krystal intertwines soft and heavy guitars on "My Savior," a mid-tempo melodic rocker that thanks God for listening to any problem big or small. The mellower "Sing For Me," written entirely by Krystal, epitomizes her poetic side with beautiful words and open-ended interpretations. For most of the album, though, Krystal just keeps the energy pumping with tracks like the anthem-powered "Fire," the deejay-flavored "Can't Stay" and the chorus-crushing "Fall To Pieces."
"The album's "anticonformity" themes tackle appearance and overall social status," explains Krystal, "but it also touches on everything from your relationship with God to your relationships with a guy or your parents. I tend to write in a way that has a double meaning, so you can take it in a different direction if that's how the song speaks to you."
Krystal Meyers, who's lived in Franklin, Tenn. for the past ten years, developed her "anticonformity" message as she watched school friends give in to peer pressure, especially when it came to drugs. As a public high school student, Krystal encountered the very same social pressures, but her faith inspired her to hold her ground.
"They were the cool kids - the musicians, the skateboarders - and they were really into drugs," recalls Krystal. "They'd ask me if I wanted to light up after school, and I'd let them know I don't do that stuff. I respected my relationship with God, my parents and myself too much to do that. They knew I was a Christian, and they accepted me for that. Even though our lifestyles were different, they respected that I stood up for my values, and I know it made them rethink theirs."
Looking back, the California-born singer moved to Tennessee by age six, started writing songs by age 10 and was playing the acoustic guitar by 13. Throughout these years, Krystal regularly attended songwriting-focused summer camps and even formed a band in junior high. By the time she started high school, Krystal's songs started to mirror the social pressures she saw around her on campus. In fact, the aspiring rock singer co-wrote "Anticonformity" at a Barefoot Republic youth camp when she was still in ninth grade. Soon after, Krystal was asked to record the song for the camp's benefit CD, joining artists like Audio Adrenaline and Pillar. Says Krystal, "It all kind of launched from there."
Flashing forward to today, Krystal is ready to make the same impression on the world that she first did two years ago when her music made such an impact at the camp. Her self-titled bow is a teen anthem rocker that will inspire her peers with a high-energy groove and a heartfelt call for individuality.
"I want to encourage people to be the real person God wants them to be instead of who society thinks they should be," says Krystal. "I hope my audience will connect with my own experiences through the songs I've written to better understand who God is and the plan he has for each of us."
