"Colored People" is a song written and recorded by Christian rock band DC Talk. The song was one of several

radio single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...

s released from their 1995 studio album, ''

Jesus Freak ''Jesus freak'' is a term arising from the late 1960s and early 1970s counterculture and is frequently used as a pejorative for those involved in the Jesus movement. As Tom Wolfe illustrates in '' The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'', the term "fr ...

''.

Music and lyrics

"Colored People" is a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

song primarily based on acoustic guitars, a background

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

, and occasional strings. The verses are sung by

Kevin Max Kevin Max Smith (born August 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk. As a solo artist following the band going on hiatus, he has recorded 12 full-length stud ...

, while the chorus vocals are shared by all three members with

Michael Tait Michael DeWayne Tait (born May 18, 1966) is an American contemporary Christian music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan in 1984 when he was in high school. Both Toby and Michael met Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 1 ...

leading. Lyrically, the song is about appreciation of

racial A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

variety, promoting unity and a "kaleidoscopic take on race relations".

Release and acclaim

The song was released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in 1996 and received positive comments from music critics. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' editor Laura Jamison said that the album ''Jesus Freak'' "combines textured vocals, aggressive guitar, and solid songwriting, especially on 'Colored People'." In addition to "

" and " Between You and Me," "Colored People" was considered instrumental in breaking DC Talk into the mainstream.

Other releases

Various versions of "Colored People" have appeared on several DC Talk official releases, including the band's greatest hits album ''

Intermission An intermission, also known as an interval in British and Indian English, is a recess between parts of a performance or production, such as for a theatrical play, opera, concert, or film screening. It should not be confused with an entr'acte ( ...

''. A live version of "Colored People" was included on the 1997 live release ''

Welcome to the Freak Show ''Welcome to the Freak Show'' is a live audio and video recording by DC Talk. Chronicling the Jesus Freak Tour in the spring of 1996, they were released separately two months apart in 1997 on CD and VHS, respectively. A DVD version was later r ...

''. "Colored People" also appears on the compilation album '' WOW 1998''.

Cover versions

On the DC Talk tribute album, ''

Freaked! ''Freaked!: A Gotee Tribute to DC Talk's'' Jesus Freak is a 2006 tribute album primarily featuring covers of songs from the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk's 1995 album ''Jesus Freak'', performed by various artists signed to the ...

'',

Ayiesha Woods Ayiesha Woods (born July 2, 1979) is a contemporary Christian musician signed to Gotee Records. She has released two studio albums on Gotee: '' Introducing Ayiesha Woods'' (2006) and '' Love Like This'' (2008). Woods is known for the hit songs " ...

recorded a cover of "Colored People" featuring

The Gotee Brothers The Gotee Brothers was a Contemporary Christian music trio formed of the three founders of the Gotee Records label: Toby McKeehan (tobyMac), Joey Elwood, and Todd Collins. The trio only released one album in 1997, "ERACE", and its contents dealt wi ...

and

John Reuben John Reuben (born John Reuben Zappin; January 14, 1979) is an American Christian hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records until late 2010. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums.Breimeier, Russ (May 2002)"John Reuben - ''Hind ...

Track listing

#"Colored People" (Radio Edit) #"Colored People" (Album Version) #Call Out Research Hook

References

{{authority control 1996 singles DC Talk songs Virgin Records singles 1996 songs Songs written by TobyMac Songs against racism and xenophobia ForeFront Records singles