Johnnyswim is an artistic collaboration of Abner Ramirez and Amando Sudano, working together as a couple. The duo came together in 2005 in Nashville, United States. It started first as a songwriting collaboration after meeting each other in a church in Nashville before they fell in love later and got married in 2009.
The American pop, soul, blues, and folk music duo have mesmerized the American music scene with their engrossing tunes for the past 18 years.
On various occasions, Ramirez and his wife Armando have publicly identified as Christians. Some of their songs are embedded with Christian messages and biblical references. However, fans and listeners often wonder if the duo is a Christian band group because most of their songs also reflect on their love life, adventures, and other life experiences.
This article will provide answers to the religious status of Johnnyswim as we’ll be exploring factors like; song lyrics, themes, and statements from the group to ascertain if they are a Christian band or not.
Is Johnnyswim a Religious Band?
The duo of Ramirez and Armando have been very open about their religious beliefs and background. They have identified with the Christian Faith and even revealed they met after a Sunday service in a church in Nashville and became songwriting partners before becoming a couple.
Johnnyswim is a religious band. They have stated that “Faith” is an important factor for the group. “I believe in Jesus, I believe in the holy spirit. I believe in the gifts of the spirit, when I need guidance, I pursue him”. These were the words of Ramirez in an interview with Movieguide.
The duo believes that their songs can heal the bodies and souls of their listeners, build their relationships and change their hearts because they are representatives of Jesus Christ. All their songs, even those with love themes, portray a pair of religious singers and worshipers.
What kind of Music Band is Johnnyswim?
Johnnyswim has incorporated different genres of music into their art to appeal to diverse audiences. Their songs are an aesthetic blend of soul, pop, blues, or folk genres.
They talk about love and breakups, Christianity and spirituality, redemption, societal issues, and personal experiences with their captivating melodies.
As a couple, some level of intimacy is felt in their songs as they try to share their journey to love, bright and bleak moments, memories, and milestones with soulful and spirited lyrics amplified by the fusion of pop, blues, and folk styles.
Johnnyswim has 4 studio albums, with the first album “Diamond” being released in 2014. They have 4 EPs and numerous singles. The duo has received several award nominations and is steadily satisfying its listeners with soul-lifting, inspirational and eclectic songs.
Is Johnnyswim a Christian Band?
Christianity is a religion that is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Many might think being a good Christian is about going to church regularly. Christianity is far beyond that. A good Christian’s behavior must reflect the teachings and principles of Jesus Christ who is the central figure of Christianity. A Christian must believe in God, the father of all creation, the Holy Spirit, and the teachings of the Bible.
In the same vein, to be considered a Christian band, such a group must publicly identify as a Christian band, have members whose lifestyles are Christ-like, and whose songs reflect the structure, teachings, and beliefs of Christianity.
Their songs must include biblical references and messages. They must promote the gospel of Jesus Christ and share Christian messages of perseverance, salvation, hope, and faith in God. Nevertheless, sometimes, these factors are not enough to classify a band as Christian.
Christian music now take various forms. Apart from the conventional praise and worship genre used for Christian songs, artists have now adopted other genres like pop, metalcore, hardcore, blues, rap, and folk to appeal to a wider audience.
Songs by Johnnyswim contain spiritual and Christianity themes, biblical references, and terms and have soul-lifting lyrics that are used to spread love and hope to believers. The duo perform their songs in churches and other Christian gatherings and have stated that their faith has been a crucial part of their lives.
However, Johnnyswim has also stated that they do not want to be labeled “contemporary” Christian music artists or bands because their songs are not strictly about the gospel. Sometimes they sing about God and Christianity, other times it’s about love and breakups, and a couple of songs that address social issues.
While examining some songs, one will notice the love and chemistry between the couple. The theme of love and affection is evident in their melodies. The couple sing about the love of God for man and love among humans.
“There is nothing better, we’re feeling alright
Dancing to the best times of our lives
Together! Oh this is the best time ever”
The lyrics above from “Best thing ever” explore love, emotions, and romance. The lyrics describe how love is soothing to the people involved.
Many other songs by Johnnyswim contain similar themes. Some of these include; Summertime Romance, In My Arms, First Try, Wait, etc. Songs like; Til we get back again, Hummingbird, Lonely night in Georgia, Say Goodnight Instead, Rescue You, and lots more emphasize emotions and breakups.
We also observed lyrical references to the scripture even in some of their love songs. For instance, the lyrics below are a reflection of love with several biblical terms embedded:
“Like Mustangs on highways, we’re wild and free
Clouds part ways angels gaze at you and me
…..world spinning all heaven is watching us.
Don’t keep heaven busy without me.
In “Touching Heaven” from the “Georgica Ponds” album, the lyrics are a fusion of the theme of love with a lot of biblical references. Here are some of the lyrics below:
“All I see are angels, all these streets are gold
That led to you
If touching love is touching God
No wonder I’m in heaven when I’m holding you”.
From the analysis above, we won’t say Johnnyswim is a Christian band because the members do not want the music group to be labeled as such. However, they have publicly stated that they are Christians that uphold and believe in the teaching and practices of Christianity, and also, their songs cover diverse aspects of life.
We will instead describe Johnnyswim as a group of artists that use melodic tunes to spread “love” which is a principal aspect of Christianity, while also addressing other aspects of humanity like; romance, breakups, and anxiety.
Johnnyswim Christian Songs
As already discussed, Johnnyswim is a duo that upholds their faith and truly believes in the foundations and principles of Christianity. According to the pair, they take Jesus Christ with them everywhere as they try to spread “love” with their music.
Johnnyswim has some songs that are pure “Christian” music when judging from the lyrics and what we consider a Christian song. Some such Christian songs are;
- “O come all ye faithful”: this song is purely based on the principles of Christianity. One can hear the artists calling on other faithful Christians to join them to adore Jesus Christ. Below are a few lines from the song:
” O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant, Oh come ye,
oh come ye to Bethlehem. Come and
behold him, born the king of Angels
Oh come let us adore him Christ the Lord”
- “Live While We’re Young”: this song by Johnnyswim has deep spiritual content. Below are some lyrics from the song:
“Got my hand on my Bible
Hold it firm like a gun
While you pray for revival, I’m already living
in one”
- “Because he lives”: this is a collaboration by Johnnyswim, Crowder, and Tori Kelly. Here are some lines from the piece
“God sent his son, they called him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my savior
lives”
Is Johnnyswim a Satanic Band?
No! Johnnyswim is not a satanic band. The duo has no affiliations with Satanism, none of their song lyrics glorify the devil or encourage demon worship.
They don’t make music with dark themes and have publicly declared their love for God and the Christian faith. The pair spread the gospel of love, God’s supremacy, and faithfulness with their songs.
Wrapping Up
Johnnyswim’s status as a Christian band depends solely on how an individual chooses to describe it. Although the couple had mentioned that they are not a Christian band, their activities, some songs, and lifestyle depicts that of a Christian band and one will not be wrong to mistakenly hold this opinion of them.
However, since the band does not want to be labeled a Christian band, there is no reason to disagree with them. They mentioned that they don’t sing just Christian songs rather they try to appeal to different categories of audiences with diverse needs. Apart from Christian themes, emotions, life experiences, optimism, love, and affection are also reflected in the songs.
Think we were wrong? Please share your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!