Getting to know Britt Nicole

By Tifany Borgelt

In case you didn't see our conversation with Britt Nicole in the February 2010 issue of ec, here it is: 

Sparrow artist Britt Nicole burst onto the music scene in 2007 with her debut album, Say It. By the end of that year, she was opening up for ­artists like Sanctus Real, Jeremy Camp, and Steven Curtis Chapman, and her songs were all over the airwaves and charts. She toured heavily for awhile in support of that first album, but somehow found the time to head back into the studio to record her second album, The Lost Get Found, which released in 2009. The title track rushed up the charts.

The singer says her latest album is simply about being who we are called to be as Christians and, as a part of that, seeing lost people come to Christ.

ec recently caught up with Britt Nicole to talk about her new album and find out about her own teen years and how they helped shape her music and ministry today.

ec: How did fan response to Say It affect how you approached your second album, The Lost Get Found?
BN: People love real stories; they can relate when I say, “I struggle, too.” I sing about my pain, my fears, and my weaknesses. I will always be real with my fans. On The Lost Get Found, I just wrote what was on my heart. It’s not complicated, just here’s what’s going on in my life and in the people around me, and these stories and songs are meant to give you hope and joy.
ec: You have a lot of teen fans. What were your teenage years like?
BN: Kind of like a roller coaster ride. One week up, ready to change the world, the next week sad and just trying to make it through the day. I always knew there was a calling on my life to be a leader, to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk. I knew that if I would surrender, God would use me, and even my weaknesses, to reach ­others and to show His love, and sometimes that pressure was hard.

ec: Looking back now, what have God and time taught you about that period of your life?
BN: I realize that we all go through a season like that where we have to make a decision to go all the way for Christ, instead of one foot in and one foot out. I’m just thankful that God spoke to me when I was 17 and said, “Now, surrender everything.” God and time have taught me the importance of saying, “yes” to His will and His way. In the end it’s not about my wants and my desires, it’s about His kingdom and what His heart burns for, and that’s for reaching the broken and the lost.

ec: If you could go back now and do anything differently, would you? How, if at all, does that affect the way you talk to your fans today?
BN: Yes, I would listen to my parents and youth pastors more and stop trying to be so smart. I tell my fans: “You need someone in your life who loves you and who will tell you the truth. [Authority figures] are in your life and my life for a reason: to protect us, to give us wisdom, and help lead us when we don’t know where to go or what to do. Lean into them and let them help you become better!”
ec: Many times teens are asked to live in the future with questions like “What are you going to do when you graduate from high school?” and “Where are you going to college?,” which can leave the impression that life and the “real world’ doesn’t start until you’re older. Do you think that’s true?
BN: Absolutely not. Some of the greatest men and women of God in the Bible were chosen by God when they were teenagers. God can, will, and wants to use you now to shake your generation for Jesus Christ.


And in case you didn't know, since we talked to Britt, her album hit No. 1 and she was named among the "Top 10 Ones to Watch in 2010” by the GospelMusicChannel.com. She also took a mission trip to Uganda and is going on tour with Natalie Grant and Phil Stacey next month. Also, watch for five of her songs in Sony Pictures' just-released DVD remake of the movie Ice Castles.

Britt Nicole: Part Two

Yesterday, Britt Nicole shared how tough her parents’ divorce was on her. She knows what you and your friends are going through. She’s been there. And she’s got some words of wisdom for you. Read on.


ec: What should they expect, now that their family is different after a divorce?
Britt: It was always hard for my brother and I because holidays are time for families. You’re used to being together. But for the first holiday you’re not, it’s hard. If you go in knowing “OK, this is going to be different.” . . . No matter what they face—whether it’s holidays or spending one weekend with mom and one weekend with dad—keep in mind that God has a plan for your life, and He’s going to take it and turn it into something good, even though you can’t see it right then. I’m a testimony of that and God doing that in my life. God used something that hurt so much and was really hard to get through and turned it so that now I get to help other people who go through it. . . . It’s hard. It’s hard to pack a bag to go see your mom or your dad. But I think it gets easier as time goes by. . . That first holiday or weekend where they’re going to visit their mom or dad might be really, really difficult. But God’s going to be there with them through the whole thing. They’re not alone.

ec: What advice do you have for teens who want to reach out to their friends whose parents are going through a divorce?
Britt: They need someone to love them. They need someone to wrap their arms around them and let them cry—sometimes for 30 minutes. They need that time to get it out that this HURTS. The best thing they can do is just be there for them. Through times like that, you need support; you need love. A lot times you can’t explain what you’re feeling. If someone wants to sit down and talk to you about it, sometimes you don’t even know what to say. If someone needs someone to talk to, then it’s good to be there to talk. But I think more than talking, it’s just being there. Being there, supporting and loving them. Like my best friend—we’ve been best friends since we were 13—and she’s always good at that. She makes me laugh and forget about everything that’s going on. Sometimes you need that—those moments or those nights to just not worry about it and to just have a good time with your friends. It can consume you if you’re trying to figure it out, trying to understand. She was great for me, [at] being a friend, not making it about what was wrong. If I’d wanted to talk about [the divorce], she would. But it didn’t have to be about that. It could be “We’re friends, and we’re getting together to have fun.”

ec: What would you say is a positive thing that’s come out of your parents’ divorce?
Britt: Being able to help others get through it. We all walk through difficult things in life. It’s just so awesome how God uses things we walk through—our own struggles and our own weaknesses—for His glory. He says that in our weakness, He is strong. He knows we’re going to make mistakes and we’re not perfect. His grace is there for us in that. I’m just thankful that I’ve had him to get through it, and I’ve had my family. He’s healed my heart, and I’m able to reach out to other people. I think that’s the greatest thing that’s come of it. My parents have both remarried, and my dad has a son through his marriage who is a huge blessing in all of our lives, and he wouldn’t be here [had my parents not divorced]. God makes things good and turns things for His good and His glory. We don’t understand things, but He understands. We have to give things to Him and say, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I trust You.”

ec: Any last words of wisdom?
Britt: If you’re going through your parents’ divorce, then make sure you’re leaning into God. If I wouldn’t have had Jesus to get through my parents’ divorce, I don’t know how I’d have been able to get through it. If you are daily seeking him, He’ll make it much easier than it would be on your own.



ec magazine would like to thank Britt Nicole for her honesty. If you're struggling through the effects of divorce, you're not alone. God's with you. But don't forget to talk to those closest to you about what's going on inside your head. Communication with your parents, family, friends, and church family should be open and honest as you deal with a divorce. It's not easy, we know, but don't let these tough circumstances come between you and God. He's the only One who will never fail you.

Britt Nicole’s thoughts on divorce

Divorce is a big issue in your world. All of you have experienced it yourself or have a friend who is. We hate this for you and feel your pain. You’re not alone in it, though. Check out our article on page 51 of the November issue, if you haven’t already. Christian recording artist Britt Nicole struggled through her parents’ divorce when she was 7 years old, and she opened up to ec’s production editor Emily recently about dealing with the divorce. Check out what she had to say below.


ec: What did you struggle with the most when you found out that your parents were divorcing?
Britt: I remember feeling afraid at times because you’re so used to your life being one way and then it changes, and you just don’t understand. You try to figure it out, but you don’t get it. And your parents don’t know if you’re going to understand even if they tell you. It can just be really confusing. One thing I would do is read my Bible. Even when I was 7 years old. I was always in church, always learning about God. I had heard about Jesus my whole life, but Jesus became real to me when I was 7 years old because I didn’t know who to turn to. I would go to my room, and I had a big Precious Moments Bible—a big white one. I would honestly run to my room and open my Bible and read it and just start crying. I felt Jesus was there with me when I read my Bible. I felt like I wasn’t alone, that God was giving me strength to get through it. I know that sounds crazy to think at 7 years old, you can feel all that. I got saved when I was 7 years old too. It was in the middle of everything that was going on. I was at church one night with my dad, and I went to the altar and accepted Jesus as my Savior. [I was] so dependent on that relationship with Him, even when I was a little girl.

ec: How did your relationship with God change as you dealt with your parents’ divorce?
Britt: I was younger when they got divorced, but I had to walk through it my whole life, from when I was 7 until now. Trying to figure out how to deal with what happened, how to let go of it, how to forgive, how to believe in love. What I saw made me not believe in love. My relationship with God just became more real and more intimate. I knew that I needed more than my family or friends because there are things in life where they can’t always help me the way I need to be helped. God was able to give me everything I needed during that [time]. So my relationship with Him became very real, and it was just like God was my father. I knew that nobody else could help me get through those nights where I was lying in bed, crying. He was there. No matter what I go through, I know that Jesus’ love is constant, and He’s there, always.

ec: What would you tell someone who is going through their parents’ divorce now?
Britt: You’re not alone. But that’s what you feel—you feel like nobody’s there, that nobody understands, but God’s there with you. He sees, He knows everything that you’re going through. Even though what I walked through was really difficult, I’m thankful that I’m able to say to other people, “Hey, I’ve been there.” It’s important for them to know that somebody else has walked through this and felt what I feel. Being able to say, “I’ve been there. I know what you’re going through. You’re going to get through it.” Also, you have to forgive. That was a big thing for me—forgiveness. I did not know that I had not forgiven my parents.

[When I forgave my parents,] It was a huge moment in my life of God lifting a huge weight off me that I didn’t know I’d been carrying my whole life. There were things in my heart that I hadn’t let go of or forgiven. And the moment that I did that, I felt the return of freedom come over me and the return of joy that I hadn’t felt, honestly, my whole life. Forgiveness is really important. You might get hurt and you might not understand why you’re going through what you’re going through, but you have to let go, give it to God, put it in His hands, and forgive. We need forgiveness in our lives too. [Forgiving my parents] was huge, and just letting go. Saying, “God, this happened a long time ago”—or even if it’s something that happened just yesterday—still just saying, “God, I let go. I need you to carry this cause it’s too much. I have to give it to You.” Let God come in and heal [your] heart.


Check back in tomorrow, when we finish up Britt’s interview. She’ll talk about what to expect after the divorce, how to reach out to your friends whose parents are getting divorced, and the positive things that can result from a divorce.