Crossover: Quality and Confusion

American Idol, 2008. Early on I picked him as a fave. He had a smooth voice and a humble attitude, plus he had dreadlocks. Not many guys can pull that off without looking mangy! Though many people judged him as a pothead because of his laid-back attitude, I suspected it was the presence of the Holy Spirit and His peace pouring out. Even though Jason Castro didn't win that season (he came in 4th), I eagerly anticipated his music hitting the mainstream. I didn't care under what genre it came out, I just loved his voice and the quality of his music.

Shortly after the season ended, I did some good ol' Google research and discovered that, in fact, Jason Castro is a believer. And not one ashamed to tell his story. 

This year, I was SO happy when in April he finally released a self-titled pop album with summer-cool hits like "Let's Just Fall In Love Again". The album, as expected, is full of fun, catchy, and clean music.

But did you know that in November, he released another album to the Christian market? It's called "Who I Am". You can read a bit about it here. Important thing to note: half the songs on this album are identical to those on his 'pop' album.

I'm having a difficult time landing on an opinion about this. I'm thrilled he crossed over into the Christian music scene. Christian music is in dire need of quality artists who make quality music. However, I'm a little confused. What makes the second album more "Christian" than the first, if the songs are almost all the same? And why does the simple change of genre label make the second album more appealing or appropriate for Christians who might buy his music? Are that many Christians so...legalistic that they can't purchase music unless it comes with a 'Christian' tag? If so, I must say that was a smart move on Castro's label.

What are your thoughts?