So there is a Science to the Worship Guy?…

I was reading an article on Wired about “The Secret to Popular Sing-Along Songs”

 According to research …. anthem-like ballads with high-energy male singers best fit the bill. Queen’s “We are the Champions” topped the most sing-along-able list, followed by the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” Context, too, plays an important role: It helps when a crowd is full of strutting singles.

…

A prominent feature among the songs was a male vocalist with a loud, clear high-chest voice, without many vocal embellishments. Pawley suggested that singing along to these songs promotes a kind of “neotribal bonding” among participants. As for why female vocalists’ songs weren’t popular, Pawley speculated that, whereas women will happily sing along to men, men may feel that voicing a woman’s words threatens their masculinity.

It had me thinking. Is there a science to our human behavior to choosing to sing along to the “worship guy“? You know the worship guy. They lead just about every praise team across the land. They top the CCM charts. You can quickly rattle off five to seven worship guys. You probably will struggle to name three worship ladies.

Going on.

More important than a song’s musical characteristics, though, was the context in which it was played. The most favorable conditions for sing-alongs were bigger venues with younger crowds, especially on weekends. Not surprisingly, these are all conditions associated with an atmosphere of revelry.

Could this be why a contemporary service, led by ‘worship guy’ of course, does not have the same flair or passion in a small church as it feels in the mega-church?

No answers here, just some observations and questions.