Meyers turns toward pop to make "Beautiful Noise" (Reuters)

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - "Make Some Noise," Christian rocker Krystal Meyers' third studio album, represents a shift in direction for the 20-year-old singer-songwriter.

"This is a brand-new me. This is Krystal Meyers 2.0," says Meyers, who broke through in 2005 with the hit "Anticonformity" and a rock-chick persona that earned a legion of fans. She followed her self-titled debut with 2006's "Dying for a Heart."

"I want to be making records that reflect who I am, what I'm listening to and what I'm influenced by," Meyers says. "It was just a natural progression, going more towards pop. It's funny because in high school I was always like, 'I hate pop music. I will never listen to pop music,' and that's all I listen to now."

Essential Records releases the album September 9, and the single "Shine" is being promoted to the Christian market.

"Growing up in this industry for four or five years can really change you for the good or for the bad, and it's been a roller-coaster ride," says Meyers, who admits that her continent-hopping schedule sometimes left her exhausted and feeling disconnected.

She recalls pouring her heart out to her boyfriend, saying, "I'm so tired of getting up onstage and acting like I'm this 'got-it-together girl' who is touring the world and everything is going right. My heart has died. I'm not in tune with the Lord, and he is supposed to be my best friend. It's not God's fault. It's my fault. He daily pursues us, but I'm not running back. I'm not coming back towards him."

Realizing why she felt so depleted, Meyers re-established that connection with God. Writing the new record became a cathartic experience.

The infectious title track is being used by NBC as the theme song to promote its fall shows. It's also the first single in Asian -- where the album was released in July, and where Meyers has a growing fan base -- and is featured on the official 2008 Olympics album, "Olympics 2008 -- One World One Dream."

Because there's no Christian music market in Japan, Meyers is considered a mainstream pop artist there and hasn't encountered any bias against faith-based music that acts in the United States sometimes battle. The experience has taught the young artist a valuable lesson.

"You can be cool," she says. "You can have fun and all that stuff, but you can (also) make a positive impact."

Reuters/Billboard