Riley Clemmons – Better For It

American artist Riley Clemmons is a relatively recent newcomer, beginning her career in 2015.  She is best known for her hits Broken Prayer and Better For It.  She released her self-titled album in 2018 and three EP’s in 2019:

• Fighting For Me
• The First Christmas
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas / Silent Night

She was nominated last year for a GMA Dove Award for “New Artist of the Year”, losing to Aaron Cole.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Riley-clemmons-better-for-it-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Clemmons hit rock bottom and found “you”, which makes her a better person. She recognizes the silver lining in suffering and can express gratitude for it, not because it’s good, but because she found “you”.

She really wants grace, which looks more like a demand than a request.  She also believes that her suffering is “your” allowance for her to be all she is, contrary to the concept of holiness.

I’m not sure if “you” is God or her boyfriend/lover.  There are no attributes or acts of God unique to Him.

Score: 5/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Most of it does; However, there are two issues:

• The opening to Chorus seems more demanding than requesting.
• In Chorus, lines 2-4, Clemmons claims that God rescues us from our sins so that we could be all that we are.  That is incorrect.  He rescued us so that we could be holy.

We’ll assume that “you” refers to God and apply a two-point penalty.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-8: Though Clemmons wouldn’t willingly participate in a trial or tribulation, she recognizes the fruit that comes from it, namely, betterment of herself (Romans 5:3-5, Hebrews 12:4-11, and James 1:2-4).

[Pre-Chorus]

Lines 1 and 2: This confirms my commentary in Verse 1, strengthening my resolve.  Clemmons knows that she can make it through these tests because she knows God.

[Chorus (first iteration)]

Line 1: While I appreciate that Clemmons asks for grace (Matthew 5:20, Luke 18:9-14, Acts 13:39, Romans 3:20-30, Romans 4:1-7, Romans 8:3, Romans 9:16, Romans 9:31-32, Romans 11:6, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:10-12, Galatians 3:21, Galatians 5:2-4, Ephesians 2:8-9, Philippians 3:3-9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Hebrews 6:1-2, and James 2:10-11), it also seems demanding when put this way.

Lines 2-4: God allowed her to undergo tribulation so that she can be…all that she is?  No.  It is so that she can be holy, set apart from the world (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, Romans 6:1-14, Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10-14, 1 Peter 1:13-16, and 1 Peter 2:16).

Lines 5-8: Essentially repeats the same concepts as lines 1-4 with the same commentary/criticism.

Line 9: Essentially repeats Verse 1, line 4.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-3: Essentially repeats the idea given in Verse 1, using the specific example of pain in how it leads her to God.

Line 4: Repeats Verse 1, line 4.

[Chorus (second iteration}]

Lines 1-9: Repeats Chorus (first iteration).

Lines 10 and 11: Rewords concept in Verse 1, lines 3 and 4.

Lines 12 and 13: Repeats lines 10 and 11.

[Bridge]

Line 1 and 2: The wording is slightly convoluted; However, Clemmons is saying that her new self with God is superior than her old self apart from God (Ezekiel 11:19, Romans 6:1-7, Romans 8:12-13, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:16-18, Ephesians 4:22-24, Ephesians 2:14-16, Colossians 3:10, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Line 3: There is an abundance of verses about God leading His people.

Lines 4-6: Repeats lines 1-3.

Score: 5/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

It’s hard to say.  As mentioned in section 2, the subject of “you” is unclear, leading to a more likely boyfriend interpretation than Christian.  Combined with the worldly “be all you can be” message, it makes for a dangerous message that life is about human relationships.

On the plus side, Clemmons is correct about suffering in that it teaches us to be better people.

Score: 3/10

4. What does this song glorify?

Without any attributes or acts that cement “you” as God, it is difficult to believe that He is glorified. Nonetheless, Clemmons’ accurate statements about betterment due to trials bring at least some of it.

Score: 3/10

Closing Comments

Riley Clemmons’ Better For It is a missed opportunity.  Though her overall message is positive and uplifting, accurately portraying suffering as a tutor to better us, her execution is riddled with problems, sapping God’s glory.  The identity of “you” is unknown, her request for grace seems more demanding than requesting, and her “be all you can be” statement is contrary to the Biblical teaching of holiness.  It seems more worldly than Christian.

I cannot recommend this for corporate worship.

Final Score: 4/10

Artist Info

Track: Better For It (listen to the song)

Artist: Riley Clemmons

Album: Riley Clemmons

Genre: Pop

Release Year: 2018

Duration: 3:16

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.