The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This is the 12th and final principle in Chris’ 12 Core Principles to a happy, fulfilled life!
Generosity Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This is the 11th principle in Chris’ 12 Core Principles to a happy, fulfilled life!
Ambition Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This is the 9th principle is Chris’ 12 Core Principles to a happy, fulfilled life!
Nesting Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
If you are still looking for the one, you are not alone. This song is for you.
Community Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
I had a friend in college who always used to say "No man is an island." I mean, he said it all the time. And even though we used to make fun of him for it, we knew he was right. A life lived in isolation is sure to be a life of misery. We need people. We need community. I wrote this song to remind us all how true this is.
Community is Principle #7 in my 12 Core Principles to a happy and fulfilled life.
Perseverance Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This year I am releasing a new song every month. Each song represents one of 12 core principles I have found to be the key to a happy and fulfilling life. Perseverance is the 6th principle and my single for June. It's also the hardest principle to spell. :) It is fitting that it is halfway through the year because it is all about seeing things through to the end.
It's a simple, quirky song that I hope inspires people to never give up. Home is always just one more step away!
Believe Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
If we want to achieve anything in life, we need to stop being so cynical. We need to allow ourselves to believe in something. I have lived on both sides of this principle and found nothing but misery while being cynical.
Once I chose to believe in possibility, everything changed. I want this for others who dream of changing their lives. If that sounds familiar, then this song was written for you!
Serve Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This year I am releasing a new song every month. Each song represents one of 12 core principles I have found to be the key to a happy and fulfilling life. Abundance was the first, Gratitude the second, Acceptance the third and now comes the fourth principle - Serve.
A life dedicated to serving others does so much for us. It makes us feel helpful, it brings us joy and it makes the world a better place. I'm excited to share this fourth principle with a pop-influenced hip-hop song that is beat heavy, catchy and sure to bring some joy your life!
Acceptance Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This is the year of change and Acceptance is the third single in a series of "mindset-changing" songs by inspirational hip-hop artist Chris Swan. This song is based on the 12 core principles that Swan believes is the cure for depression and anxiety. The first being Abundance, the second Gratitude and now the third is Acceptance. Once we learn to accept the people around us and the situations we find ourselves in, the sooner we will find peace. We can't change other people. We can only change ourselves. This song is an upbeat hip-hop anthem for practicing acceptance in our every day lives!
Gratitude Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
This is the year of change and Gratitude is the second single in a series of "mindset-changing" songs by inspirational hip-hop artist Chris Swan. The song has a banging beat, a catchy sing-a-long hook, and clean, inspiring lyrics reminding us to focus on all the blessings in our life. Everything we want is right in front of us, we just have to choose to see it by practicing gratitude!
Abundance Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
Abundance is Chris Swan's first single of 2019 from Soul Motivation Records. The song was written to help us start the year with the right mindset. If we are thankful for what we have and we believe God will provide what we need, then there's no need to worry. There's plenty to go around when you are living abundantly!
Fight Song Is Here!
The new single from Chris Swan is here and this time it’s a cover song!
“I have always loved this song and thought it would be cool to do a hip-hop version of it. I tried to take elements of the song that were already very hip-hop in nature and exaggerate them. I hope you dig it,” says Swan.
Perfect: The Story Behind The Song
Hit play to hear what inspired my song Perfect and what I hope you get out of it. And be sure to share this video with those who you think need to hear it!
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How To Be Perfect
"I always thought that I was supposed to try to be perfect."
I am a perfectionist. Always have been since I was a little kid. Almost to the point of being obsessive about some things. I am very grateful that God made me this way because it drives me to work hard and to strive to be better. But it has also brought its challenges.
My goal has always been perfection. I don’t think I really realized that in my conscious mind for a long time, but in my subconscious mind that has always been what I was trying to achieve. And the reason is this:
If I’m perfect, then no one can hurt me.
If I have no flaws and I am superior at everything I do, then no one can say anything negative about me. Even better, if they do, I’ll know they are crazy because I’m perfect. I have no flaws. My pursuit of perfectionism was my defense mechanism. I know this is true because even to this day if someone says something bad about me or I feel inferior somehow, I get a drive in the pit of my stomach to go be the best at something. That’s when I want to practice the most, or write songs or study something. Because I want to be able to prove to them that I am amazing. So I go to work mumbling under my breath “I’ll show them!”
The real result of this mindset has been constant failure and a very deep, dark depression. I could never live up to my expectations of myself, therefore, I was always failing. Instead of being the best at something, I was a loser at everything. I began to hate myself because of this. And it got worse and worse as I got older. Until one day I looked in the mirror and I was a 500+ pound alcoholic.
I was frustrated and sad constantly. I could never accept love from other people because I didn’t love myself. I was lonely. Never good at long term relationships. I was finding comfort in food and alcohol. Like A LOT of food and alcohol! And I was barely hanging on to life. On the outside I seemed cool, laid back and fun. But on the inside I was steaming mad at myself, stressed out and angry.
Is this what being perfect is all about?
I finally had to accept the fact that I will never be perfect. Ever. It is hard for me to even type that sentence right now. But I finally know that it’s true. And I know it has been a big source of pain in my life. I have to let it go.
Now, I am striving to be perfectly imperfect. I laugh at myself a lot because I really love who I am. The pressure is off. I can be me and use all that energy I use to put towards trying to be perfect towards something that matters. Like making music that will change people’s lives. Telling my story to those who need to hear it. And being a part of a community again full of imperfect folks just like me.
I wrote a song all about my struggle with perfectionism called….ready for it…”Perfect.” If perfectionism is something you struggle with, I hope you’ll take a minute to check it out. I think you will be able to relate to a lot of it. And I think you may walk away knowing you are already perfect the way you are.
Perfect
Coming October 1st, 2018!
P.S. Funny side note. I made a few short promotional videos announcing this single to the world. On accident, I misspelled a word in two of them. After publishing them to my Facebook page, I noticed I had misspelled a word. I could have taken them down and fixed it. The old me wanted to. But I decided to leave them up. What a fitting tribute to a song called “Perfect.” :)
Lost? Not sure where to go next?
Perfect: The New Single From Chris Swan!
Announcing the new single from Chris Swan and Soul Motivation Records...
I always thought that I was suppose to try to be perfect.
It turns out I was wrong.
Perfect
Coming October 1st, 2018
Lost? Not sure where to go next?
Influence Is Here!
Influence (feat. Jarmel Reece)
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
Have you ever stopped and thought about the people you hang out with? Are they people who believe in you and lift you up? Or are they people who believe life is meant to be miserable and are constantly tearing you down? The people we let influence us is a crucial part of living a happy life. Make sure you surround yourself with the right people. Get your free download of Influence right here!
This song also features a very talented hip-hop artist from St. Louis. His name is Jarmel Reece. If you don't know this guy yet, you are going to love him!
Click here or on the picture to get a FREE download of Influence!
Lost? Not sure where to go next?
Influence: The Story Behind The Song
Hit play to hear what inspired the song Jarmel Reece and I wrote together called Influence and what we hope you get out of it! And be sure to share this video with those who you think need to hear it!
Lost? Not sure where to go next?
Influence (feat. Jarmel Reece): The New Single From Chris Swan!
Announcing the new single from Chris Swan and Soul Motivation Records...
"Everybody wanna say that dreams aren't meant to be, let's see,
Got a few believers surrounding me,
That is my influence."
Influence (feat. Jarmel Reece)
Coming September 1st, 2018
Lost? Not sure where to go next?
An Apology Letter To Hip-hop
Dear Hip-hop,
I owe you an apology. I'm sorry I walked away from you all those years ago. I just couldn't handle how much you had changed. When we met, you use to inspire me with your clever lyrics and thought provoking prose. You use to make my day better with your infectious beats. I remember, spending entire days hanging out with you. Back in the day, I use to lose sleep because I was so excited for my Columbia House CD's to arrive. I knew with each package that was delivered to my house, you would deliver to me so much truth, hope, joy and excitement. I knew every time you showed up at my house, I was going to learn something new. I was going to experience something I've never experienced before. And I would be inspired and challenged to create my own songs that were even half as good as the ones you gave me.
But then you changed.
You became bitter and dark. You began to focus entirely on the negatives in the world. You began to lose your wit and wordplay that use to inspire me so much. Soon, all you wanted to talk about was girls, jewelry and money. It seemed like all you cared about was immediate gratification because you saw the world as messed up beyond compare. And don't get me wrong, I like all those things too, but come on man. There's more to you than that.
Look, I know you've been through a lot. I know you have had to watch a lot of injustice done to you, your friends and your family. I know you've been pissed at the world. And I totally understand why. I'm pretty pissed too, sometimes. But I know there is still hope inside you. I know the world is not a perfect place, but you always helped me see the better side of people. You always helped me see the good that still exists in the world. And I need you now. We all do. More than ever.
I'm not saying you can't go out and fight some battles. That's part of your responsibilities too. But please don't turn your back on all the good stuff. And please don't let people make you part of the problem. You are above all that. And it's time to show the world who you really are.
I'm really sorry I didn't understand all this better all those years ago. I was young and naive. Instead of trying to understand you better, I just gave up. I should have stuck with you and encouraged you all this time, but I thought you had given up so why shouldn't I?
I was wrong.
You've always been there, trying to figure this all out. I can't control you. You are free to be who you want to be. So I am going to let you be free. I promise I will always look for the good in you because I know it is always there. And I'll be here with you during the bad times too. Right by your side. Rooting you on.
Thank you for being such a huge part of my life. I'll never leave you again. And I really believe you were meant to change the world. I'm here to help in anyway I can.
Sincerely,
You're #1 fan.
The Mess Around Is Here!
The Mess Around (feat. Chela Mancuso)
The new single from Chris Swan is here!
The Mess Around is a song about living a sober life in an alcoholic world. I quit drinking 2.5 years ago, but some people still want me to be part of the party. This is a song for all former drinkers as a declaration to the pushers that we don't mess around anymore. We got things to do.
This song also features a very talented singer/songwriter from St. Louis. Her name is Chela Mancuso and she is awesome!
Click here or on the picture to get a FREE download of The Mess Around!
Lost? Not sure where to go next?