I feel like we may have had a thread about listening to secular music in the past few months. Dunno...
But the measurement is this: Is this music glorifying sin?
If it is, then why is a christian listening to it? A Black Person is not going to listen to an aryan nation song that hates on black people right? (and would definately not try to use the excuse that they just like the beat...or the song is not talking about them specifically).
I am not opposed to different forms of music but Unfortunately lots of it, especially rap, hip hop, pop, and R&B is explicitly celebrating fornication, drunkeness, revelry, drug use, adultery, violence, pride...I could go on.
Whatever you let in will saturate your spirit and dull your senses to the adverse effects of said sins. God tells us to guard our eyes and our ears. And some of these lyrics will NOT have you thinking on things that are lovely, pure, virtuous, of good report etc.
We had secular music at our wedding reception, but the guidelines were; no swearing, no sex, no mysogenism...basically nothing I wouldnt want to see a child singing or dancing to. And we had a blast! But since its so hard to control that with the radio my station stays on CHristian rock and pop, and gospel.