Christian rockers SKILLET will release their first independent album, “Revolution”, on November 1 via their Hear It Loud imprint. The project’s first single, “Unpopular”, premiered yesterday on Billboard and SiriusXM‘s Octane channel, and along with a music video is available across all DSPs today along with a pre-order for the full album.
The song was teased in SKILLET‘s brand new app, also launching today, which will give fans early access to tickets, exclusive content, message boards, and more. Exuding confidence, “Unpopular” hinges on a hard-hitting guitar groove with a swaggering rhythm and will impact Active Rock Radio August 20.
“‘Unpopular’ is lighthearted, but there’s a clear message,” says SKILLET lead singer John Cooper. “So many people don’t have a place to belong. You used to know your neighbors. Our communities are online now, which contributes to the loneliness. You have powerful people telling you what reality is, what you should eat, what you should drive, and how you should live. They deem us ‘unpopular.’ In reality, we agree more than we disagree as a society. The majority of people just want to be free and they don’t really care whether or not you agree with them about everything.”
“Revolution” is expected to only extend SKILLET‘s formidable legacy. As of 2024, the band have received two Grammy Award nominations, picked up a Billboard Music Award, and landed three albums in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Selling over 22 million units worldwide with over 24 billion global streams to date, SKILLET have notched multi-platinum, platinum, or gold RIAA certifications for a total of 12 singles and four full-length albums. Their latest RIAA gold certifications just hit this summer with the tracks “Legendary” and “Stars”. Not to mention, they have regularly attracted 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, boasting “one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time” with the five-times-platinum “Monster”.
After an incredible 20 years on Atlantic Records, SKILLET have built this new vision entirely by hand, intentionally opting to go independent at the end of their last contract and developing a solid indie team. Bolstered and galvanized by the support of a fervent global base, they took advantage of this newfound freedom, writing and recording the album at their own pace on the road and at home as well as in studios across Milwaukee, Canada and Nashville. The group also tapped the talents of longtime collaborators and producers Brian Howes and Seth Mosely, as well as band member Korey Cooper with YOUTHYEAR/Carlo Colasacco bringing these 10 tracks to life naturally.
“We made records on the same label for 20 years, and it was a great experience,” says John. “Since this was the first independent record, it put some pep in my step, so to speak. We did exactly what we wanted to do. If I was on the road and felt inspired to write, I just did. In the past, we’d make a bunch of ideas and whittle everything down for the album. This time, we only wrote and recorded 10 tracks, but it was all we needed. Musically, there are a lot of flavors on the record. It’s got the arena songs, but it also has some tunes that are more nostalgic and throwback SKILLET.”
He continues: “Thematically, there’s so much nihilism in our culture. Depression and teen suicide are at epidemic levels. We’re revolting against a culture that creates nihilism, nothingness, and materialism. The album is poignant, but it’s also very confident and inclusive as well. It’s a record saying, ‘We have to be willing to stand up for what we believe in — even if it might be unpopular in some circles, but hey, maybe we could have a revolution of love, you know, a revolution of understanding, of tolerance towards people that we don’t agree with and come back to some human dignity and respecting people’s rights and where they’re coming from. And so, it’s kind of speaking to the division and the polarization that is happening, which I think is a really good message and what the whole ‘revolution’ thing is all about. We allude to it on the record cover where there’s a SKILLET flag, and in the corner it lists I Corinthians, 13:13, a verse that says, ‘Hold onto these things: faith, hope, love. But the greatest is love.'”
John told Billboard that one of the factors that made SKILLET opt for independence was the desire to move more quickly in terms of recording and releasing music.
“One of the things about being independent is being able to make quick decisions,” he said. “There’s not this chain of people that need weigh in on it. The system takes a really long time. Instead, I wrote a song and we recorded it eight days later. That is a huge benefit. With the change in pace of technology and of the industry, that was important to me to be able to make quick decisions.”
Ready to play new music for their fans, SKILLET recently announced that they will hit the road this fall with another one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, SEETHER, followed by their first-ever tour of the Middle East in November, where the band will be playing in Turkey, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, and more. From there, SKILLET will support BLACK STONE CHERRY on a handful of dates across the U.K.
“Revolution” track listing:
01. Showtime *
02. Unpopular *
03. All That Matters **
04. Not Afraid **
05. Revolution +
06. Ash In The Wind ***
07. Fire Inside Of Me **
08. Defector *
09. Happy Wedding Day (Song) ++
10. Death Defier *
* Produced by Seth Mosley
** Produced by Brian Howes
*** Produced by Korey Cooper
+ Produced by YOUTHYEAR and Carlo Colasacco
++ Produced by Korey Cooper and Seth Mosley
Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine