Rock singer John Cooper is calling for a revolution on his band’s next album, but it’s not the kind of rebellion many are hoping for. rotate The album, out Nov. 1, carries a “rawer” sound and a message that lead singer Cooper hopes will resonate both inside and outside the church walls, he said. Church LeadersThe album’s cover art includes quotations from the Bible. 1 Corinthians 13:13.
“I thought that was important. [to add a verse] “Because we are in a revolutionary time in this country,” Cooper told the church leaders.
“I want people to know that the revolution I’m talking about is nothing like the revolution against America, God and Western Civilization that we often hear about in the news. [and/or] It is against the Bible.”
“The reason that’s so important is because the revolution we’re talking about on this record isn’t a political revolution. [and] It is not a militaristic revolution. I have never supported a militaristic revolution. It is a revolution for love. It is a revolution for loving your enemies.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 It says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.”
The Grammy-nominated band is one of the most successful crossover bands in music history, touring regularly on the Christian and mainstream circuits. Not only did they headline the Christian tour Winter Jam 2022, but they also toured with mainstream bands Theory of a Deadman and Saint Asonia in 2023. Their rock-influenced sound is perfect for high-energy events such as NFL, college football and WWE telecasts.
Cooper told church leaders he called his revolution a “counter-revolution.” “It’s a revolution against a revolution that is trying to destroy some very beautiful traditions,” he said.
“I’m going to continue to preach the gospel no matter what the government says, but it’s nice to be able to do it without fines or penalties or even worse, jail time,” Skillett said.
Meanwhile, Skillet released the first single from the album this month. UnpopularThe lyrics urge listeners to stand up for truth against the insanity of the culture: “Unpopular, unpopular / Call me out, hold me down / You can’t make up for the truth / Did you hear me? I’m a commoner / I’ve got my family, my sanity, everything I need / If freedom is a disease / Who wants to be popular? Worth it or not / I think today’s a good day to be unpopular.”
“The song is saying that the world is crazy and the things that the world loves are so nasty and crazy, and I mean, do you really want to be popular in a crazy world,” Cooper said. “That’s kind of the joke of the song.”
“Do you want to be part of the crowd that’s cheering and saying, ‘Oh, this is great! I’m watching the Olympic ceremonies with my kids and I’m seeing drag queens pretending to be communion. Isn’t this great? We’re so popular?'”
“So we were like, no, I don’t want to be on that team,” he added. “I want to be around regular people.”
Cooper and his bandmates “want to be around people who say, ‘Yeah, I still like raising my family, going to church, loving my kids, not doing weird stuff, loving my freedom.’
Watch: Unpopular (Official Music Video) | Skillet
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Ethan Miller/staff
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
