“Unfollowing.”
“Your music stinks.”
“You disgust me.”
Throughout the video for Skillet’s new song “Unpopular,” the lead single from the group’s forthcoming album Revolution, messages like those can be seen in the background. (Similar stuff is heard audibly at the outset of the video, too.)
The message of the song itself is unmistakable: According to Skillet, some people don’t like Skillet. Dig a bit deeper, and we see that the band’s unapologetic commitment to truth isn’t always warmly embraced.
Skillet, of course, has been an immensely popular band for nearly 30 years. Cooper and his current bandmates (wife and multi-instrumentalist Korey, drummer Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison) have been pioneers in forging a fusion between hard rock and faith, pushing that genre forward.
But in the band’s first single since leaving Atlantic Records, Skillet speaks to its unpopularity.
Though Scripture doesn’t use the word “unpopular,” the Bible describes how early Christians were persecuted, imprisoned and cast out of both Jewish and Roman society.
Similarly, Skillet’s frontman John Cooper acknowledges the unpopularity of his convictions: “Unpopular, unpopular/Call me out/ … Can’t supplement true facts.” And though at first he feels like “I’m a loner in the crowd,” eventually he rightly recognizes that he’s not alone in the fight: “I ain’t a loner in the crowd.”
Cooper also recognizes his blessings (“Got my family, sanity, everything I need”) and stands firm in his beliefs, singing “I won’t apologize when I speak my mind.” In fact, the band seems to embrace its countercultural identity: “I think today’s a good day to be unpopular.” Cooper also wonders why it seems like “everybody’s lost their dang minds.”
The second verse contains a line some might hear as profane: “If thinkin’ for myself is called raisin’ h—/I guess that I’m an outlaw, woo.”
And others might be surprised that the song doesn’t directly reference God as the source of truth that makes the band’s convictions “unpopular.” (That said, not every Skillet song directly references God, though every album definitely does.)
Leaving Atlantic Records has given Skillet the freedom to experiment with their sound. Longtime fans may notice that this track’s more stripped-back and raw production recalls some of their earlier albums, stylistically speaking.
But if the sound here is perhaps a bit of a throwback, John Cooper and his bandmates maintain an unwavering commitment to truth despite any criticism that might come their way.
Our lone concern here is that some families might not be crazy about the phrase “raisin’ h—,” even if Cooper is perhaps making reference to that biblical reality.
Caleb Gottry is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2024. Caleb studies journalism with a minor in music at Texas Christian University, where he will be a junior in the fall. He loves playing with words, listening to and making music, and spending any spare time with friends or family.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
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