Skillet’s John Cooper Advocates for a Love-Driven ‘Counter Revolution’ in Latest Album
- Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Published Aug 12, 2024
Rocker John Cooper is calling for a revolution on his band’s forthcoming album, but it’s not the type of uprising many would expect. Skillet’s new album Revolution will launch Nov. 1, carrying with it a “more raw” sound and a message that Cooper, the lead singer, hopes will resonate inside and outside the walls of the church, he told Church Leaders. The album’s cover art includes a Bible reference: 1 Corinthians 13:13.
“I thought it would be important [to add a verse] because we’re in a time in this country of revolution,” Cooper told Church Leaders.
“I wanna make sure that people know the kind of revolution that I am talking about is very different than … the revolution that we often hear about on the news, which is a revolution against America, against God, against Western civilization, [and/or] against the Bible.”
“The reason that’s so important is because the revolution we’re talking about on this record is not a political revolution, [and] it is certainly not a militaristic one, which I’ve never supported. It’s a revolution for love. It’s a revolution to love your enemies.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 reads: “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 and regularly tours on Christian and mainstream circuits. It headlined Winter Jam 2022, a Christian tour, but also toured in 2023 with mainstream acts Theory of a Deadman and Saint Asonia. Its rock-heavy sound has made it a perfect match for high-energy events such as NFL, college football, and WWE telecasts.
Cooper labels his revolution a “counter-revolution” because it’s a “revolution against the revolution that wants to tear down these traditional things that are so wonderful,” he told Church Leaders.
Skillet, he said, is going “to preach the Gospel no matter what the government says, but it sure is nice to be able to preach the gospel without, you know, being fined, or having penalties, or worse -- going to jail, or something like that.”
Meanwhile, Skillet this month released the first single off the album: Unpopular. The lyrics encourage listeners to stand for the truth against the culture’s insanity: “Unpopular, unpopular / call me out, clasp down / can’t supplement true facts / have you heard? I’m a commoner / got my family, sanity, everything I need / if freedom is disease / who would ever want to be popular? for what it’s worth / I think today’s a good day to be unpopular.”
“It’s saying the world’s gone so nuts that the things the world loves are so disgusting and so crazy -- like, in a world gone mad, would you really want to be popular?” Cooper said. “That’s kind of the joke of the song.”
“Do you want to be on the side of the people cheering for -- ‘Oh, it’s so great! Getting to watch the Olympic ceremony with my kids and seeing drag queens act like they’re doing a Lord’s Supper imitation. Isn’t that great? We’re so popular.’”
“So we’re like, no, I don’t wanna be on that team,” he added. “I want to be on the side of like normal people.”
Cooper and the band members “want to be on the side with people that are like, ‘Oh, I still kind of like raising my family and going to church and loving my kids and not being weird and loving freedom.’”
WATCH: Unpopular (Official Music Video) | Skillet
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Ethan Miller/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
