SKILLET TO BRING REVOLUTION NOVEMBER 1 DIGITAL + VINYL PRE-ORDER IS LIVE HERE BILLBOARD AND SIRIUS XM’S OCTANE PREMIERE FIRST SINGLE / VIDEO “UNPOPULAR” — WATCH Song at DSPs Now, Impacts Active Rock Radio August 20 With more than 22 million albums sold and 24 billion global streams to-date, the GRAMMY-nominated band receives yet two more RIAA Gold Certifications for “Stars” and “Legendary” SKILLET APP debuts today with early access to tickets, exclusive content, message boards, and more! Tour with Seether kicks off next month Earlier this week, BILLBOARD broke the news that SKILLET will be releasing their first independent record, REVOLUTION on November 1. The project’s first single, “Unpopular,” premiered yesterday on BILLBOARD and SIRIUS XM’s OCTANE channel, and along with a music video is available across all DSPs today along with a pre-order for the full album. Watch the video here. 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 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 5x-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 Cooper. “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 peoples 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.'” 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 UK. Tickets for all shows are now available at Skillet.com. REVOLUTION TRACK LISTING:
“Showtime”*
“Unpopular”*
“All That Matters”**
“Not Afraid”**
“Revolution”+
“Ash In The Wind”***
“Fire Inside Of Me”**
“Defector”*
“Happy Wedding Day”(Song)++
“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 SKILLET ON TOUR:
WITH SEETHER: 9/17 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
9/19 — Baltimore, MD — Pier Six Pavilion
9/20 — Boston, MA — Roadrunner
9/21 — Bethlehem, PA — Wind Creek Event Center
9/23 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE Outdoors
9/24 — Chicago, IL — Radius
9/27 — Huntington, WV — Marshall Health Network Arena
10/2 — Kansas City, MO — The Midland Theatre
10/3 — St. Louis, MO — Saint Louis Music Park
10/5 — Houston, TX — White Oak Music Hall Lawn
10/6 — Dallas, TX — Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie
10/8 — Lubbock, TX — Lonestar Events Center
10/9 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel ABQ
10/11 — Mesa, AZ — Mesa Amphitheatre
10/15 — Denver, CO — The Mission Ballroom
10/18 — Omaha, NE — The Astro Amphitheater
10/19 — Des Moines, IA — Vibrant Music Hall
10/20 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory ABOUT SKILLET:
After nearly three decades, eleven albums, and thousands of shows worldwide, Skillet play louder, fight harder, and sound more rebellious than ever. As of 2024, the band have received two-time 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, they have notched multiplatinum, platinum, or gold RIAA certifications for a total of 12 singles and four full-length albums. Not to mention, they have regularly attracted 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, boasting “one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time” with the 5x-platinum “Monster.” Their presence has impressively surged throughout popular culture with syncs by WWE, Marvel, ESPN, and NFL in addition to coverage from USA Today, The New York Times, and more. As a live force of nature, they have touched down on four continents and in 26 countries, packing arenas everywhere from the Middle East to Russia. Not to mention, Skillet expanded their world with the graphic novel series EDEN. The first installment stood out as Z2 Comics’ best-selling book of all-time. Now, the global hard rock quartet—John Cooper [lead vocals, bass], Korey Cooper [guitar, keys], Jen Ledger [drums, vocals], and Seth Morrison [lead guitar]—deliver an insurgent, infectious, and inimitable body of work with their twelfth full-length offering and first-ever independent album, REVOLUTION, led by the single “Unpopular.” |