Every victory merits a theme song, and victory is exactly what multi-platinum, two-time GRAMMY® nominee rockers Skillet hail as they partner with Billboard to announce the soundtrack to triumph on their tenth full-length album, Victorious due August 2nd (Atlantic). The follow-up to the RIAA Gold-certified Unleashed (their fourth consecutive album to receive either a gold, platinum, or double-platinum certification), the new project continues to propel the band's position as one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, racking up over 1 billion streams in 2018 alone. Victorious is available for pre-order now with special merchandise packages.
"Victorious perfectly describes how the record makes me feel," affirms lead singer John Cooper. "You wake up, face your own demons every day, and never give in. There's an introspective side to it. We might've commented on the world explicitly on previous albums. This one is about looking inward. Perhaps, it's because I've gotten a little older, and I've accepted struggle as part of the journey. When I listen to these songs, I want to fight for my life, I want to fight for who I am, and I want to fight for what I believe in."
"The lyrics are a call to make your life matter," Cooper goes on. "You're realizing you have a chance for your life to count every day. In a sense, we're all destined to be forgotten, so live the way you want and don't turn your back on who you are. I drew the sentiment from my own career. We've always put our heads down and pushed forward when confronted with adversity."
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Legacy-focused Songs| Posted August 01, 2019 What You Need To Know: This long-awaited tenth studio album, Victorious, has captivated my spirit. Over the past several years, I've had the opportunity to speak with Skillet’s John Cooper about several songs from their prior albums including "Awake and Alive,""One Day Too Late", "Lucy,""American Noise,""Good to Be Alive,"“Stars,”“Lions,”“The Resistance” and “Legendary” - with each discussion we've built on how John’s biblical life verses Romans 8:38-39 have shaped his songwriting. “Legendary” sets the tone for this album. We're all united in our struggles and spiritual warfare, and in our desire for truth and relationship. These songs are prayers for God to teach us to realize that this life isn't forever. Help us to realize what we're living for. What am I wasting my time on? What am I doing with my life? We also need to think about what we are doing for His Kingdom. That's our legacy and the theme of this album, and one of the threads that weaves its way through all twelve of these legacy-focused songs.
What it Sounds Like: Over the years, it's been a treat for me to watch Skillet's meteoric ascent into one of rock's biggest bands, and the incredible success of their last four albums, Comatose, Awake, Rise, and Unleashed. Each album has reached another level of popularity. Arguably, the bar has been set so high there is a possibility that some people may have unreachable expectations for how much higher Skillet can “Rise.” However, I’m pleased to say that after repeated listens through all twelve tracks in order, I’m all in on these songs. Ear worms including “Legendary,” You Ain’t Ready,” “Victorious,” “Save Me,” “Terrify The Dark,” “Anchor” and the energetic closing track, “Back to Life” keep me coming back for more with an excitement that builds with each listen.
Spiritual Highlights: The project opens with “Legendary,” which has a celebratory vibe and builds to an exciting refrain that stirs my soul to cry out loudly "Legends made when faith is strong." I'm really engaged by John Cooper’s emotional vocals and the sincere, enthusiastic and thought-provoking lyrics throughout the album. When I first heard "Legendary," I was immediately hooked by the message connected to the themes found in Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, Oh, man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you; But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" That's how we can show the world what we are for instead of what we are against. Be followers of Jesus and make your life count.
“Victorious” is an upbeat, hooky rock song that represents the theme of this uplifting album with the encouraging legacy-focused message, “Don’t want to be forgotten when I’m dead and gone, I just want to be the one who got up and came back strong." These are some of the strongest lyrics I've heard by this talented band, all in an extremely catchy song. John and Jen’s emotive vocals and the exciting musical bed takes me on an emotional journey that causes me to excitedly worship along with the stirring lyrics every time I hear the song.
Best Song on the Record: All of these songs are poignant and powerful with earnest, worshipful lyrics. “Anchor” features introspective lyrics and a beautiful refrain with John displaying emotive vocals. It is yet another reflective track in the vein of “Stars” and includes another catchy musical vibe and the vertical message, “I’ll never be the same, I can face anything, so let it rain, You are my anchor, So steady me, steady me now.” Long-time Skillet fans will be most excited by the standout tracks, “Legendary,” “You Ain’t Ready,” “Victorious,” “Save Me” and “Back to Life.”
Final Word: Skillet is back with Victorious, one of my top rock albums of the year in both the Christian and mainstream music markets. The album includes standout recordings like the sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs anthems “Legendary,”“You Ain’t Ready” and “Save Me” as well as songs with a reflective vibe like “Victorious” and “Anchor.” From my first listen, I wanted to tell others about this great new album. If you’ve always liked Skillet, you'll love this new album. Victorious is one of the catchiest, most energetic and emotionally engaging rock albums I've heard this year.
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