Band Highlights: Skillet
Yikes. When I did my last Band Highlights post, waayyy back in August or something, I promised it would be a monthly thing. One of my New Year's resolutions is for that to be a thing now :/
But finally, several months late, I have a second Band Highlights for you all! Today's focus artist is a slightly more popular Christian artist (okay, significantly more popular), SKILLET!
Let's get started!
#10: Never Surrender
A song that has helped me in some of my darkest moments (especially in the latter half of 2016), this is a rock-ballad that reminds me that I'm not alone in my suffering. Others feel the same thing as you do. Other people want to surrender. But Jesus is there in the darkness.
#9: Famous
From Skillet's newest album Unleashed. This song marks a landmark for them as their first real dance song, but while it sounds fairly generic, the lyrics are amazing. For most of their first decade and a half, Skillet was in the closet about their faith--doing generic sounding lyrics and working to ensure that their songs appealed to a secular audience as well as a Christian one. But with this song, they have come exploding out in a loud, unashamed celebration of their faith. And I love it. It's anthematic, explosive, and compelling. I play it in the car on the way to places I don't want to go, usually. This is definitely one of my favorite Skillet songs.
#8: Out of Hell
Sometimes it feels like heaven on earth, but sometimes the Christian walk feels an awful lot like a taste of hell. This song doesn't shy away from that feeling and is incredibly encouraging--it's a great reminder that life here is not always or even usually smooth sailing. One of the heaviest songs on Unleashed, it's a pretty darn great song.
#7: Lucy
One of my favorite pro-life songs, the story of this song is a friend of John Cooper's (the lead singer for the band) whose girlfriend had an abortion, and the regret he felt afterward. It's heartbreaking, scorching, and doesn't shy away from the fact that abortion kills a living child. Cooper's voice captures the raw emotion of a parent in this position beautifully.
#6: Say Goodbye
This song is precious to me for personal reasons. It's kind of a breakup song about two folks who don't really want to break up, or just a song about goodbyes between two friends. It's a ballad from Comatose, widely regarded as one of Skillet's best ballads, and is just emotional and sweet.
#5: Those Nights
Another one I love just because it's fun but also very deep. John Cooper had a tough childhood, and this song is about a dear friend who helped him get through it. I love it. It's got personal meaning to me too, although I'm not sure exactly why--I just really love it.
#4: Hero
A power rock song about how Christians are called to be heroes, but also need a Hero, the ultimate Hero from Heaven. We're not perfect and we can do far from everything, and this song is a powerful reminder of that fact.
#3: The Resistance
For me, as a social activist, this song is a pump-up that I like to play whenever I'm getting ready to do something powerful. In the pro-life movement, it's especially precious to me. "I AM A MILLION FACES FORMED TOGETHER MADE FOR ELEVATION." It's more than just a fun rock song--Christians, we ARE the Resistance. We have to fight against the dark powers of this world.
#2: Not Gonna Die
No matter how dark it gets, no matter how evil the evil seems, no matter how close to a flat line my heart seems, I'm not alone. "When everything you love is leavin', you hold on to what you believe in," shouts John Cooper on this rock anthem, and it's true. This is just a good song. 100% recommend. (I'd also recommend you check out the official lyric video for that one--it's incredible.)
#1: Rise
Here it is: My ultimate favorite and perhaps Skillet's best song. The mood of the song is desperate, the key determined, and the lyrics despondent and driving. We go on a roller coaster of emotion from despair ("every day you need a bullet proof vest/ to save yourself from what you could never guess") to resolve and revolt ("you can't give up if you wanna keep what you love/NEVER GIVE UP NO"). It's my ultimate pump-up. It's a song with a great message. I love it so much.
Listen to it today, please.
(Also watch this lyric video because it is legit one of the coolest things ever.)
Do you like Skillet? Which songs are your favorites? Do you agree with my choices? Chat with me in the comments!
24 comments
Feel invincible is one of the songs on my playlist for Fighting Back. (Formally Truth Seekers. I'm still looking for the right title, but this is the new one for now. XD) I went through a phase where I LOVED skillet and then I kind of fell out of that phase and preferred moody songs made by Fleurie, Tommee Profitt, and Srvcina, who are also all Christians. But I still like some Skillet songs. Great post!
ReplyDelete~Ivie
Ivie Writs
*Ivie Writes (Link is still valid, though. XD)
DeleteOoh, that's a cool title change! I love Fleurie too now thanks to your rec--so thanks for that! Yeah, I've kind of fallen out of love with Skillet after a hard time in my life where I stopped being able to listen to them constantly, but I'm finally in a place where I can handle that again, which is nice. <3 Thanks for reading!
DeleteI really love Lions. My brother and I say it's about on par with Start Over by Flame as far as the message goes. Though when it started playing on the radio, I did a double take (while driving. Yikes!) Because how could that be Skillet? It's so different! But I love the song regardless.
ReplyDeleteBut I do love listening to Skillet while I workout. It makes those deadlift sets just a bit easier. Granted, I haven't listened to many of their songs, so I'll have to broaden my horizons.
I don't think I could have clicked on a post faster unless it featured NF. That's how excited I was.
NF ROCKS!! He released a new song on YouTube early this morning and it was just AMAZING!! I guess he's coming with another album already. The song is called NO NAME. (It's in all caps, I'm not yelling. XD)
DeleteYES!! I've listened to it about ten times already! So cool! I love that he comes out with albums so quickly. A lot of artists would be really boring if they did that, but he keeps the energy and excitement up with each one!
DeleteI know! It's like he gets better and better with each album. I love Let You Down and 10 Feet Down from Perception. His music is really awesome and he does with rapping what I want to do with writing. Fill it with emotion without the use of vulgarity. :D
DeleteI know! I didn't love Lions the first few times I heard it, but the lyrics cinch it for me. XD
DeleteYeah, it is great to work out to Skillet--I tend to do that and FOB as my workout playlist.
I don't listen to NF as much as I should...whoops...I will go remedy that now. XD
I love Skillet!!! Some of my favorites, beyond those you listed, are Salvation, Comatose, Stars, Feel Invincible, and Lions. I got to see them in concert last year, which was awesome! (Not to mention very, very loud, LOL.)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Salvation, as well as Comatose! I would have included those if I'd had room--they're definitely in my top 15. <3 I remember you mentioning that! I was actually super jealous of you. XD
DeleteSkillet is such an amazing band! I ALWAYS love their songs when I hear them, but for some reason I forget to actually listen to them. o.o I NEED TO REMEDY THIS. So I don't know as many of their songs as I'd like, but still. THEY'RE SO GOOD. I like how they're not afraid to get gritty and sing about some powerful things. A lot of Christian bands these days are a bit...fluffy and mediocre. But Skillet really gets your heart pumping with some powerful lyrics. I love it!
ReplyDeleteSalvation is probably my favorite I've heard from them. But again, I need to listen to more of their stuff!
I love them for that same reason! No, they are so far from fluffy. Yes, you must remedy this today!
DeleteAnd good heavens, I love Salvation <3
Aaaah, yes, I'm a fan of several of these you listed!! Never Surrender, Lucy, and Hero... Famous sounds REALLY GOOD - I don't think I've heard it. *hurries over to Spotify to listen to everything Skillet, thanks to this post* xD
ReplyDeleteI looooove music, and so I'm really excited for future Band Highlights!! :D
Lila - The Red-Hooded Writer
*cheers because you went to listen to Skillet* Famous is totally one of my favorites!
DeleteYay! I'll have a lot of those this coming year <3 I'm eager to bring out the SONG part of the Writer's Song. XD
I guess I need to look up and listen to this band now! XD
ReplyDeleteYES YOU DO. YESTERDAY WOULD BE GOOD.
DeleteSkillet is one of my top 5 favorite bands. My favorites include: Stars, Breaking Free, Stay Till The Daylight, Watching For Comets, I Want To Live, Never Surrender, Would It Matter, and Not Gonna Die.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Stay Till the Daylight the couple of times I've heard it. I need to listen to it again! *goes to do that*
DeleteAnd Watching for Comets and Would it Matter! Those two consistently make me teary-eyed. I love them way too much. <3
I LOVE SKILLET!!!! Some of my favorite songs by them are: Hero, The Resistance, Hero, Yours To Hold, Alien Youth, Awake and Alive, The Last Night, and Whispers in the Dark.
ReplyDeleteI love all of those (except Yours to Hold, don't love that one so much.) But the Last Night! <3333333333333 That's probably my #12 favorite from them (after the ones I listed here and then Salvation.)
DeleteMy friends are SUPER into this band, but I've never listened to their music. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove Skillet, they are such an inspiring band!
ReplyDeleteI've heard their music before, but I never really 'listened' to it! They sound really good though!
ReplyDeleteI was so excited when I saw this post. I've listened to Skillet since....forever. They've always been one of my favorite bands *whether I realized it at the time for not* .I think my favorites would have to be Sick of It, Whispers in the Dark, Breaking Free, and The Last Night. Rise is a really good one too and so is Lucy. Being against abortions, Lucy really hits the feels. I was actually just listening to Skillet. There were videos when they did Feel Invincible at Winter Jam and they were rockin' it.
ReplyDeleteHello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)