Skillet frontman John Cooper recently discussed how speaking out on political issues in 2020 cost the band up to 15% of its fanbase, addressing the situation in an interview with Rock Feed.
Cooper explained his initial reluctance to discuss politics and how the events of 2020 prompted him to speak out despite the potential consequences.
“I never wanted to speak about politics,” Cooper said. “And when sometimes people hear that, they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, right, John.’ And I always tell them, ‘No, I have proof. I have 24 years of my first 24 years of my career.’ I didn’t say peep about anything. I never said who I was voting for. I don’t even know if I said happy July 4th. I just I don’t want to speak about any of that’s not what I do. I’m a musician. I don’t want to speak about this stuff.”
He went on to describe how the political climate of 2020 changed his perspective and led him to take a stand.
“And 2020 just was that sort of like, okay, we’re it this is all hands on deck because if we lose our right to have our individual freedoms and liberties, this is going to be bad,” Cooper continued. “I feel like that some things kind of calmed down a little bit since 2020 and 2021. I feel like Okay, I think we’re kind of in like a reset phase. I’m just thrilled to not have to talk about it anymore. Like I don’t want to talk about it. I am trying my best to go back into my lane, which is music. I want to entertain people. And I really hope that I don’t ever have to talk about politics for the rest of my life.”
Cooper then detailed the immediate impact this decision had on Skillet’s fanbase and how some fans reacted.
“It’s become so polarized and I will say I do think this goes into why Skillet fans are so rabid and maybe it even grew,” Cooper added. “I will say this. I think in 2020 when I started speaking out about that there was an initial 10% of our fan base that immediately unfollowed, stopped listening. There’s no question and maybe 15%. And I remember thinking like I don’t want that but I just felt I had to do it. I do think that there were some fans that were like, ‘Look I’ve always liked Skillet, now I love Skillet.'”
He concluded by explaining the recovery process and how the band eventually regained support.
“I think it (gaining fans back) took about two years because we did not feel the gaining,” Cooper said. “It hurt. It hurt for about two years. And that was fine with me. Everybody’s got to do what they got to do. You don’t want to listen. I get it. But I was like, ‘Okay, that that’s the way it’s got to be.’ There were some people that I think that went, you know what? That means that John is putting his money where his mouth is. He’s been talking about this Christian stuff for all this time and now he’s standing up saying, ‘Hey, I think it’s the right thing to do to make a stand. It’s going to it’s going to cost me and that’s okay with me.’ And I think that solidified people into I like this guy. And I even saw that with people that were like, ‘Hey, I’m not into the Jesus stuff, but I just appreciate that you put, you know, they they’d say to me, you put your balls out there, man. I like that.'”
Cooper’s political outspokenness did not emerge in isolation. It was part of a broader shift in how he approached his public role, which became more pronounced around 2020 and 2021.
Cooper explained in a January 2021 interview that he had become more direct because of what he saw as Christians’ failure to speak publicly about cultural and political issues. He described his motivation as a reaction to “the shock of the last decade about the lack of people speaking up,” and asked, “Where are the voices of the pastors?” The interview provides context for his public comments during the COVID-era political and cultural conflicts.
By that point, Skillet had already built a substantial commercial career. The band formed in 1996 and released a series of successful albums, including Awake, Rise, Unleashed, and Victorious. Awake reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced platinum-certified singles such as “Monster,” “Hero,” and “Awake and Alive.” Earlier albums Collide and Comatose received Grammy nominations, while later releases included Dominion in 2022 and Revolution in 2024.
Cooper has consistently framed his political speech as an extension of Christian conviction rather than a departure from his established identity. He said in a 2022 interview, “I’ve been a Christian musician now for 25 years.” He explained his shift in approach by saying, “Something has changed in culture that has made it all the sudden where I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s now or never.'” He added, “I think we got to get loud about our faith.”
Cooper argued that politics cannot be separated entirely from religious convictions, writing that “politics cannot exist without religion.” These statements help explain why he continued addressing political and cultural issues despite criticism from parts of Skillet’s audience.
The figures Cooper cited about the fanbase loss and the two-year recovery have not been independently verified outside of his own account, so they remain attributed directly to him. His remarks suggest that the band’s relationship with its audience has since stabilized, with Cooper now focused on returning to music.
