Singer Scott Stapp of the band CREED is set to drop his fourth solo album, “Higher Power,” on March 15, 2024, through Napalm Records
This eagerly anticipated LP will hit the shelves just a month before the renowned frontman makes his long-awaited return to the stage with CREED, marking their first performance in a decade.
Stapp‘s upcoming album, comprising ten tracks, skillfully transforms his experiences at life’s cutting edge into a profound exploration of grace. You can already pre-order the album, and the title track, “Higher Power,” is making its way to the airwaves, while the emotionally charged single “What I Deserve” is available today on all major digital platforms.
In August, the hard-hitting single “Higher Power” premiered, with Loudwire noting that Stapp seems poised for a remarkable decade, retaining the same power as he did when he was half his age, with a newfound weightiness beneath his iconic voice. Now, the mid-tempo anthem “What I Deserve” delves into the complexities of relationships, ignited by the blazing yet delicate guitar work of the multi-award-winning guitar virtuoso Yiannis Papadopoulos.
Stapp says: “We all want back what we give. ‘What I Deserve’ is about two people understanding who they are individually and coming to a place where they can express exactly what they each want, need, and deserve. The duality in the song is that both sides are expressing the same thing and coming to an understanding of the faults of the other. This song pleads both guilty and innocent with Yiannis guitar solo being the voice that articulates a chaotic search for deliverance and the epic release of passionate closure.”
“Higher Power” follows Stapp’s 2019 album, “The Space Between The Shadows,” which debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Current Rock Albums chart, the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart, and the U.K. Rock and Metal Chart, achieving various other top chart positions.
This album, which explores themes of loss, frustration, betrayal, and near defeat, features outstanding performances, including a raw duet with the hard rock sensation Dorothy. Throughout the album, Papadopoulos’s guitar leads and solos are invaluable contributions, and he is credited as a featured artist on three tracks. Moreover, the album boasts a co-writing appearance by the multi-Grammy Award-winning songwriter and musician Steve McEwan on the title track “Higher Power.” The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen and Scott Stevens, with co-production by Stapp himself.
Stapp explains: “‘Higher Power’ was born out of never-ending consequences with triggered, yet naive defiance. It’s the realities and realizations of being human in this experiment we call life — holding on to hope in the dark waiting for the light.”
Scott Stapp “Higher Power” track listing:
01. Higher Power
02. Deadman’s Trigger
03. When Love Is Not Enough
04. What I Deserve (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
05. If These Walls Could Talk (feat. Dorothy)
06. Black Butterfly
07. Quicksand (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
08. Youre Not Alone
09. Dancing In The Rain (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
10. Weight Of The World
Scott Stapp, one of the most iconic voices in rock, initially rose to fame as the high-energy post-grunge frontman of CREED. With anthems like “Higher,” “My Own Prison,” “My Sacrifice,” and “With Arms Wide Open,” the band achieved record-breaking airplay, sold out arenas, earned numerous Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and even a Grammy for “Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group.”
As a solo artist, Stapp has released platinum-certified albums, including “The Great Divide” (2005), “Proof Of Life” (2013), featuring his first solo No. 1 hit, “Slow Suicide,” and “The Space Between The Shadows” in 2019. In April 2024, Stapp will reunite with his CREED bandmates for the first time in a decade, presenting himself as an inspiration to others grappling with their own challenges.
Scott Stapp‘s journey has been marked by a highly publicized, drug-fueled crisis in 2014, during which he underwent intensive rehabilitation. This period was also marked by his temporary loss of custody of his three children, missing a court hearing, and alleged threats against then-President Obama.
Following rehab, Stapp devoted a year to intensive therapy. Although he was initially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was later determined that severe depression had led to his addiction. Now, nine years sober, Stapp spoke to Men’s Health in 2019 when his comeback album was released, sharing his focus on health and fitness, stating, “I hate to use the word, but I guess it has become my new addiction.”
