Creed are back in a big way. The hard-rock vets are literally back in that they're reuniting later this spring to play their first shows since 2012, and then Scott Stapp and Co. will hit the road on another high-profile tour later this fall. Additionally, Stapp will release a new solo album, Higher Power, due out on March 15th surrounded by a run of intimate solo dates.
Creed are also back within the broader culture. The youths on TikTok love using Creed's songs in videos, and there's a palpable wave of nostalgia right now for the era of radio-dominating rock the group spearheaded in the late Nineties and early 2000s.
Don't believe us? Take SZA's word that Creed are cool again. The Grammy-winning pop megastar gave a viral interview to Variety late last year in which she laid praise on Creed's music and questioned why people are hesitant to put respect on the Florida band's name.
"The other day you know what I pulled up? Creed, Nickelback, Train's 'Drops of Jupiter,' just a whole bunch of that," SZA told Variety, eliciting a burst of laughter and a face-palm from the interviewer.
"Wait, you know what's crazy? Do white people hate Creed and Nickelback? Why? Black people love them! They rock! That shit is bomb!
"But I like Creed so much," she continued. "'Higher'? Why are you hating on it? Have you ever felt more inspired and uplifted in your life? I'm in the car and I'm blasting 'Higher.'
"I feel like it's a gospel song, the vocals are going crazy and it's also somehow slightly romantic, it just feels so fun. Because even if it's cliché, he's so fucking dead ass!
"I will be a Creed fan forever. Like, it started just on a whim in the shower, 'Oh, let's play this,' and then it became a week of Creed and Nickelback."
It had been a long time since an artist in SZA's echelon (i.e. the mainstream pop world) gushed so openly about Creed, so naturally, the comments made their way into the house of Stapp.
Speaking to Revolver for a upcoming print feature about his life and career, the singer enthusiastically confirms that he saw SZA's kind words about his band's music, and he shared about how much they meant to both him and his family.
"It definitely made me a cool dad in my house with my teenage daughter and teenage son," Stapp says. "And so, I thought it was awesome."
"It just shows that music reaches some of the most unexpected fans at times," he continues. "And, I think it shows that [Creed's] music has connected with another generation.
"I felt, in some regards, because of the accomplished and critically acclaimed artist that she is, I also felt honored and humbled that she was inspired and liked our music. That it connected with her.
Stapp adds, "It means a lot when you hear another artist, especially one as talented as she is, comment on your work and express what she did. And so it felt good."
Blast SZA's favorite shower anthem, "Higher," below.
