A symptom of being rock and pop: Shinedown says they’re “not really into labels”

Over the years, the rock band Shinedown has scored some pop hits, like “Second Chance” and “If You Only Knew.” And now they’ve got another one, “A Symptom of Being Human.” At the same time, the band holds the record for the most number ones in the history of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. That’s why Shinedown singer Brent Smith says he resists attempts to categorize their music.

“I don’t like being put in a box, man. I never have been,” Brent told ABC Audio. “And I think there’s always been a bit of a stigma about Shinedown. It’s like, ‘Well, what are they? Are they a rock band? Are they a metal band? Are they a pop band? Who are they?’ And the easiest way that I can present that is, ‘We’re Shinedown.’ Like, we’re not really into labels.”

But as Brent pointed out, today’s music fans aren’t into labels either, which works in their favor.

“I have a 15-year-old son. [Kids that age] don’t care about a born-on date … that doesn’t matter to them,” he noted. “They don’t care if a song came out in 1975 or what have you. You know, it’s just, is it cool? You know, that’s basically what it’s about.”

“I love the fact that this newer generation is really embracing a lot of styles that kind of meld together,” he added. “There shouldn’t be — in my opinion, anyway — there shouldn’t be some kind of a [radio] format or formula, necessarily.”

But since there are formats and formulas, Brent said he’s glad Shinedown can inject some variety every now and then.

“I think that Top 40 radio needs to be more aware of rock ‘n’ roll,” he stated. “‘Cause you’re never gonna kill rock ‘n’ roll.”