"Satellite" is a song by American rock band Rise Against, featured on their sixth studio albumEndgame. Written by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, "Satellite" expresses the idea that the band stood by their social and political beliefs, and that they would not conform to mainstream media. The song first premiered on March 4, 2011 in a webisode series detailing the recording process of Endgame, but was not released as the album's third single until November 1, 2011. The song impacted radio on the same day. The song was positively received by critics and praised for its passionate lyrics.
Background
"Satellite" was written by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath in collaboration with the song's producers, Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. Stevenson and Livermore engineered the song alongside Andrew Berlin, while Chris Lord-Alge served as the mixer. It was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado and mastered by Ted Jensen. Rise Against first unveiled the song on March 9, 2011 a webisode documenting the studio recording sessions for Endgame. The band later released the track as the album's third and final single on November 1. During the writing process for Endgame, McIlrath noted how he took inspiration from the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the country band Dixie Chicks. "Not Ready to Make Nice" was written in response to a made by Natalie Maines about then U.S. President George W. Bush. The lyrics for "Satellite" were inspired by the Dixie Chicks song. McIlrath also saw the song as a way of expressing that the band stood by their beliefs and that they wouldn't conform.
Composition
"Satellite" is a melodic hardcore song. John Fortunato of The Aquarian Weekly described the song as a "fist-pounding mantra", while Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic commented on how "Satellite" was produced to "enhance the melodic nature". Lyrically, the song features several paradoxes and metaphors, such as "You can't fill your cup, until you empty all it has". According to McIlrath, the song's title comes from the idea that "Rise Against is kind of like a satellite and every once in a while we're in orbit over you - we pop into your lives and play show".
Reception
The song was positively received by critics. Chad Grischow of IGN commented on the "melodic bliss hidden in the hammering riffs", and noted how "Satellite" and fellow Endgame track "This Is Letting Go" make the album a "tough resist for even those not accustomed to the staggering punk package it wraps it all up in". Boy labeled the song an "infectious sing-along" and praised the track for its fiery and passionate social commentary. Ulf Kubanke of laut.de found "Satellite" to be a perfect pop song, praising its anti-establishment message. However, Alex Young of Consequence of Sound described the song as one of the haphazard moments from the album, while John Gentile of Punknews.org felt that some of the lyrics were clichéd and bland.
Music video
The accompanying music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld, and was released on November 1, 2011. Filmed during numerous Endgame Tour performances, the idea for the video stemmed from the distinct reaction by fans during live performances of the song. In response, the band felt compelled to dedicate the video to their fans. Alongside concert performances, several behind the scenes shots of the concert production crews are also shown. A mashup video was produced, combining the music video with various motocross riders, including Blake Williams and Robbie Maddison.
