Rival

This chest-pounding anthem about moving forward and ignoring your haters originated with a conversation one night between Lanco frontman Brandon Lancaster and drummer Tripp Howell. The pair talked about what was going on in their changing lives at this point in the band's career. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you're doing in life, everyone has a moment where they feel like their back is against the wall, where maybe people aren't rooting for them," Lancaster explained. "Just kind of saying, let's write this anthem. It's important to tell people that you matter, you're important, and be proud of who you are, be proud of where you come from, and go do what you want in life. If there is anyone that wants to stand in your way, that's all right. That's just reality, and chalk them up as a rival and use them as motivation."

The foot-stomping song that Howell and Lancaster came up with is an encouragement from an underdog to everyone who's ever been doubted. It aligns with not only with Lanco's own journey to getting a record deal but also people from all different strokes of life, who feel pressure to live up to some outside expectation. "We realized that everyone has faced something they have to stand up against. It isn't about fitting into any mold, it's about sticking up for what you believe in and having that crew of friends around that will always have your back," Howell said. "That's definitely a big part of our story. We didn't know anything or anyone when we started out trying to break into this business, and I think that underdog mentality really drove us in the beginning."

The song's music video mixes a live performance by Lanco in an alleyway with footage of a crowd of people being led to a cinder block wall. Inscribed on the wall are their insecurities and cruel comments they've received from others. Eventually, the wall is broken down with a sledgehammer, as the band finishes singing the tune. "We really wanted to capitalize on the true message behind the song that was built from different times in our lives and the stories from fans who have felt beat-down and lost, but ultimately find hope and redemption," Brandon Lancaster explained. "Every caption on that wall was an experience that person had to overcome," he added, "and when it was knocked down you could feel the genuine joy from everyone on the set. It was a powerful moment I'll never forget."