Daughtry releases new rock single 'Renegade': What do you think?

Chris Daughtry may sell millions of records, but his band has always taken quite a bit of hate from music fans.

Not only did lead singer Chris Daughtry get his start on the oh-so-mainstream American Idol stage, but his band has tended toward lite, adult-contemporary singles like "Home" and "Life After You," which have given the group an almost Nickelback-ish stigma.

So perhaps the band's new song, "Renegade," which was released today on their official website, is seeking to quiet that criticism. "Don't you want to feel like a rebel?" Daughtry asks, "A renegade on the run?" The song, a straightforward hard rocker, makes me wonder if that sort of break-free mentality will permeate their new album, which arrives on November 21. Is Daughtry trying to rebel against the decidedly safe sound prescribed to them by the music industry?

Honestly, I hope so. Daughtry's appealing howl 'n growl sounds as strong here as it did on Idol, when he sang a different "Renegade," (by Styx) and it would be nice for the band to step out as a real rock troupe.

Readers, what do you think of the new song?

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