This is what Nickelback were going for on that shitty track. This song is equally fluff and pointless but at least it's executed properly and without the irony.
So I was bored the other night and gave the new album a listen, which is a first for me since I have always written them off as something I'd never like. It's not anything outstanding by any means, but it's also not bad either. Several of the songs show more lyrical and musical depth than I have ever heard from any previous Nickleback songs. They still play it safe and don't stray too far from their token sound, but the fact that I could make it all the way through the record and not dislike most of it makes me feel like maybe there is a bit of potential in them to escape this pigeonhole that they have been stuck in for 15 years now.
This album is ok. That's really all I can say about it, and I definitely don't feel like I'll want to listen a bunch more times or anything, but it's listenable.
This is basically All Right The Reasons Pt.2 aka too many corny one dimensional ballads mixed with some dancey hard rock stuff. Title track and The Betrayal (Part III) are great. First one reminds me of The Long Road and the latter is impressive, like it's easily the best thing they have done in a long time or even ever ? I don't need to hear the rest again tho.
The State, Silver Side Up and The Long Road are good post-grunge / hard rock albums, and I'll continue to defend them at any point because they shaped my early musical years. I'm sure you could find something you like in them. All The Right Reasons had some good things but this is where they started to decline and to be associated with the "bro macho" culture. Their sexist lyrics didn't help them either...