FELICITY and Greyson Zane might just be the most hated pop punk artists on the planet right now. A few weeks ago they shared a clip of their upcoming single, “Emo Trash” on TikTok and the internet went absolutely feral. Why?
In the world of emo and alternative rock everyone loves an emotionally charged song that cuts deep. However, sometimes music is just supposed to be fun. There is something special about a goofy, tongue-in-cheek track that isn’t meant to be anything other than a good time. This isn’t a new concept in the genre. Outfits like blink-182, Bowling For Soup, Waterparks and more have made a name for themselves by leaning into humor and not taking the industry too seriously. Especially in a time when life feels incredibly stressful in more ways than one, escapism in the form of a silly, feel-good tune is exactly what some people need.
FELICITY and Greyson Zane teamed up on “Emo Trash” to do exactly that. An ode to all things emo, the track references many of our favorite bands. With nods to My Chemical Romance, Sum 41, Hawthorne Heights, Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday and more, it is a love letter to the younger version of ourselves that was captivated with emo music in the first place. The song also pokes fun at the overarching ’emo stereotypes’. The first verse boasts lyrics “Paint my nails black and I’ll date your daughter / Wear the same clothes and we share eyeliner”. Sure, maybe it is a bit cringey…but they did that on purpose. These dudes are obviously not trying to be the next Dashboard Confessional. They just want to get together with their friends, write a whimsical song, and call it a day. It makes them happy and that is all that matters. Art is totally subjective anyways.
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FELICITY and Greyson Zane knew going into the promotion of “Emo Trash” there was a potential for controversy. But this isn’t their first go-round with pulling a stunt. FELICITY once pretended to kick out their lead singer to push a release. Greyson Zane is constantly posting humorous skits to TikTok and Reels making fun of himself. So in reality, all of the backlash on social media simply lead to exposure. A viral tweet showcasing a video of the chorus gained over five million views and thousands shares, likes, and comments. What’s that old saying? “Any Press Is Good Press”? That is quite literally MILLIONS of people that are now exposed to FELICITY and Greyson Zane. Maybe they don’t love this song, but maybe they do, or maybe they’ll love one of their other songs.
The most iconic part of the entire situation was their ability to absolutely kill the haters with kindness and comedy. Their self-awareness is legendary. FELICITY shared their OWN clip with the caption, “this is the worst thing I’ve ever heard”. Greyson Zane changed his social media bios to say “POP PUNK PUBLIC ENEMY #1”. They went on to reply to as many comments as they could – with either gratitude, jokes, or whip-smart comebacks. All in good-taste. You can’t break these dudes.
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“In the FELICITY camp we’ve never taken ourselves too seriously,” FELICITY shares. “With ‘Emo Trash’ we wanted a self-deprecating pop punk anthem for anyone who’s ever been judged for the music they listen to, the way they dress, or just being themself, that could also pay homage to all our favorite emo bands/artists. We wanted it to be silly and over the top similar to our songs “Wish Your Weren’t Here” and “Weekend Worrier”, and I think we definitely accomplished our goal with this one! We knew the song could be one of those 50/50 love-hate songs that would be controversial – but boy oh boy the attention we’ve gotten so far for the song is even more than we even expected! We hope everyone in the world can eventually hear emo trash, “love me hate me, never gonna change me i don’t careeeeeee!”
“We wanted to make a song that was more than poking fun at emo stereotypes,” Greyson Zane says about the nature of the song’s virality. He goes on to highlight the meaningfulness of the references though, “It’s a heartfelt tribute to the bands that shaped our youth, like Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, and many more. This song is a nostalgic reflection how I felt growing up when listening to these talented artists.”
Here at idobi, we admire their ability to stay proud of what they have created and move forward with confidence. We also love jamming to a playful song and having a damn good time. We are thrilled to bring you the premiere of the “Emo Trash” music video. At the end of the day, whether you love it or hate it, you still listened to it. *wink emoji*
