phem has enlisted the vibrant talents of Waterparks’ frontman Awsten Knight for her latest anthemic single, “cheerleader,” accompanied by an electrifying and downright fun music video. “cheerleader” will appear on phem’s forthcoming debut album, which will arrive via Hopeless Records.
The song begins with a warm, sun-kissed melody carried by gentle guitar strums as phem sings, “I can be my own cheerleader/You can do it/You can do it,” setting the stage for the spirited journey that unfolds. As the music video takes us through the streets of LA, both phem and Knight, with their vividly dyed hair, add an extra layer of visual excitement to the release. Knight seamlessly joins the track after the chorus, his voice blending harmoniously with phem‘s as he croons lines like, “I wake up and check my mirror and see my favorite guy/Brush my teeth and listen to the dreams he had last night/And rate them all five stars cuz he’s a five-star guy.” We’re not certain we’ve ever heard words that sound *more* like Awsten than these. Across the entirety of the track and video, “cheerleader” is a reminder to hype yourself up and have your own back, regardless if anyone else believes in you or not.
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“This illusory world can make you feel like a real loser sometimes,” phem candidly shares while speaking on behalf of the track. “So, I wrote myself an anthem. A song that tells it like it REALLY is. ‘cheerleader’ is the song that encourages you to keep going and give yourself a little credit for never giving up. I’ve always had to be my biggest cheerleader… especially during my darkest moments. The moments only I could pull myself out of. This song is for all the people who dropped off. Who left me to pick up the pieces and figure it out by myself. It’s all good. I’m doing even better without you.”
phem shares that working with Knight “came together pretty organically.”
“I posted a snippet of me singing the song on my Insta, and then Awsten hit me up about it. He said he really liked it, which was like the biggest compliment in the world. Waterparks had already had me on both their U.S. and European tour, so it was cool to finally make some art together. He’s unbelievable in so many ways. I really look up to him as an artist and songwriter. He inspires me to push myself and keep improving. He’s the real deal. It’s an honor to have him on my song.”
