robbietheused – robbietheused

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I’ve always felt that solo projects are a healthy form of artistic expression. Especially if the music that an artist chooses to make in the solo effort sound vastly different than anything their main band would go for. Robbietheused, the moniker of The Used’s frontman, storms onto the pop scene with a rewarding solo effort. The set was produced by longtime collaborator, John Feldmann, and he lends a trusted hand in helping Robbietheused make his pop dreams come true. When I asked the frontman about what he likes best about this genre, he quickly quipped, ”I have always loved pop music; I grew up on Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and that kind of thing. My favorite thing about pop is just a catchy melody that you can sing along to.” By using this background as a blueprint for his pop debut, Robbietheused crafts a synth-laden world of wonders.

The LP opens with the starry-eyed “Terrible” that finds Robbietheused carefully getting into a comfortable croon as he mentions on the pre-chorus, “My head in the clouds / I’m not coming down,” in a manner similar to Bruno Mars’ collaborative song with B.o.B. “Nothin’ On You.” Robbietheused adds in some more complex beats on “Always Gonna Be Like This” that sounds like if The Used tried to write a solid, dance-heavy song. It works out well in this pop realm, and Robbietheused keeps up with the beat with veteran ease. “Gladiator” rocks along with some well-placed pop guitars similar to artists like Avril Lavigne, while he commands the chorus triumphantly.

”The Middle” starts off with some echoing acapella vocals, while later adding some heavy synths in the chorus to round out the wall of sound. Lead single “Just A Little Bit” finds Robbietheused showcasing a pop swagger to his trademark songwriting style, while the chorus demands to be sung along to. The toe-tapping beat is sure to be stuck in your head long after the last note has been played. The front half of the self-titled effort ends with a song called “Wake Up Call” that tackles the theme of finding the best version of himself through the help of others around him. It’s a relatable concept, and the beats surrounding the well-crafted lyrics are top notch.

”In My Dreams” opens up the back half with some cool programmed synths/beats while Robbietheused adds in a heavy, stomping chorus. It’s pretty remarkable to see how seamless he is able to make this leap into the pop genre with songs like this and the brooding “Blame You.” He never allows the songs to overpower his voice, and instead grabs the reins in the most captivating way possible.

The only collaborative song on the record comes on the piano-laced “Push Me” that features a guest spot from Sierra Deaton, and the vibes on the opening of the track feel very similar to what was on The Used’s Lies For The Liars. The harmonized parts between Robbietheused and Deaton are simply gorgeous in their delivery. “Gold in the Ashes” follows with a carefully strummed ukulele to add in some new sounds to the approach to his pop debut, while “Something You Can Count On” feels like a song heavily influenced by modern pop music. The closing track of the second single released from the set, called “The Feels”, reminds the audience of just how capable this artist is of making the leap into a completely different genre and sounding like he’s been there all this time. Robbietheused may want to keep exploring this side project from time to time to get his pop music fix, and I’m all here for it.

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