The punk resurgence of 2020s redefines “emo” and the newest single of 93FEETOFSMOKE, “Fucked Over,” is a prime example of this.
Featuring phem, the rising punk sweetheart, and Tosh the Drummer, one of the most stylish drummers in the scene, “Fucked Over” sets out to commemorate pop punk in its golden days. The kind of mellow dramatic feels rarely get portrayed in today’s records, but its unshakable importance and wears on one’s mind certainly used to be the very essence of pop punk. “Fucked Over,” then, documents those feelings with a 2022 take.
“It sucks to get played by someone you trusted,” 93FEETOFSMOKE explained in a press statement, “Or to find out that one roommate you found off Craigslist has been stealing your things and then helping you look for it. The message to me is really localized in that moment of ‘seeing the light’ and realizing your gut was never wrong.”
Sonically, this song mimics the drowsy and looming dread you experience when something trivial just keeps dragging you down. The heavy overlay of vocals in the chorus resemble sounds of Machine Gun Kelly and Post Malone, while the acoustic guitar leading the breakdown leans towards classic pop punk. The blend of old and new carries a certain charm, gifting the track an ability to trigger nostalgia and curiosity all at once.
phem’s feature consists of various relatable metaphors that aim to draw out emotions. Their voice has a certain kind of glittery quality as they sings the lines: “It’s like a thousand degree inside my head / Burning with words we left unsaid.” Like cherry on top, phem’s verse is yet another symbol of new pop punk present in the track. An infusion between hip-hop, rock, and a bit of EDM, the genre and its artists today experiment with less specificity and more dynamism.
Tosh the Drummer’s performance on the track follows the same rule. The tempo of this song seems to flicker with the progression of emotions. Though steady, the drum evolves with the melody instead of guiding it through. Whether it is drum, bass, guitar, or the Ableton instruments, every part of the song is a lot more well contained than the discographies of artists referenced by this track.
Entering the third decade of the 21st century, pop punk evolves mostly due to the advancement of music tech and the increasing entanglement between genres. With 93FEETOFSMOKE, phem and Tosh the Drummer all being some of the most stellar newcomers for the genre, artists alike are actively changing the genre from song to song; but the core of pop punk remains uninterrupted. From Blink 182’s “I Miss You” to “Fucked Over,” pop punk documents the disarrays of looked-away sentiments.
