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An Honest Pop-Punk Banger from Clay J Gladstone


Clay J Gladstone just released a brand-new single as a little preview of their upcoming album and the track is so upfront and honest if you really listen, you can tell it was very genuine and came from someplace real. The song itself crosses over this sort of 90s radio rock vibe with heavy grunge and edgy tonality but also brings in loads of pop punk.


"Why Does Everybody Hate Me?" is definitely the kind of track that took a little bravery to release because of that blunt honesty and it's such a great way for the singer to showcase a piece of himself and that isn't always easy which is why I feel like maybe writing this song was a bit cathartic for him.


The song feels like it's about a bit of a decline in mental health and certainly speaks of a struggle as it brings in the element of drinking.


It's kind of a serious song in a way but it also has a slightly whimsical undertone because of that colorful pop-punk feel and that unbelievably hooky chorus that just stays with you after the song is over. But still has its bit of darkness. 


For me, this trap is definitely a bit nostalgic because I grew up at a certain time listening to a lot of these great alternative rock songs on the radio and this single reminds me of that, and I think it has to do with how they nailed this specific kind of aesthetic that screams of that time. But also has a little bit of a freshened-up feel.


This was actually an excellent combination of that color in that edginess brought together with a bit of a pop overcoat so that when you have this hard-hitting punch but still fun and sort of bright.


Indeed, this track does have a very radio-friendly style chorus and everything about it is perfectly balanced. It's not super over the top but it still has a lot of that heaviness to it with massive sonic drive, especially with those guitar tones.


This makes me wonder if more of the upcoming album is going to have this sort of blend of classic '90s old rock, grunge, and pop punk.


I have not yet been able to listen to the record as it's not set to be released until November.


I certainly hope there's more of this on there. All I know is it's titled Is This How I Die? and after listening to the single and pretty much ready to listen to the whole damn album right now.


I've always been a fan of songs that blend elements you don't expect and make it work so perfectly.


This track is an amazing example of exactly that because you hear all these different influences in the song itself. The grunge, the pop-punk, that certain era of heavy rock that affected us all.


They managed to string it all together and make something super memorable but it's also about that honesty in the lyrics and the way the vocals are pulled off as well. The vocals give this song the added sort of robustness that it needed.


Again, never over the top just perfectly right where it needs to be to have the song end, and still you've been humming that chorus.


It also makes you want to know more so hopefully; the album is not just more songs like this, but more of the story behind what inspired this record.


Again, we won't know until November, but we still have this track to keep us at bay until then.


Being super straightforward, there's a lot to love about this single, and what you can do is pump this track nice and loud.


I can almost guarantee you that by the end of the song, you'll be singing along. 


Remember where you heard it first.

























































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