The Used frontman Bert McCracken has launched a solo project under the moniker robbietheused, which explores more of a pop sound than fans of “The Bird and the Worm” rockers might expect. As McCracken tells ABC Audio, pop has always been a part of his musical DNA.
“I grew up on pop music,” McCracken says. “Michael Jackson was my first love, and Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. So I’ve always kinda wanted to branch out.”
“The Used has some poppy stuff, only because I push for it,” he adds.
McCracken did previously venture into the pop arena when he collaborated with Demi Lovato on her 2023 Revamped album.
“It was very inspiring,” McCracken says of working with Lovato. “She’s amazing, she has a great voice. It kinda pushed me to take my voice to the limit a little bit and sort of embrace that pop world.”
While the robbietheused sound is certainly bright and colorful, the lyrics can still get pretty dark. On the song “Just a Little Bit,” McCracken sings, “It’s so hard when every day you’re feeling dead inside,” while the newest robbietheused song is literally called “Terrible.”
“It’s a tragic love song about maybe losing the one you love, and how special the moments are and how special love is,” McCracken says of “Terrible.”
Because of its sonic candy coating, though, McCracken has seen robbietheused music crack into some unexpected places.
“The cool thing is my daughter’s in kindergarten and they played my song in her kindergarten, [they’re] all dancing around,” he says. “The reception and the reaction’s been pretty cool so far.”
McCracken will launch a robbietheused tour in October. He’s currently on tour with The Used.
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