QUICKSPINS: MOD SUN – Internet Killed The Rockstar

MOD SUN mixes anger with irony to express his emotions in his new album

About three years since the release of his third studio album, MOD SUN’s Internet Killed The Rockstar came out on Feb.12. Although he has released a few singles over the past two years, this is his first album since becoming sober in 2019.

His previous albums were more focused on rapping, so there was a huge shift in style on Internet Killed The Rockstar. His music is a bit less cheery and more personal, but the sarcastic lyrics make up for it.

The first three songs, “Karma,” “Bones,” and “Flames” (featuring Avril Lavigne), are reminiscent of an early 2000s pop-punk feel, which is a good preview of what the rest of the album looks like.

The overall character of this record lies between anger and sarcasm, which fits the grunge vibe MOD SUN was going for. It can be heard in the more upbeat songs where drums and electric guitar are prominent, such as “Karma,” “TwentyNUMB,” and “Pornstar.”

“Karma” opens the album’s edgier side, as the track’s anger feels like it could be directed at a particular person. The lyrics are simple, yet straight to the point, which makes them powerful (“I hope you choke on every lie you said to me / I hope you move out of this city suddenly / I hope you get everything you deserve / Karma’s a bitch, I heard”).

However, MOD SUN still manages to reel us into his world and life experiences, especially on slower songs like “Rollercoaster,” where he compares his sobriety to a rollercoaster ride (“Somebody get me off this ride / I’m no good when I get this high”). He’s sharing his battle with everyone, but it also sounds like he was saying it to himself and trying to accept that he was struggling to become sober.

On “Smith,” he sings about his deceased father. While the song is slower-paced than most, and piano can also be heard, the drums are also pronounced and give the song an angry (rather than sad) vibe. This is especially recognizable in the bridge where MOD SUN sings “Your love left me so fucked up / You left me so fucked up,” and then screams “you left me.”

He collaborated with Avril Lavigne on “Flames,” and while the beat is good and catchy, there are only two short verses, which makes it seem like the song solely consists of the chorus and post-chorus, making the lyrics a bit too repetitive. This is the only official collaboration between the two artists, but Lavigne’s vocals also seem to be heard as backup in “Annoying.” This adds more dimension to the song as their voices mix well together.

The album ends with “Internet Killed The Rockstar,” which is a slower-paced song. MOD SUN seems like he is blaming someone who used the internet, and perhaps, social media, to “kill the rockstar,” which could refer to someone trying to end his career. The lines “I know what it’s like to be hated / From a city where nobody else feels like me / I had the whole world in my head,” can be interpreted as him saying that while he used to feel judged and hated, he no longer cares about what people think.

Overall, MOD SUN accomplished what he wanted to with this album, which was to express feelings of anger and maybe some sadness, mixed with irony. The use of loud drums throughout the record also definitely helped to convey this edgy feel.

This new style on Internet Killed The Rockstar is just the beginning of MOD SUN’s career after sobriety, as he shows that he can successfully pique his listeners’ curiosity and interest — to not only hear about his music, but also his life.

 

Rating: 7.5/10

Trial Track: “TwentyNUMB”

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