Role Model Rejects Pop Star Label on New Album
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Tucker Pillsbury rejects being labeled a pop star despite making pop music, emphasizing he is not interested in the persona or aesthetics associated with pop stardom.
- Role Model draws from Heartland rock icons like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, as well as Fleetwood Mac and Toby Keith, blending vintage sounds into a modern sonic identity he and his label describe as 'lake-pop'.
- Role Model avoids genre confinement by mixing influences so thoroughly that no single song feels derivative, intentionally riding 'thin lines' to prevent leaning too far into country, pop, or rock.
- Dakota Johnson made a one-take cameo on the song 'Love I You', contributing to the album’s personal and collaborative atmosphere without prior rehearsal.
- Chuck Timely & The Hourglass serves as a narrative journey through identity and quarter-life crises, with lyrical themes of spiritual malaise and lost joy emerging even in upbeat tracks like 'Joy'.
- Role Model entered therapy after finishing the album, recognizing that writing it surfaced deep personal questions about purpose, identity, and emotional recovery post-breakup.
Why it matters: Artists like Role Model who resist categorization challenge the music industry’s reliance on genre-based marketing, which affects how songs are promoted and consumed. His success with organic, emotionally resonant songwriting—without chasing TikTok trends—offers a countermodel to algorithm-driven pop, benefiting listeners seeking authenticity and artists wary of branding constraints.
Ask SkimNews
