LØLØ and Maggie Lindemann Unite the Freaks and Geeks on "debbie downer"
LA-via-Toronto rising star Là˜Là˜ has been breathing new life into the pop-punk scene. On her latest single, "debbie downer" she doesn’t disappoint while perversely crushing the manic pixie dream girl trope. With the help of alt-pop darling Maggie Lindemann and some emo cheerleaders, the duo unites the outcasts and the weird on this anthemic track.
Là˜Là˜ infectiously delivers her message by turning the infamous 2000s movie Bring It On’s cheer chant “It’s cold in here” into an intoxicating hook about being the odd girl out. The cheeky turn of the lyric “brr it’s cold in here / all black everything / sad and weird” is equally as enjoyable in both Là˜Là˜’s raspy and evocative vocals and Lindemann’s pop diva belt. Pop-punk fans of the early aughts will be rife with nostalgia as Là˜Là˜ pairs crunchy, catchy guitar riffs and powerful drum beats with grungy, snarky, and inherently modern lyricism.
On the song itself and the titular "debbie downer," Là˜Là˜ shared, “So there’s this girl, debbie. She’s got jet-black nails to match her hair and the rest of her outfit. She’s a little bit of a mess (but who isn’t these days?). More often than not, u may find her being a little too drunk at a party, possibly falling over. Maybe she’s a little intense - she tends to overshare and talk about things that 'normal' people find weird - but that’s just debbie. I’ve heard people say she’s ‘too aggressive,’ but I don’t think she means to be. She’s always asked, 'are you ok?’ - which she swears she is. She’s sensitive and emotional, but she’s not sad (most of the time). Sometimes she just feels like she doesn’t really belong. 'Hi. Nice to meet u. It’s me - debbie downer, and I wrote this song for anyone that’s ever felt a little different or out of place too.”
The track is accompanied by a charming, Y2k inspired music video directed by Jake Johnston. The video portrays Là˜Là˜ and Lindemann as high school outcasts who team up to unite the other black sheep of the school, from freaks to geeks. “This was one of those songs where while I was writing it, I could really SEE the video. I knew there had to be some emo cheerleaders involved since we pay homage to Bring it On, one of my favorite movies," adds Là˜Là˜.
According to Là˜Là˜, "debbie downer” isn’t about belonging or fitting in, and she thought it would be funny to have cheerleaders cheering in places they really don’t belong, for example, a tennis match, a chess game, or a science club. Rocking iconic grunge cheerleader outfits, the girls bring another level of energy to the already electrifying track track. “Working with Jake Johnston was AMAZING. We had originally gotten some treatments from a few people, but when I saw his, I knew we had to go with him - he executed my vision perfectly and was so much fun to work with. Maggie also absolutely KILLED IT. Of course, she plays the It girl-bad b*tch because LOOK AT HER. I want her to step on me. She joins the dark side and embraces her debbie-downer-ness, of course, at the end of the video, because at the end of the day, we are ALL debbie downers," continues Là˜Là˜.
"debbie downer” is a powerhouse follow-up to Là˜Là˜’s electric 2021 EP overkill and her 36-stop US tour with pop-punk icons New Found Glory and Less Than Jake. The single has further cemented Là˜Là˜’s status as a pillar of the pop-punk revival and as Gen Z’s chosen liaison between the past and present.
Watch the "debbie downer" video below:
