OPINION: You’re Not a Poser for Listening to Pop as a Metalhead

It’s entirely possible that I’m preaching to the choir here, but… I don’t think it’s an insult to Satan’s disheveled cock to be a metalhead listening to pop music! (le gasp). I know, I know, metalheads listening to pop music has always been seen as more blasphemous than watching JoJo Siwa do KISS face. But honestly? It’s not that deep. Most of us listen to stuff that isn’t pure trve kvlt, and that’s okay.

Of course, not everyone sees it that way. You know the types I’m talking about, from the notion of hating bands that are “too pop”, scoffing at metalheads listening to Taylor Swift or Chappel Roan, giving the side-eye to metalheads who like Billie Eilish, etc. If you’ve ever come across a gatekeeping metalhead and told them you like musical theatre, it’s a sight to behold watching their brains shut down and they start drooling like they had a stroke at the thought of it. It’s really funny, give it a try.

This basically is part two of my rant on gatekeepers, but this time I’m zeroing in on the variety of gatekeeper who swears a blood oath to the metal gods that pop music should never be within five miles of a metalhead’s unwashed ears. These are the same guys who see a woman wearing an Emperor long sleeve and immediately demand she name three songs. (A wildly ineffective mating call, fellas.)

That kind of tribalism is what turns metal from a refuge into a gated community. It creates this toxic, unwelcoming vibe—especially for newcomers who want to learn about the genre and maybe even find new bands to support. You’re not protecting the culture. You’re just being a dick.

And let’s not pretend metal musicians themselves are all locked in the basement with nothing but Slayer vinyl, Dio posters and a vial of Profanatica’s Paul Ledney cum (I can’t believe that’s a real thing they sold for $50, wtf). They listen to other genres too—especially pop. Earlier this month, me and Collin sat down with Lindsay Schoolcraft for a couple episodes of the Influencers of Metal Podcast (subscribe for when those episodes drop), and she even said that her listening habits have gone outside of the metal genre, despite having just released a gothic metal banger like “Lighthouse”.

I even remember hearing Matt Heafy of Trivium talk about in an interview how he was listening to stuff from The Beatles while writing Silence in the Snow (a great album btw, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). And don’t get me started on Devin Townsend, who has admitted to loving ABBA, because who doesn’t love ABBA?

It’s something I’ve even talked about a lot when it comes to songwriting. Whether it’s pop, jazz, hip hop, classical, Balkan Polka (cause why not), there’s a wealth of inspiration outside the metal box. That’s what makes this genre exciting—what keeps it evolving. It’s why metal covers of pop songs, punk songs, and yes, even show tunes, hit so damn hard. That contrast makes metal feel unpredictable and explosive—a perfect mosh pit soundtrack.

You wanna know the funniest bit? All those gatekeepers know this. Deep down. Anyone who says pop music sucks and that metalheads who listen to it are posers is either:

A hypocrite, or
Someone who spends way too much time in CoD lobbies with six-year-olds shouting the n-word.

Let’s be real—how are you gonna hate on pop while headbanging to bands like Spiritbox, Periphery, Slipknot, or Trivium? Bands that are heavy, but also incorporate clean vocals, catchy hooks and choruses, and even use synths? Hell, Spiritbox’s whole vibe is basically: “What if bubblegum pop, but... chuga chuga?”

Plus, EVERY metalhead (yes, EVERY metalhead) started their metal journey somewhere. No metalhead, not even the titans of metal, shot out of the womb wearing a battle jacket covered in patches and reeking of day old beer and cigarettes (Okay, maybe Lemmy, but he’s the exception to literally every rule.). For most of us, that gateway drug was something accessible. Linkin Park, Evanescence, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Metallica’s The Black Album—bands that were heavy and satisfying for metalheads, and melodic and digestible enough for mainstream audiences to vibe with. That’s what pulled us in before we spiraled down into the extreme.

Bottom line: it’s totally okay to enjoy your favorite heavy and nasty metal bands while also appreciating—if not loving—the realm of pop music. There’s nothing wrong with that.

And if you still think there is, then let me leave you with something to think about: