poptropicaslutz! aren’t fresh to the scene, but their new sounds are. The duo, Nick Crawford and Christian Cicilia, have multiple projects and tours under their belt, but their single “mdma keeps the doctor away” from their sophomore LP, the new 925 is reigning in a new era. The piano intro on “mdma” fakes out listeners, easing them into what becomes a speedy, rap-heavy track that you might hear while shifting Grand Theft Auto radio stations. The song fuses Fall Out Boy-esque vocal delivery with glitchy production not dissimilar to that of their contemporaries, Glaive or 2Hollis.
The Long Island-born, LA-based duo set out to “kill the old poptropicaslutz” with this project. They’re retiring the hyperpop-inspired, punk guitars found on their previous releases Face For The Radio, Voice for A Silent Film, and just in case the world ends, for harsher, sexier SoundCloud-era beats. They want fans to know that their back catalog is just music, but the new 925 is an entirely new world.
Follow-up singles “it boy” and “tryna get that Kate Moss 2025” build upon the landscape established on “mdma.” They each play into the band’s signature feelings of 2000s nostalgia, leaning heavily into the modern indie-sleazification of electronic and hip-hop scenes.
The video for “mdma” shows the boys trapped in a giant glass box, filling with smoke. They flash in and out of Donnie Darko blue hues, wearing zip-up hoodies and fitted tees. They look like the best friend’s hot older brothers from a good 2000s teen flick. Their nonchalance penetrates the screen, even when they’re joined in the box by a gaggle of girls.
The song tells the story of a sex worker, Alice, and her boss’ infatuation with her. It’s just one piece of the narrative puzzle promised on the new 925. Lyrics from the song bless the screen throughout the video, enticing listeners to join them in the story they’re weaving: “Try it, you might love it.”
PAPER caught up with poptropicaslutz! To discuss “mdma,” the new 925 and the band’s values for world-building.
What was the inspiration behind “mdma”?
The song came about on tour in the dingiest hotel room we’ve ever seen. They gave us a smoking room even though we begged them not to. It felt right for us to make a song about something that presents as glamorous on the surface, but in reality has a not-so-desirable underbelly. So we wrote “mdma” about an escort running away from that life. It was a silver lining.
How did you translate the song into the video?
We built an eight-foot-tall glass box and portrayed a bunch of people as anonymous silhouettes trapped inside. It was kinda like the zoo, but more lit.
What were some challenges or highlights from creating the video?
Building the gigantic box took 24 hours of work and we were underprepared. But we got to shoot the video in the midst of our house party, asking a bunch of people we didn’t know to “get in the box,” and then proceeding to suffocate them with fog and yell at them to dance.
How do you hope fans feel when they hear your new album, the new 925?
Awe-inspired, like they just fell into Narnia.
What track are you most excited for fans to hear live?
A track called “everynight.” It feels like the end of a dream right before you wake up. The instrumentation and vocals are super ethereal, which will both be enhanced in our live setting.
What’s up next for you? Anything you’re excited to be working on?
We want to complete the sensory profile for the new 925. Expect vinyl so you can touch the album, candles so you can smell the album, and 925 desserts so you can taste how sweet it is.
Anything else you want to share?
This one’s the debut. Everything else was just us making music.
Photography: Max Durante