Neon Trees Is Feeling Ghosted In “Used To Like” Music Video
It’s been six years since Neon Trees released their last album, Pop Psychology, but the band is finally back! During their break, frontman Tyler Glenn shared his first solo album, Excommunication, in 2016. Then the band regrouped for their last single together, “Feel Good,” in 2017. Finally, Neon Trees released “Used To Like” two months ago as the lead single from their upcoming album, due later this year. Today, “Used To Like” gets a new music video.
Over light guitars and glittering synths, Tyler sings of his loneliness after being left alone by an on-again-off-again partner. The chorus explodes in Neon Trees’ masterful way, sugary and urgent and made for you to sing along. It’s an equal mix of nostalgic and new, and we can’t wait to hear more from the bend this year!
The video for “Used To Like” starts with a Shining-like visual cue. Down the hallway of a cold hotel, we can see a ghost staring back at Tyler. But he doesn’t seem to notice, and he ends up drinking away his sorrows in his hotel room. He keeps checking his phone, waiting for a response from a love interest, but he’s being ghosted. Tyler eventually takes a cab downtown, still haunted by the ghost following him around. He meets up with the rest of Neon Trees at a club, and while he’s at the bar, a guy strikes up a conversation. Where does that lead? By the video’s end, Tyler is back home, seemingly oblivious to the ghost in the corner.
Watch the music video for “Used To Like” below:
You can stream or buy “Used To Like” from all the major music providers here. The song will appear on Neon Trees’ next album, due out later this year.
More About “Used To Like”
In an interview with Atwood Magazine last November, Tyler spoke a bit about “Used To Like,” which he wrote in November 2018:
I was kind of doing back to back sessions with a producer, Mike Green, whom I’ve been writing with since about 17 on and off. I knew I was going in that morning and I was having a frustrating text conversation with someone I was in a bit of a relationship with. It was the last of the million up and downs that I could tell, this is leading nowhere. I remember we were talking about something, and he was very antagonistic, and I said, “Well, that’s what you used to like about me.” I texted him that and I was like, that’s a really interesting idea for a song.
That’s the beauty of music, is that you can just put your real life into it. And it just came pouring out! I remember the song wasn’t even finished, I took the demo and I remember just listening to it a million times.
He also talked about the meaning of the lyrics:
It’s nice because throughout writing this record, there’s a lot of songs connected to that relationship. But I also ended that relationship right before the turn of this last year, so it was right before January. It’s been cool to be distant from that personally, and also grow a new appreciation for the songs.
When I listen to those lyrics now, I do think of that relationship, but I think about the growth I’ve had since – and I think about how important it was to capture that desperation in a way, because that song, as much as it is upbeat and anthemic, if you broke it down and just read the lyrics, it’s kind of sad and desperate in away. It’s kind of a bit like, “Come on, let’s do this. Let’s just make this work.” I think that’s a really important mood to capture, because we all feel that – whether we like to talk about that or not – I think there’s moments we have that, where it’s not a good look to look desperate, but as human beings, that can be a natural inclination sometimes.
So in that way, I’m glad that there’s a song that exists like that. I think in true Neon Trees fashion, we’ve always had songs where maybe the music is really upbeat, but the lyrics are kind of sad. It stays that way with this song, too.
New Album
Tyler revealed that the band’s new album will feature 10 songs, at least one of which is a proper ballad. He also stated:
Writing this record, there was definitely a through-line through the record. Especially when we’ve honed it down to these 10 songs, I think it’s really succinct; there’s an arc through the record. I think I’m still writing about themes that are pretty much on par with Habits or Picture Show, but I’m doing it with this new lens with this new, current lens and with a lot of the growth that I’ve had over the last five years or so. There’s definitely an arc, and I think that’s cool to listen, for people that care to listen to a record in its entirety, I think that’s still important for me.
We can’t wait to hear the new album! Stay tuned for further details, including the title, tracklist, release date, and more.
Enjoy “Used To Like” and its new music video, and stay tuned for more about the upcoming album. Keep checking back here for all the latest Neon Trees music news.
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