For more than 20 years Bert McKracken has been the voice and the face of The Used — arguably one of the most influential emo bands in history. In a somewhat surprising change of pace, the iconic frontman, known for his gut-wrenching lyricism, is launching a solo project as a pop-artist. 

Before I keep going, fans of The Used need to relax, McCracken doesn’t seem to be breaking away from The Used — in fact — his solo project goes by the alias robbietheused. It’s different, it’s fun, and it’s much more lighthearted music than what we’ve seen from McCracken in the past – but stays true to what made fans connect with McCracken’s music nearly 25 years ago. 

“robbietheused the LP, is a look right into the state of robbietheused’s mental health throughout the process creating this record. With a lifelong passion for pop music, robbietheused merges his alternative rock upbringing by working with producer John Feldmann,” McCracken’s publicist wrote. 

With a heavy use of synthesizers and a distinct lack of alternative rock/emo guitar riffs and drum fills, longtime fans of The Used might have their hesitations. But once the whiplash of the hard-left turn from emo music wears off, it’s easy to see why McCracken decided to make the album. 

robbietheused released two singles, “Terrible” and “The Feels,” prior to the LP’s release and they are a good representation as to what fans can expect from the rest of the album. Although the album is distinctly pop, it’s hard to really put it into such a broad category. The bass is heavier than one might expect from a pop album, at points I expected dubstep-style breakdowns and beat drops. 

McCracken’s expansion into pop music isn’t a complete surprise as he’s collaborated with artists like Machine Gun Kelly and Demi Lovato in the past few years. It’s also worth noting that even though The Used is certainly considered emo music – emo music has plenty of pop elements. 

The lyrics are certainly more lighthearted than the angst-ridden words fans are used to — but the songwriting is still impressive. It’s a side of the singer we’ve mostly never gotten to hear, and it’s a welcome change.

McCracken addressed the lighter side of his music, and the positivity. 

“Any feeling is valid—and to be able to put it to song is incredible,” McCracken said. “And there’s so much room in this world for positivity. I want this music to show that there’s room for love. There’s room for growth. There’s room for redemption. There are so many good people—and so many good things happening.”

Instead of a departure from The Used, it’s somewhat interesting to think of robbietheused as a continuation of it. 

Take for example the chorus of “The Feels,” it stands out to me because it seems to be a reconciliation with the darker feelings we’ve seen on McCracken’s earlier work. It seems to be almost an announcement of relief from the struggles he’s been through and hopeful, while remaining authentic. Take a look at the lyrics from “Maybe Memories” off of The Used’s self titled album.

“As we trudge along through the mud

And we tried to call it home

But we weren’t alright, not at all

Not for one, for one, for one second”

Clearly, lyrics of despair and anguish – compare that to “The Feels” and it seems like, although it might have taken 25 years, McCracken is finally alright.

“I lost all the feels, starting to think maybe that’s just fine

Can finally deal with all of the chaos that plagues my mind

I may not feel anything, that doesn’t mean I feel nothing”

That’s just one example, and longtime fans will likely be able to draw more comparisons to previous work from The Used, even if that’s not the intention or there are no direct parallels to McCracken’s previous work. 

The album is a pop album to its core with upbeat tempos and catchy choruses. However I wouldn’t categorize the album as radio-pop. McCracken’s vocals are so unique so there’s no chance anyone would mistake robbietheused for any of the interchangeable pop artists that come and go. 

As for the production, Feldmann and McCracken have worked together for decades which is another reason the album sounds so natural, there’s an obvious understanding between the two artists that shines in the music they put out. 

“John Feldmann is a wizard,” robbietheused said. “He can make anything and he’s so easy to work with. He’s the hardest working man I know in the music industry. There’s no drama recording with him. It was a smooth process—just like making a Used record.” 

If there’s one thing that remains true it’s the emotion of the music. McCracken has been known for his gut wrenching lyricism for more than 20 years. The feelings are still there and there is no lazy songwriting — the feelings are just different than what we’ve been used to. 

As someone who puts The Used as a top-3 favorite band; robbietheused is not going to replace In Love and Death anytime soon and that’s okay. In fact I’m not sure that’s what McCracken was hoping for. While some departures from genres can cause division amongst fans and sometimes even ridicule from critics (looking at you Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines), with robbietheused, it works. 

It works because it’s genuine. That genuinely raw emotion is why emo-music attracted so many disenchanted teens in the early 2000s — and I think that’s why the new LP works. It’s not trying to be something it’s not. There are no mindless lyrics without meaning, it’s still emo(tional) music, it’s still McCracken, it’s just different. 

It’s fun to see someone who has spent 25 years lamenting the darker side of life show fans the happier side of things without being cheesy and still remaining vulnerable.  

robbietheused is taking his show on the road for a quick 5-stop tour that started on Oct. 30. 

I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Michael Praats