Skip to main content

Cheat Codes Are Your Next Pop Music Obsession

cheat codes next pop music obsession 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Cheat Codes are well on their way to unlocking the secret to pop success — and it starts and ends with extremely danceable tunes geared to get you moving.

And with 18 million monthly Spotify listeners and appearances at festivals like Firefly under their belt, people are stopping to pay attention to the producer-DJ-singer group — and turn it up in the process.

From left to right: Trevor Dahl, Kevin Ford and Matthew Russel. Image used with permission by copyright holder

One listen of the Cheat Codes’ electro-pop tracks reveals pulsing beats and the sort of soaring hooks that call to mind big crowds the world over (makes sense — the band is among the top 30 streamed artists on Spotify).

That it’s all happened in just about two years speaks to the speed at which music travels these days — and hype builds. Formed after Trevor Dahl, Matthew Russell and Kevin Ford starting writing music together after (and Trevor and Matt lived together at various spots  in LA), things immediately clicked — and took off fast.

The group’s debut single, “Visions,” reached No. 1 on the Hype Machine chart in 2015, long a reliable arbiter of music slightly off the beaten path. And the trio’s June 2016 release of “Sex” — which sampled Salt-n-Pepa — has become a streaming sensation (nearly 400 million spins on Spotify).

They’re certainly on the rise and climbing. The group can be heard lately teaming up with David Guetta and Grammy-nominated producer Robin Schulz on “Shed a Light” — an effervescent track that’s been played to the tune of about 114 million listens and counting.

It helps that the guys can back up their statement-making music with poppy, fun style — from eyecatching outerwear (throwback bombers and suede biker jackets included), along with sporty sneakers and military boots.

“The clothes we usually wear when we’re traveling are typically a pair of sweats (from a brand like Moschino or Polo) … something comfy, but yet at the same time looks nice with something like the Adidas Y3 sneakers. On top, we’ll rock a basic t-shirt,  with a dope hoodie or bomber jacket,” said Kevin Ford, one-third of the stylish trio. And on stage, the guys favor everything from distressed jeans and simple tees to ornate bath robes — comfort above all, right?

The guys also count Kanye West, Zayn Malik and David Beckham as style icons — all guys with a penchant for great outerwear, slim jeans and essential footwear, from sneakers to boots.

Cheat Codes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s about more than style, though — there’s also substance to the band’s music. Even outside of the confines of features, Cheat Codes creates a winning electronic-pop blend. “Queen Elizabeth” is a bright, instantly catchy track, and “Follow You” is the trio at its best, showcasing both vocal talent and a knack for crafting dance-worthy sing-alongs.

Cheat Codes’ busy schedule leaves little time for a breather — and merits that they jet set the country & globe while being prepared for everything (especially high-energy shows). That’s why they each have their eyes set on a grail timepiece.

“Especially being on the road so much, it’s a little hard to keep track of time and the Rolex Yachmaster II can help us with that,” the band said. If their success keeps up, time will likely fly by even faster — and you have to feel that’d be just fine by them.

Editors' Recommendations

Beau Hayhoe
Beau Hayhoe is a freelance men's style writer, consultant and PR pro based in Brooklyn. Beau's menswear and gear writing has…
Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like
Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?
The Apple TV Plus Logo

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that's set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don't stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they're planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company's hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple's video ad sales team.

Read more
From Gilda Radner to Ali Wong, these are the best female comedians of all time
These women from all generations will make you laugh out loud
Ai Wong comedian 2017 Moontower comedy festival

Hot take: I don’t care for straight male comedians. It’s not that they’re not funny, they’re just … I don’t know, boring? Maybe that’s reductive of me, but I never seem to leave a straight male comedian’s set feeling particularly inspired. And though some may argue that it’s not important for a set to "inspire" its audience, I’d actually argue that the opposite is true. For me, I want to see a comedian use humor to address real issues and say real things about the world, even if they do it in a completely goofy way.

Therefore, I tend to prefer female and female-identified comedians. They’re sharp, tough, and have often seen shit that makes their comedy feel raw and true. Undoubtedly there are male comedians who do this, too, but to a much lesser degree, in my very humble and very personal opinion.

Read more
12 classic sci-fi books everyone should read
If you love science fiction and reading, these classic sci-fi novels are a must
Man reading a book and drinking coffee

It may feel like we were recently living in a science-fiction dystopia life -- and in some ways, we were -- but that doesn't mean that we should simply avoid an entire genre of writing. Hardly. In fact, this is probably the perfect time to explore classic sci-fi books, to see what the masters have written, and maybe even see if someone predicted anything like this. Many, though, simply ignore sci-fi wholly and completely because of an association with robots, aliens, and the like.

Long story short, if you think you don't like sci-fi, you have never read great books from the genre. But indeed, many such books abound, including a number that has delighted generations of readers going back well over 150 years. In fact, one of the best things about so many sci-fi books is their very timelessness. As by definition, this type of fiction breaks away from the norms of the everyday world -- whether slightly twisting things or taking place on entire other worlds -- the stories often feel as fresh and relevant today as when they were published decades ago.

Read more