SoCal alt disruptors People R Ugly have shared their explosive, cathartic breakup anthem “BETTER,” available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide via Verswire. The track will be a highlight from the band’s highly-anticipated debut album, slated for release this fall. “BETTER” finds People R Ugly sharpening their hybrid edge, blending the high-octane energy of early 2000s hip-hop with the raw urgency of modern punk and alternative. The song was inspired by Youngbloodz/Lil Jon’s iconic “Damn!”, and showcases a defiant, forward-facing message with a shout-from-the-rooftops chorus.
“Rather than dwelling on a breakup, we flipped the narrative with the hook ‘I like you better, better when you’re off my mind,’ the band says. “The bridge drives it home: ‘I should thank you, ’cause you’re the reason I don’t care anymore.’ It’s a simple concept, but delivered in an unexpected way, the kind of high-energy track you’d hear at a punk rock or hip-hop show.”
Lil Jon and Sean P, the legends themselves, showed support for the track in reposting the band’s studio teaser, garnering nearly 1 million views and 15k+ shares.
Now signed to pioneering VC label Verswire, People R Ugly have become a prolific, unstoppable force in the alt scene. With Bonnaroo and Warped Tour DC already under their belt for the year, the band will embark on a summer for the ages that will see them tour the southwest with buzzy pop-punkers 408 and make appearances at Summerfest, Lollapalooza, and Warped Tour Orlando (fall).
“We made ‘BETTER’ on one of our classic writing retreats to Joshua Tree in a beautiful mini desert villa,” the band also shared. “However, this trip was different because the songs weren’t flowing, and we truly couldn’t figure out what we collectively wanted to make. We were stuck in between our old sound that existed and where we wanted to go. After a week of writers’ block, Zak stumbled upon an acapella of “Damn!” and immediately imagined what the song could be and created the beat. From there, the song wrote itself. After several Vietnamese coffees and tequila shots, we had the full track and broke the spell of writers’ block.”
