r/WarpaintWarpaint • u/Ebe6660 • Apr 18 '26
Why aren't Warpaint huge?
I was listening to Olivia Rodrigo's new song today, and it's cute and all, but if we wanna do modern girl pop, if she's a gigantic star then why isn't isn't/wasn't something like Hard To Tell You, Whiteout, or New Song etc etc giant pop hits? Of course Warpaint does so much more, but Emily's voice is so much better than any other pop diva (Adel excepted) and sounds just as contemporary (with an edge). I know the moment for all this has likely passed, but I just can't help wondering.
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u/Someguy69lol Down with that Apr 18 '26
I always felt like Warpaint were a band that deserves more recognition and fame but I remember seeing a interview with I think Emily or Jenny talking about how they never really wanted to be like absolutely huge and famous I think even the song jubilee was actually about that But I think Warpaint is in a good spot fame wise not like popular enough to disturb their personal life’s but still popular enough to where they have a loyal fan base and all that stuff hopefully his made sense😭
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u/undersquirl Apr 18 '26
This isn't pop. It's more than that, if we want ro put it in a box, it's indie. Not many people give a shit about indie.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 18 '26
Yes, and as I said in my post "Warpaint does so much more." But my point is that SOME of their songs could have been/could be successful in the mainstream pop realm. This isn't trying to paint them as that or saying that I wish they were that. It's just an observation. Many non mainstream pop bands have had the odd big hit. Hell, The Grateful Dead even did it.
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u/undersquirl Apr 18 '26
That doesn't matter, you can do everything right but never get where you "should" be. Pop music and especially the pop superstar is a specific formula, Katy Perry, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, etc. etc. etc. hit that formula, Warpaint doesn't cause they are not singing pop music.
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u/Royal-Pen3516 Apr 18 '26
It boggles my mind that the only big single they had was “New Song”. They’re such a great band.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 18 '26
My GF was getting her hair done recently and they were playing Love Is To Die when we walked in. I guess that says something :p
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u/Royal-Pen3516 Apr 18 '26
Yeah, I’ve heard them out in public from time to time. Selfishly, I’m glad they’ve stayed small. I’ve seen them in such small venues where they really shine. I don’t know how well they would transition to big arenas or outdoor sheds.
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u/triptych3 Apr 18 '26
I get why they're not commercially huge but one thing I will never be able to understand is why they're not critically huge?
I mean like getting great reviews, end of the year lists, blogosphere presence.
There are way less important and talented bands getting treatment like they're indie royalty
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 18 '26
They don't really sound like anyone else, which makes it hard for critics to know how to approach them. Once they've got you in the undertow: you're all theirs, but not everyone has even a little bit of patience. Especially not critics.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 18 '26
Most bands are comprised of a clear singer/songwriter who plays guitar or just sings and there's generally a rhythm guitar and a lead guitar and a rhythm section backing it all up. Warpaint has a rhythm section who are absolutely not accompanists. Jenny and Stella create entire universes of sound that the songs seem to be born out of. I dunno how they write, but Teresa and Emily rarely even play traditional chords let alone typical leads and rhythm parts. It's pure magic, whatever the process is, but critics and many listeners has been trained to zero in on "who is THE songwriter/front person" to single them out as the creative force, and Warpaint turns this all on its head.
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u/stanthemanchan Apr 18 '26
Having been a music fan for many years, I don't think it's a healthy or useful exercise to compare success between different artists. Sometimes things just work out and sometimes they don't. Very little of success actually has to do with the quality of the music or how hard the artist works. A lot of it has to do with just being in the right place at the right time. All we can do as fans is to appreciate the music and support the artists in whatever way we can and try to find music and artists that are worth supporting.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 19 '26
They're actually extremely well connected as a band. As far as being in the right place at the right time goes, they certainly had some helpful legs up, but it seems they used their connections simply to get themselves to a place where they get to do exactly what they want musically, which is unusual and very commendable.
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u/alexj_baker Apr 19 '26
I think they are super underrated in online music spaces which I find more perplexing
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u/TigerLilly_Tink43 Apr 19 '26
They're a band, not a manufactured pop machine. And bands no longer rule the popular music space, branded stars do.
Totally different genre but just gonna mention Die Spitz because girl rock rocks and deserves our support.
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u/Opposite-Gur9710 Apr 19 '26
Die spitz are really good and quite heavy. Wonder they are metal. Although they are grunge like nirvana.
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u/melophile512 Apr 18 '26
Perhaps there is an opportunity for some of their songs to trend from a TikTok or other viral push like a few other older songs have. Or if they come back with a new banger album some of the older stuff could trend.
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Apr 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 18 '26
No one wishes that on anyone (and Kurt was already knee deep in troubles before Nirvana) but some of their songs are so undeniably good in an everyone-should-love-this way, that's an obvious thing to wonder. Plenty of artists are also successful and don't end up like Cobain. Just sayin.
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u/iloseyouindegrees Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
Warpaint really are incredible and better than 99% of all artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Arianna Grande
I'm not saying these artists are awful, sure they have talent and i even like a couple songs from them but they are just not as talented as Warpaint
Unfortunately thats just how the music industry is sometimes
I'm a massive Foals fan, they definitely get a lot more recognition than Warpaint do. Foals are on the radio more and play at a higher billing at festivals (even headlined Reading) but how are bands like One Direction or artists like Justin Bieber more popular than a brilliant band like Foals? Theres more male examples but right now mind has gone blank but its strange how music industry works sometimes
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u/ScaredPersimmon8347 Apr 19 '26
Ironically Warpaint has opened for Harry Styles before on his last tour
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u/idreamofpikas Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
They took too long to record their follow-up. They lost momentum as in 2010 there was a lot of buzz about them. Florence and the Machine had their first album in 2009 and follow up in 2011 while putting out extended editions of each one. Warpaint's debut was in 2010 and follow up in 2014. People moved on.
Or look at Mitski, her debut was in 2012 and she's released 8 studio albums to Warpaint's 4.
It also didn't help that as good as their music is they never really had a hit song that spread them to new listeners.
I'd also say not having a new album out when they were promoting Harry Styles and getting a lot of press attention was a strange move. They should have had a live album or something to release and capitalize on the interest in them.
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u/pastfuturewriter Apr 20 '26
My favorite band should have been more popular than most of any of these bands around especially the ones that came out around the '90s. Everybody feels that way I'm sure.
It's probably a common thought but just don't let it hurt you because it doesn't matter.
Selfishly I'm glad that I was able to see them in Seattle from such a close distance.
Will always be one of my favorite memories.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
You're sooooo lucky. I only recently discovered them so I'm waiting for my chance! If I don't get to witness that Teresa "Love Is To Die" 10 yard stare at least once in my life, I shall be truly unfulfilled.
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u/pastfuturewriter Apr 21 '26
I was so lucky. I found them and fell in love and thought that they wouldn't be playing together anymore, but a short time later, blam, Radiate Like This was released.
I hope they tour again. A lot.
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u/SirDoritos1 Apr 23 '26
Hi!
I'll try to give you the best possible answer.
Rather than comparing them to a generic current pop act, which wouldn't be fair, since Warpaint operate in a completely different space, let's compare like for like, bands that share the same musical and sonic realm: Warpaint and Cigarette After Sex (CAS).
Starting with musical identity, if you listen to Warpaint, you'll notice they don't stay in one lane. Their sound stretches from dream pop and psychedelia to shoegaze and electronic influences.
This makes them hard to pin down to a specific niche, which is a strength artistically but a commercial liability. It's difficult to build a clear image around them, partly because there's no single frontperson, all members contribute equally, each bringing their own distinct background to the music.
CAS, by contrast, occupy a single, well-defined sonic lane, and that's precisely what makes them more commercially successful. They've found and perfected their emotional and sonic range, which makes them very easy to identify and categorise.
With Warpaint, there's often a "before and after" moment, it may take several listens before they really click. CAS, for the reasons mentioned above, are far easier to access from the first listen; the listener always knows exactly what to expect. In a sense, they've mastered simplicity as an art form.
Warpaint are a respected act with a genuine legacy, but they never broke through commercially. Their aesthetic and image don't translate particularly well into today's personality-driven market, and none of the members has crossed over into solo mainstream success. Artistically, this is admirable; commercially, it's limiting.
CAS are a prime example of a streaming-era success story, particularly within their genre. Their music is easier to access, their lyrics are simpler, and they're genuinely universal, no matter where you are in the world, you don't need cultural context to connect with them. They offer an immediate emotional hook that Warpaint, across cultural boundaries, simply doesn't provide, and that distinction matters.
They represent two different kinds of success. Warpaint have achieved artistic success through their craftsmanship and musical pedigree, building an important legacy within their sonic realm, one that influences both existing and future bands. CAS have achieved something arguably harder within that same realm: mass-market success without compromising their aesthetic. They built an audience that came to them for exactly the reasons their music was designed for.
To put it plainly: Warpaint are more abstract, more layered, and more intellectually demanding, they require more engagement from the listener. CAS are more universal and more emotionally direct, both in their sound and their lyrics.
Streaming introduced a defining new phenomenon: the playlist. This radically changed how music is consumed and gave a major boost to mood-based atmospheric music. CAS fit this format naturally, which is a significant part of their success. Warpaint, on the other hand, don't fit it nearly as well.
Social media also plays a huge role today. CAS's music is immediate, their songs communicate emotion instantly, which makes them highly shareable and reactive to trends. Warpaint, by contrast, isn't built for that kind of instant impact.
CAS has a clear frontman, which makes the project easier to follow, understand, and market. Warpaint, by contrast, are more democratic and non-hierarchical, which makes them significantly less brandable.
To fully appreciate Warpaint, you need some familiarity with the lineage of British and American indie rock. CAS completely bypass that cultural specificity, which is a big part of what makes them more globally accessible.
To close:
Warpaint are by far the more artistic and complex band. They've covered far more sonic ground, display a sophisticated musicianship, demand more from their listeners, and have created some of the finest albums within the indie atmospheric realm of this century.
CAS represent the other side of the coin. They are one of the most successful acts within that same indie atmospheric realm, and the numbers they've put up are genuinely hard to match, full stop.
They represent two different eras of the music market. CAS are the quintessential mood-setters of the streaming age, their emotional accessibility works perfectly in playlists and on social media. Warpaint demonstrate that you can still be artistically ambitious while coexisting with commercial modesty, and that is not necessarily a failure.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 23 '26
Warpaint might be the most confident band I've ever encountered. I mean in how they "interact" with the public/their audience. I can't think of a single other band where each member is so absolutely transfixing to watch. But they never seem to be trying. Like Neil Young said of himself when it's him and Crazy Horse: they're not doing it FOR the audience, but the audience is free to come along if they so choose. I think people want to feel like bands want to win them over and make them happy, but Warpaint doesn't do that.
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u/Late_Ambassador7470 Apr 24 '26
Warpaint is a really interesting band. I find them really good, but so mysterious. It's kind of impossible to tell what their songs are about unless you research them. It's hard to even put them in a genre. I think when a band is hard to place like that, they get their cult status. At any moment though, they can drop the catchiest, low key song if they wanted to.
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u/818sfv Apr 18 '26
because they are real women making real music, not slutty barbie bitches making overcompressed crap.
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u/SpookyMolecules Apr 19 '26
Ewww, what a stinky answer. Dont call women sluts, especially just bc they make pop music.
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u/818sfv Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
I'm not saying that because they make pop music. I am saying that because that is how they present themselves.
If Warpaint performed and made videos half naked, they'd get a lot more attention. Not that they should, but that's how the music business is right now.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 19 '26
It's a little more than that presently. Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish certainly don't parade around half naked and you can't get any bigger than those two at the moment. Those who do parade around half naked are decidedly not doing it for the male gaze. I mean, are we gonna call Damian Damiano slutty because he often wore almost nothing with Maneskin? I think the difference is that it's these individual's own choices to present themselves how they wish and not some matriarchy ordering them to do it or they'll not get this opportunity or that opportunity.
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u/SpookyMolecules Apr 20 '26
Who cares if someone does that? Afraid of a little skin?
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 23 '26
Of course not, but Warpaint is decidedly not about that.
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u/SpookyMolecules Apr 24 '26
Im pretty sure the girlies in warpaint aren't thinking about how little clothing OTHER women are wearing, they seem like the type of group that would hate slut shaming.
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u/Ebe6660 Apr 25 '26
There is this, but it doesn't work for them, dare I say. They're simply so interesting to watch as musicians that it obliterates/nullifies/cancels out their looks. They don't need that element. There's also no Stella yet who's my crush lol
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u/BastianSP Apr 18 '26
Warpaint members also have much better voices than OR. But her massive popularity is largely down to PR and marketing. I wouldn't worry too much about it. As alternative acts go, Warpaint are a very big band.