It would probably be sad if it weren’t so hilarious, but Trapt (“Headstrong”, also “Headstrong (Redux)” and “Headstrong (Remix)”) have fallen on harder times than basically anyone with a big hit like they did. At least since the new millennium. Now to the point where local metalcore bands are outdrawing them (seriously), vocalist Chris Taylor Brown has had to rename his band “Happy Shopping” – at least on Facebook, where they’re hilariously still banned due to a plethora of reasons. Namely, CTB // Trapt’s support of the Proud Boys, a far right-wing/neo-fascist organization who need no real introduction. For some reason, he’s still shocked that it even happened, constantly bringing up the evils of “big tech” for whatever reason.
Maybe no one cares about the new music, though. Once upon a time, though, people actually did. Before 2020’s Shadow Work (which arrived after Browns’s racist rants and sold just 600 copies in its first week), Trapt actually had done fairly well for themselves compared to other post-grunge/nu-metal(ish) acts since the new millennium. Trapt was big enough at one point to tour with Motley Crue, and had 5 albums that did well enough to peak at least at #44 on the Billboard 200. Given how many other of their peers broke up or fell off in popularity sooner, that’s not a small thing.
Even more wacky is that CTB has given Facebook the runaround by renaming his band “Happy Shopping”, but as you can guess, it’s actually updates on all things Trapt as they travel to, well, not the same sizable venues they once did. A combination of self-sabotage (resulting in some absolutely hilarious memes) and flagging interest realistically caused this, to be fair. As it stands, though, blaming big tech is a convenient excuse. Perhaps courting the attention of social media platforms with racist and xenophobic rants (ones filled with misinformation, mind you) wasn’t the best career move. And after all, when you gained so much negative attention that basically the entire music scene had something to say about you, perhaps you were doing it wrong. United Against Trapt, must be a new organization or something. Sounds like he burned his Platinum album…?
