Grandson Pulls in Kesha + Travis Barker for Optimistic Anthem ‘Drop Dead’
Despite what the title might imply, grandson's latest song "Drop Dead" has an optimistic bend to it, and the musician has called in pop star Kesha and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to help him share his message.
The track starts off with a slow nodding beat, with grandson and Kesha flowing melodically with the lyrics over the beat, but by the time you get to the chorus, it's a full on anthem with the message, "I'd rather drop dead than be a quitter."
“'Drop Dead' is a song I wrote with Travis Barker and Kevin Hissink in 2020 about making peace with the fact that things don’t always end like the movies,” says grandson. “Being brave and standing for what you believe won’t always end looking the way you hope it will, with the crowd cheering and the end credits rolling. Accept my inevitable shortcomings, deal with the imperfections of life, and get to work being the best version of yourself."
He adds, "I met Kesha through some mutual friends and she just completely embodies what this song is about, she’s a badass with an incredible voice for rock and roll!”
Speaking about guesting on the track, Kesha, who also appears in the video, offers, “I loved working on this song with grandson and Travis. From the first listen, I immediately related to the energy of it. To me, it is a self-aware, defiant anthem of proud wild imperfection. It’s a 'give no fucks, judge me I don’t care, this is me take it or leave it, and while you’re at it, get out of my way' song.”
She continues, “It’s always so special to be able to collaborate with an artist who knows who they are, and Jordan’s message of honesty and unapologetically being who he is, aligns so much with who I am. Shooting the video was a shit show mess of fun. grandson's energy is high-vibe all the way and we really had as much fun as it looks.”
"Drop Dead" will turn up as part of the deluxe edition of grandson's Death of an Optimist album that's set to arrive on Dec. 3 via Fueled by Ramen. The new expanded edition comes at the one-year mark of the album's original release.
Check out the "Drop Dead" video below and you can pick up the new song here.