Porter Robinson drops new single and music video for ‘Cheerleader’: Listen

Ever since his meteoric rise to the forefront of the electronic music scene as an 18-year-old prodigy, Porter Robinson has eschewed the rules of the industry and blazed his own path. Now, with over a decade of success behind him, he is beginning a new era ahead of his third full-length album and has shared the lead single and music video from the project.

The legions of his devoted fans know that Porter Robinson does not bind himself to the rigors and standard output that is common for the electronic music scene. Instead of a seemingly endless barrage of singles and remixes supported by constant festival appearances and club residencies, the North Carolina native steps into the spotlight on his own terms, curating his festival, Second Sky, and relying on the more traditional album format when he releases music and designing stage shows to enhance the project. While he still engages in the occasional DJ set, the days of his early dubstep anthems have long since been abandoned for his heartfelt tales of humanity and soul searching.

Kicking off March 2024, Porter Robinson updated his social media to begin hyping up fans for the release of his upcoming third LP and has now dropped the lead single Cheerleader for fans to digest. The track itself offers some of the most upbeat production and work he has ever released in his career, opening with a layer of bright synths and subtle guitar as the percussion plows forward, creating a sound that certainly borrows from some of the electro/emo/pop that earned acclaim earlier this century. Throughout the single, Robinson himself sings a love story of sorts, detailing his love for a girl who is seemingly out of reach following a fallout. The chorus reaches a massive crescendo as he sings, ‘It’s not fair, ‘Cause I knew you like the back of my hands, And do you care? I gave you everything, Now I feel you even when you’re not there.’

Music Video

The video plays along with the single, showing Porter Robinson navigating a scaled model city, roaming like Godzilla, as he searches for his ‘cheerleader,’ an actress equipped with an Asian-styled mask. As he trades between synthesizers and guitars, the scenes continue to evolve as the producer remains the star of the production with an incredible collection of backgrounds, visual FX, and unique performance moments. Never one to repeat himself, this certainly feels like a brand new era for Porter Robinson and his fans, but one that will provide a plethora of sing-a-long moments when he returns to the stage to support the upcoming release.

Be sure to check out the music video for Cheerleader below and stay tuned as the world awaits more details for the upcoming third LP from Porter Robinson.