Love Ghost continues to deliver satisfying, solid, modern emo-trap on “Hollywood Blvd.” The song leans much more to the emo side than the trap side, but a Spanish rap verse by Go Golden Junk serves as a reminder not only of Love Ghost’s hip-hop influences but also their cross-cultural inclinations.
Besides the trap high hats, this is almost entirely a classic pop-punk/emo song, driven by a sludgy guitar riff and Finn Bell’s straight-out-of-2007 vocals. It’s Love Ghost paying full tribute to their influences and doing it well; this song is just as at home on a playlist of modern emo as it would have been if it came out 17 years ago. This is strange when you think about it because it’s truly hard to believe that emo – which everyone said was “just a phase” – has had so much staying power.
The one thing about Love Ghost that’s always impressed me is their commitment to cross-cultural appeal, frequently including Spanish lyrics or entire features from Spanish-speaking artists. Several of their songs that I’ve reviewed have included that, and “Hollywood Blvd.” is no different, with a very well-performed Spanish feature by Go Golden Junk.
The one thing I’d love to hear Love Ghost do is to orient a little more in a pop direction. Not saying they need to go full Top 40, but with the still-raging popularity of emo-inspired music in the wake of pandemic-era hits like Machine Gun Kelly’s work, I have little doubt that with the right song, Love Ghost could really crack – and perhaps even dominate – the mainstream.
Speculation about their ambitions aside, however, it only remains to be said that “Hollywood Blvd.” is a perfectly satisfying listen for anyone who likes this particular type of music, and I would recommend it to any modern emo playlist.
Listen to "Hollywood Blvd." on Spotify here -
You can check out Love Ghost’s website here:
A brilliant addition to the repertoire -
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