If you look in your closet, chances are you own a band T-shirt or two. Most do, whether they listen to the band or not. Maybe it’s a hand-me-down from your parents, maybe you bought it from the band’s website or maybe you just liked the design. Whatever the reason is, if you wear it, you’ve probably been complimented or approached about it. But has anyone who interacted with it tried to test your knowledge on the band?
The idea of approaching someone and asking if they know any songs from the band on their shirt originated from the consumption of popular rock bands. For example, a few years back, easily accessible brands like Target began to sell Nirvana shirts, a well-known grunge band.
These shirts were, however, not a good example of the grunge style, and instead often a pink or soft blue with pastel or vibrant colors. The shirts were cute and comfortable, and the smiley face print made many younger girls purchase them. However, this meant many consumers didn’t know the band beyond their hit song “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Many older generations bought the shirt as well, and the idea of being a “poser” from the late 90s began to spring up in 2020.
The term “poser” refers to someone pretending to be someone they are not, often associated with aesthetics and subcultures. This was especially capitalized with the resurgence in popularity of the nu metal band Deftones, as their album “Around the Fur” grew in notoriety.
Many teens began to buy shirts with the album cover on them and it was soon a popular stigma that many with these shirts were posers and “couldn’t name five songs.” That’s when the TikTok trend of approaching people on the street wearing band tees and asking if they could name five songs began to surface.
This isn’t a new concept, as the late 90s had a poser problem as well. However, this trend surged in 2020, along with the concept of gatekeeping.
Now, is going up to people and asking if they can name five songs going to stop this “poser” problem in any way? Not really. People are going to wear what they want, and a trend testing if someone is a “poser” or not shouldn’t determine how someone dresses.
The most the question does is make you look like a rude elitist. Especially as the trend mostly involved grown men with a microphone running up to random people with a phone in their faces. Even if the person being interviewed were a big fan, it should be no surprise if they freeze up.
However, if you see someone with a shirt of a band you like, you should make conversation. You shouldn’t approach someone with similar shirts with a negative view and instead realize they could be a fellow fan. Going up to someone with a band shirt and instead asking, “Hey, you listen to them?” or “Hey, I like that band too!” is a much better approach than immediately testing their knowledge.
If you have a band tee you thought looked cool but don’t know anything about, why not listen to them? The “five songs” example is a pretty good number to start with.
You don’t need to be a super fan, but maybe listen to five songs. Most songs are only around three minutes long, meaning only 15 minutes of your time will be spent introducing yourself to this band. Even if you don’t end up liking the music, there’s no harm in at least learning what it sounds like. The best outcome would be that you enjoy it, and discover your new favorite band.
The trend of knowing five songs also brings attention to the frustration of consumerism and trends. If you’re a fan of a band and you approach someone expecting them to know about it, you might feel disappointed if they don’t. It’s natural to want to discuss a band you like, but there’s no point in getting aggressive over it. People are free to wear whatever they want, whether you want them to or not.
