California-based duo MOVIESTARZ are back and diving deeper into their hyperpop roots with the release of two exhilarating new singles: “Chaos in the Magic” and “Tear This Apart”. Known for pushing sonic boundaries and experimenting with genre mashups, Tyler Nichols and Alex Pombar have once again delivered a thrilling sonic experience that blurs the lines between pop, EDM, and glitch-infused chaos. This acts as the official follow-up to their previous single “Invited“.
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With a sound that recalls the audacious energy of acts like 100 gecs, MOVIESTARZ aren’t afraid to deconstruct pop music and reassemble it with a punch of distorted fun and a sharp electronic edge. This latest double release continues the adventurous streak first sparked by their Y2K-inspired debut “Club Punk” and the tongue-in-cheek attitude of “Invited”.
Taking the world of digitised hyperpop and blending it with glitchy vocals, “Chaos in the Magic” adds a new level to this duo. Written by Alex Pombar, Jeffrey Laliberte, Paul Laliberte, Shelby Archer, and Tyler Nichols, and produced by MOVIESTARZ alongside The Fund, the track fuses early ’00s indie-tech-rock with modern EDM flair and crisp, 8-bit-inspired vocal effects. It evokes memories of late-’00s British band Amy Can Flyy, but with a contemporary twist. Lyrically, the song explores a whirlwind of themes, ranging from superstition and daily struggles to the thrill of unpredictability and adventure, mirroring the chaotic energy found in the production itself.
As for “Tear This Apart”, the same creative team reunites to deliver a track that leans into a darker, more introspective tone. The vocals drop into a lower register, lending the song a deeper, moodier vibe while still sitting atop glitch-heavy hyperpop production. There’s a steady, almost addictive rhythm layered into the backing track, giving the song a richer texture.
With an indie-rock edge underscored by 8-bit accents, the track once again brings Amy Can Flyy to mind, only now filtered through a haze of emotional contrast. The lyrics explore the push and pull of love and frustration, cleverly switching between sentiments of affection and resentment, making the emotional duality both relatable and raw, even when the sonics are what hit listeners the most.
In discussing the dual release, MOVIESTARZ explained how these two tracks naturally belong together, each representing a more electronic, experimental direction for the duo. Talking about the tracks, they said: “We released these two tracks together because they naturally flow together and capture a different, more electronic side of MOVIESTARZ. ‘Chaos in the Magic’ almost was cut entirely, but once we pitched and sped up the vocals, it clicked. With ‘Tear This Apart,’ we drew inspiration from The 1975’s more offbeat tracks and aimed to channel that same unexpected energy. It came together fast. The lyrics were already written and fit perfectly once we found the right sound.”
As best friends and long-time collaborators, Tyler Nichols and Alex Pombar have been creating music together since 2006, and their creative synergy is evident in every release. They bring together elements of hip-hop, electronic beats, and early 2000s pop culture to form a sound that feels both nostalgic and radically new
With these two latest singles, MOVIESTARZ have turned up the distortion and thrown convention out the window, capturing a wild, futuristic aesthetic that’s as catchy as it is chaotic. In our interview with MOVIESTARZ, they spoke about their refusal to take creative shortcuts, with Tyler Nichols revealing they had spent over a year just demoing material for their debut album. That meticulous approach continues to echo through these new tracks, which showcase a fearless collision of genre and style. Read the full interview here.
This release also arrives prior to a special drop from their fashion label, Newport Bleach, furthering their mission to merge music with visual and wearable art. MOVIESTARZ have always positioned themselves as more than just a band; they’re building what Nichols described as “chaotic hyper pop club punk banger playlist but it’s also a movie produced by A24 and it’s also a clothing brand sold at your favorite vintage shop.”
Through Newport Bleach, they’ve embraced the limited-run streetwear model, designing clothing drops that stand on their own artistic merit. As they shared during our chat, the goal is to create pieces people want to wear first, and then discover the music, and vice versa. It’s a full-spectrum creative experience where sound, style, and storytelling collide.
Produced once again alongside frequent collaborator The Fund, this latest chapter is just the beginning of what promises to be an explosive new era for MOVIESTARZ. If this double release is any indication, listeners can expect plenty more sonic surprises and boundary-breaking moments on the horizon, especially with their official debut album coming soon.
“Chaos in the Magic” and “Tear This Apart”, by MOVIESTARZ, are available to download and stream, right now, across platforms, via Bleach Records. Look out for their forthcoming debut album, we’re sure it’s going to be a collection of tracks you won’t want to miss.