Ever get confused by PetSmart’s branding. Well, turns out the pet superstore’s name has been a major point of friction for singer/comedian Ben Lapidus, and he’s thrown down a metalcore-style parody song to get some things off his chest.
The musician and self-proclaimed “PETSMART truther” had been teasing a breakdown-chunky cut called “PETSMART” for the past week over socials, which revolves around his confusion over the chain’s chosen name (“I got a question: is it ‘Pet Smart’ or ‘Pet’s Mart’?”).
A new video released today tries to sleuth out the answer. It begins with Lapidus getting a job at PetSmart, and then immediately launching into a cement-cracking mosh-out where the new nine-to-fiver dissects the many conflicting ways the company presents its name — from color-coded text to the fun lil’ bouncing ball in the logo that may double as an apostrophe.
Notably, Lapidus’ “PETSMART” is all-capped, perhaps as a meta nod to the way many modern heavy bands present everything in capital fashion…but also as a way to avoid the easy answers on PetSmart. Either way, it’s a sick lil bit of corporate satire, which comes fit with a solo from former Mean Girls the Musical guitarist Nick Brenock — who doubles as the office security guard in the vid.
Lapidus’ next LP, Deeper & Dumber, is out April 1st. Previously teased album tracks include snotty Aughts pop-punk send-up “Bitch Mom,” while songs to look forward to include “Stair Farts” and “Funny Girls Smelly Cars.”