Foster the People front-man Mark Foster recently sat down with Billboard to discuss the track that made a profound effect on alternative pop nearly a decade later — “Pumped Up Kicks.” Although it was the band’s breakthrough track, Foster is considering putting it to rest as the band has already pulled it from multiple setlists including their 2018 Life Is Beautiful performance. Off the bat, Foster explains that the song is often misunderstood. He told Billboard,
“What’s interesting about it to me was, topically, (the song) struck a chord and resonated with people, which is why the song became what it did. But it took people a while to really let the lyrics get into their bones, and I think that once the lyrics got under their skin, it was a bit of a slap in the face,”
He goes on to discuss the purpose of songwriting for him, a connection with people.
“That song has become almost a trigger of something painful (listeners) might have experienced. And that’s not why I make music,” he explained. “At some points I do make music to bring awareness to something, but I make music to connect with people, and I feel like the awareness that that song brought and the conversation that that song brought, that’s been fulfilled.”
Foster was interviewed by Billboard to discuss “Pumped Up Kicks” for the publication’s 100 songs of the 2010’s that shaped music and culture.
