3OH!3

About 3OH!3

3OH!3 is the electronic duo from Boulder, Colorado that became synonymous with late 2000s party rap whether you wanted them to or not. Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte met at the University of Colorado and named themselves after the 303 area code, complete with the exclamation point that makes their name annoying to type.

They started making music in 2004, mixing crunk-influenced beats with punk energy and lyrics that ranged from deliberately dumb to just plain dumb. Their self-titled debut album dropped in 2007 on a indie label, but it was their second album, "Want," in 2008 that turned them into a phenomenon. "Don't Trust Me" became inescapable, with its Auto-Tuned hooks and that "shush girl" line that immediately dated the song while somehow keeping it stuck in everyone's head. The track went triple platinum and hit number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, which meant you heard it at every high school dance and college party for about two years straight.

The follow-up single "Starstrukk" got the remix treatment with Katy Perry, back when featuring Katy Perry on anything was a guaranteed hit. Their 2010 album "Streets of Gold" capitalized on the momentum with more processed vocals and club-ready beats. "My First Kiss" featuring Kesha became another massive single, peaking at number nine on the Hot 100. The album went to number seven on the Billboard 200, which was probably their commercial peak.

By the time they released "Omens" in 2013, the electropop wave they rode had mostly crashed. The album didn't chart nearly as well, and the musical landscape had moved on to EDM and trap. They kept releasing music, though. "Night Sports" came out in 2016, showing a slightly more mature sound, which is relative when you're 3OH!3. They followed it with "Need" in 2019, working with artists like 100 gecs on "Lonely Machines," which suggested they were at least aware of where internet music was heading.

These days they're still around, still touring, still making music for people who unironically or ironically miss the late 2000s. They've become something of a nostalgia act, which happens faster than most artists expect. Their sound captured a specific moment when electronic music was going mainstream and nobody was taking anything too seriously. Whether their music holds up is mostly a question of how you feel about that era in general.

They're based in Colorado still, occasionally dropping singles and playing festivals where millennials can relive their questionable teenage music choices. The duo represents a very specific strain of party music that feels both dated and strangely persistent in the cultural memory.

Their shows are basically sanctioned chaos. Crowds are there to lose it to the hits—hands up, phone flashlights out. The energy is college-party stupid in the best way. They seem genuinely into it too, not phoning it in.

Known for Don't Trust Me, Starstrukk, Touchdowns, My First Kiss, Richkidsclubs

See 3OH!3 Live