Hardy: 5 Classic Rock References in His “Rockstar” Video
Hardy dresses up as an Australian schoolboy, a Seattle grunge icon and other legendary musicians in the video for his new single “Rockstar”.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: HARDY performs onstage during Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace big game after party celebrating the release of “Coming Home” by Usher and “Gin & Juice” by Dre and Snoop at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace )
Hardy dresses up as an Australian schoolboy, a Seattle grunge icon and other legendary musicians in the video for his new single "Rockstar" - and yes, that title is absolutely a Nickelback reference.
The country singer (who's from Philadephia, Mississippi) released his tongue-in-cheek ode to the rock n' roll lifestyle in February, along with visual homage to the rockstars who paved the way. The lyrics are very meta, playfully poking fun at, well, having fun. He sings: "I ain't saying that I'm Nickelback / Kickin' it in Cali with today's who's who / But everybody's got a song called 'rockstar' / Lately I've been feeling like one, so I wrote one too."
RELATED: Hardy And Nickelback Team Up For ‘CMT Crossroads’
Hardy said about the song on Twitter/X: "ROCKSTAR is my REDNECKER for rock n roll. I feel like it’s the first rock song I’ve released that doesn’t take itself seriously and the music video follows suit. Some of my favorite music videos from back in the day were the ones that showed humor, so here’s my tip of the hat to that. ROCKSTAR single and music video are out now. Enjoy."
The single follows his acclaimed sophomore album the mockingbird & THE CROW which was released last year. The first half showcased a more introspective, country-tinged sound, and the second half cranks the volume up past eleven.
Pierre Robert will give "Rockstar" its WMMR debut this week on his show between 11am and 3pm. Listen and let us what you think of it by texting the studio at 39333.
Watch the video below, and take a look at the origins of a few of the classic rock references we spotted in the clip. Hardy will be in our area at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on June 27th for the Quit!! Tour - get details on MMR's official Concert Calendar.
Hardy - "Rockstar"
1. The Beatles
Hardy's band dress as the Fab Four in their mid-60s style, around the time the Beatles first arrived stateside and were outrunning their overzealous American fans.
2. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
In the video for "Rockstar" Hardy sports this iconic "white sunglasses" look that Kurt Cobain wore for a photo shoot with Nirvana in 1993.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 05: Photographer Jesse Frohman and Morrison Hotel Gallery owner Peter Blachley (R) attend the Kurt Cobain by Jesse Frohman exhibition press preview & reception at the Morrison Hotel Gallery on April 5, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
3. Angus Young of AC/DC
Halfway through the "Rockstar" video we see Hardy transform into Angus Young attempting to recreate his duckwalk (which Angus learned from the great Chuck Berry).
4. Freddie Mercury of Queen
Does it get any more iconic and clean than the slicked back hair, perfect mustache and crisp white tank top of Freddie? We think not.
5. KISS
Hardy and his bandmates donned the unmistakable makeup of KISS for a nod to the Hottest Band in the Land (the faces and outfits aren't perfect, but they're probably trademarked, so we'll give them a pass).
BONUS: Limp Bizkit
Are Limp Bizkit considered classic rock yet? The jury's still out on that one. Is that red backwards cap the signature look of Fred Durst? Yes, definitely.
