Mark Hoppus is a super hands-on boss. That might explain why the Blink-182 bassist/singer co-stars in the video for up-and-coming pop punk band Beauty School Dropout’s single, “Almost Famous,” which Billboard is exclusively premiering today (August 31).
The earworm song appears on their debut album, We Made Plans & God Laughed, which was released earlier this month on the new Verswire label, whose founders include Hoppus and strategic advisor/Fall Out Boy bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz. The video is a playful send-up of life as a baby band, with Hoppus playing the role of perpetually annoyed industry veteran trying to teach the guys how things really work.
It opens with Mark telling a group of scruffy dudes to pull around back to the crew entrance when they park in front of the video shoot location. “You’re the band?” he says as he looks at his watch. “You’re five minutes late!,” he adds before asking an assistant to get them out of the “sh—y” clothes their moms dressed them in.
What follows is a hard lesson in making it, with Hoppus overseeing a glam makeover as singer Cole Hutzler laments, “Everybody wants to chase the dream/ But they don’t even know what that means.” Frustrated, Hoppus wishes they’d just “shut their damn mouths. Let me do my job. The job that God gave me the gift to do. The eye, the brain, the hand. And I’m gifting these guys the video of their lives.”
Hoppus joined the group on stage two weeks ago to perform “Almost Famous” for his first live performance since Jan. 2020 following his battle with stage 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. He also helped A&R BSD’s album and develop them for his new label.
“I’m so stoked for the new Beauty School Dropouts release,” he said in a statement about the single he’s featured on and co-wrote with in-demand writer/producer Andrew Goldstein. “As their label A&R I’m always impressed by how hard these guys work, their talent and uncompromising creativity, and their dedication to their fans. As a fan myself, I’m honored to be on the track, and can’t wait for everyone else to hear it.”
In the end the guys get fed up with Hoppus’ meddling and they ditch the suits he dresses them in and truly live out their debauched rock star dreams… with some help from one of their moms, of course.
Check out the “Almost Famous” video below.
