Deftones Songs Are Trending On TikTok

Deftones have been active since 1988 in the metal scene.

Now, people have come up with their favorite Deftones songs on TikTok as if their music has just dawned!

They are not so to called Underground bands, but the recent TikTok trend has brought their songs to light and to new listeners. Let’s look at some of the lyrics, that were written and performed probably way before many TikTok users of Gen Z and Gen Alpha were even born.

Thanks to the strength of the songs, they have leaped in space and time.

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7 Words:

I think that you made it up, I think that your mind is gone
I think you shouldn’t have glorified, now you’re wrong

Cherry Waves:

The waves suck you in then you drown
If like, you’d just stay down with me
I’ll swim down with you
Is that what you want?

Change:

I watched you change
Into a fly
I looked away
You were on fire

Besides these, My Own Summer, Be Quiet and Drive, Rosemary, Around the Fur and many others are equally popular among TikTok users.

The users have shared their love for the Deftones’ music and have called themselves lucky to have finally found the band; guitarists have showcased the covers of the riffs to attract millions of views.

Others have shared their Deftones playlist with much zeal, especially the teenagers who have found something that has clicked their senses.

Deftones songs have a diverse appeal, and metal music makes it, even more, sharply felt. We’ve looked at some of their popular TikTok songs and their meaning.

7 Words

Chino Moreno, the frontman of the band had written the 7 Words song when he was just 16 years old. He wrote it to show his frustration to witness the oppression, especially of African Americans by the police and authorities. The aggressive lyrics openly refer to the police lashing out the minorities and people of color.

Racism and inequality were a constant horror in the mid-90s. The 7 Words refers to You Have the Right to Remain Silent.

It had become a symbol of the brutality exercised by the police. The protagonist of the song is aggressive and calls for unified resistance against all kinds of inequality and oppression. The song was relatable then, and it is urgent now too.

Cherry Waves

Cherry Waves is another popular Deftones song on TikTok. The protagonist of the song and his companion are carried across the sea and their only hope is a plank of wood they are clinging to. Chino has said in an interview that the song was all about trust and how far it can go. 

The protagonist of the song is even ready to die with his companion at such a desperate moment of life or death and can go to any extent. But, he is not sure his partner will do the same for him. There have been many interpretations of the song, but finally, it comes down to the contrast between expectation against hard truth.

Change

Change was collectively written by Abe, Stephen, Chi and Chino. Collected in the album In the House of Flies, this song is the band’s most commercially successful track. Chino has again given away the background for this song.

Chino calls it a metaphorical song, which clicked in him an image, where he watches someone turn into a housefly. He takes it home and detaches its wings and laughs at it. It gets compensated when his foolishness comes with a death sentence for him.

But, it can be interpreted in multiple ways: it can be a relationship where a boy takes advantage of a girl and use her, only to abandon her later.

But, the girl comes back to life again, making him regret the past, and now there is no room for love. It can be understood as a revenge fantasy or karma or a song of justice.

With few changes over their career, Deftone’s current lineup is almost stable. Even before the new generation found their song on TikTok, they had a long history.

Deftones current members are Chino (Vocal and Guitar), Stephen (Guitar), Abe (Drums) and Frank (Keyboard and Turntables).

Chino Moreno

Chino Moreno is the frontman, lead vocalist, lyricist and guitarist of the American alt-metal band Deftones. Chino has been active since the band’s formation in 1988 taking the role of vocalist and also playing rhythm guitar. Besides Deftones, he is also associated with other teams and constantly involve in collaboration projects.

His switches between the intense scream and soothing croon make him a unique vocalist. His delay and echo effects, quivering voice and ability to hit the right note every time have earned him high praise even from the voice coaches.

Stephen Carpenter

Another founding member of the band, Stephen Carpenter has handled both the rhythm and lead guitar for the band since the beginning.

He has always believed in the simplicity of his compositions. In an interview with Guitar World, he said that he has a fascination for the lower frequencies, rhythms and power chords; that’s the reason he has moved from 6 to 9-string guitar for a range of bass in his career, earning a reputation of one of the best riff merchant in the metal scene.

Dissonant chord voicing, power chords and ringing open strings have always been Carpenter’s style. Carpenter is best known for his ESP guitar but is not limited to it, which brings the experimental element to the band’s songs. 

Abe Cunningham

Except for a two-year break, Abe has been playing Drum for the Deftones since 1988 and is now one of the active members of the band. Abe is known for his pounding rhythms and tempo. Abe’s kit includes Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tom and Floor Tom, and Wood Snare Drum. In addition to that, his cymbals list includes Hi-Hat, Rezo Crash, Splash, Crash and Ride.

He has appeared in a number of ads by Tama Drums and Zildjian Cymbals. His drum style uses snare forms and linear groves, using double pedals but in a different beat, leaning more on rock and funk style, adding frenetic fills whenever required.

Frank Delgado

Before his uninterrupted association with Deftones since 1999, he had even worked as a touring musician for the band from 1997-1998. Frank creates music samples on his own and avoids using prerecorded samples.

He has been integrating keyboards, synthesizers and turntables to bring unique music to the tracks produced by the band. 

Deftones albums have already won many awards and recognitions way before the recent TikTok reprisal and hype for their songs. 

Deftones have released full 11 studio albums to date, the latest being Ohms.  Deftones had won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for their 2001 album Elite. They had also bagged the Kerrang! Awards for White Pony.

Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album award and Album of the Year award are among the list of recognitions they have received so far, and it has continued to grow. 

The band has incorporated many influences from post-rock, hard-rock, funk metal, post-metal and many other metal genres, but they don’t want to be labeled as a nu-metal band.

Their albums have been praised for the experimentation and ambiance by music critics, and for their ability to incorporate different moods into the tracks unlike before. 

They have set dark and aggressive tones to some albums while they have also returned to a bright approach in some. They have been consistently conscious about changing the style from one to the next album.