127 THE NORTHWEST JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Vol. 49, No. 1 A Trigger Warning? Engagement, Reception, and Appreciation of Pop Music With Dark Lyrics JASON ZENOR SUNY–Oswego Foster the People’s debut song “Pumped Up Kicks” (2010) was a critical and commercial success. On the surface, the song seemed like a fun dance song, but underlying the upbeat melody were dark lyrics about a school shooter. Shortly afer its release, the band faced criticism over the meaning and purpose of the song, criticism they still face with each new mass shooting. This study turns to listeners—who were in grade school while the song was popular—to assess how they interpret the song. Moreover, it explores how modes of audience engagement are connected to how listeners read and appreciate pop music. The fndings suggest that a discursive mode of engagement is connected to eudaimonic experiences with music and a mediated mode of engagement is connected to hedonic experiences. Finally, the study suggests that audience reception of music may difer from reception of visual entertainment because mood and nostalgia can create diferent routes for audience engagement, re- ception, and appreciation. KEYWORDS: Music audiences, reception, hedonic enjoyment, eudaimonic appreciation, mixed methods The 2010 release of “Pumped Up Kicks” was the debut single for the band Foster the People. The song had great commercial and critical success, receiving extensive radio play on modern rock and contemporary hits formats. The song spent 40 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at number 3, and was the most streamed song on Spotify in 2011. Ultimately, the song was nominated for Jason Zenor is an associate professor in the School of Communication, Media and the Arts at SUNY–Oswego. He can be reached at the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, SUNY–Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA, or at jason.zenor@oswego.edu.