Tangerine Cassette releases new single “CRASH OUT”

Tulsa duo Tangerine Cassette have built their extraordinary output around the idea that pop music should never feel too comfortable. Formed by Josh Roach and Natalie Cleveland, the pair have rapidly risen with an adventurous sound that brings bright hooks while constantly twisting what your might expect to hear. Their self-described “brat pop” sound fuses infectious synths, pounding beats and engaging lyricism into songs that feel equally playful and unpredictable while never settling into familiar formulas.

It’s an style that’s quickly marked them out within a crowded alternative pop landscape, giving their music an energy that feels rebellious and truly exciting. The duo treat pop as a platform for experimentation, allowing electronic textures, alternative influences and off-kilter production choices to collide around their memorable songwriting, resulting in music that feels accessible on first listen but reveals new layers every time it returns.

Their artistic journey officially began in 2024 with debut single “Down,” a collaboration with Willyecho that unveiled the duo’s knack for writing irresistible hooks wrapped inside powerful production. It didn’t take long for that distinctive sound to travel far beyond streaming platforms, with music from Tangerine Cassette soon appearing across MTV and Hulu as well as finding its way into campaigns for global brands including Coke and McDonald’s, alongside placements with FOX and even NASA. For a project rising from Oklahoma’s independent scene, the speed of that ascent reflected both the versatility and wide appeal of their vision.

Momentum has continued to build with every subsequent release; songs such as “EXclusive Club,” “I AM EVERYTHING,” and “STICKY SWEET” have each demonstrated different facets of the duo’s creative identity while maintaining the playful edge that defines their catalogue. Since launching the project two years ago, Tangerine Cassette have clocked more than two million Spotify spins while earning support from editorial playlists including Fresh Finds Pop, SALT, Fresh Finds and All New Pop.

Now the duo return with “CRASH OUT,” a brand new single that may be their most revealing work to date. On its surface, the track presents itself as an explosive alternative pop anthem built for anyone on the edge after one inconvenience too many but beneath its sarcastic humour lies a far more poignant emotional core. The song initially lands as a catalogue of everyday frustrations, each complaint delivered with increasing exasperation and as the scene develops, a dramatic genre shift exposes the real source of that emotional overload. The irritation was never really about life’s minor inconveniences at all as heartbreak, betrayal and the weight of a failed relationship quietly bubble up as the forces amplifying every small frustration.

Jumping in with the stab of crunching distorted guitars, booming kick and Natalie’s moody vocal delivery, the energy surges as the instrumentation erupts with intensity. Gritty guitars crash into blown-out 808s while an enormous scream-along chorus injects the song with relentless momentum, creating an atmosphere that feels chaotic, cathartic and utterly captivating. Leaning into a powerful rock-inflected soundscape, the track suddenly stutters into a shifting vibe half way through, where Natalie’s smooth voice glides over laid back beats and woozy instrumentation.

Rolling with a more R&B-focused aesthetic cut with alluring backing vocal layers, the serenity offer only a temporary escape as the track builds back up into an enthralling sound of dark guitar-led arrangement and screamed vocals. The single also highlights what continues to make Tangerine Cassette such an exciting presence in modern pop and as their catalogue continues to grow, Tangerine Cassette keep making music that surprises, challenges and connects.

Commenting on the single, Natalie shares, “CRASH OUT started as a failed attempt to write a happy summer song. We sat down to write something about sunsets and bittersweet memories, and nothing was working. Out of frustration, we started experimenting with a completely different sound and immediately started laughing because it sounded like a full-blown crash out. We started listing all the little things that felt annoying in the moment, but by the time we got to the bridge, it became obvious none of those things were actually the reason for the meltdown. They were just the symptoms. The real reason was something much heavier that had quietly worked its way into every part of life.”

Listen to CRASH OUT below

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