Video: Problemas, ‘Emerald’

Kevin Bronson on December 11th, 2022

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The world’s got a billion problems (and billionaires are among them), but Problemas ain’t one of ’em.

Problemas is the solo project of Olivia “Ollie” Stone, once of the Oohlas and later Hustle Roses. Stone debuted the project in 2019 and released the pandemic-perfect EP, “Doomscrolling,” in 2021. The highlights are many, but suffice to say as a pop subversive, Problemas are an antidote to doe-eyed IG mannequins commodifying a sadness whose only source is entitlement.

Stone and her friendly neighborhood executioner (Cameron Dmytryk of Giant Waste of Man) are dragging something down the streets of downtown L.A. in the chucklish video for “Emerald,” but it’s not a cross. It’s a pink guillotine nicknamed Choppie.

Who might the intended victims be? Billionaire dorks with “cock spaceships” and a “bad, bad need to be cool,” not to mention a rich girl with a private plane, “a fake ass and a lucrative brand.”

There’s even more to unpack on “Doomscrolling,” which is what pop music would be if The Onion was doing A&R. Notable is the track “People / Indoor Kid,” steeped in sarcasm and brought to a boil with a spoken-word bit from Travis Keller (Buddyhead) and Stone’s cooed chorus: “You’re staring at my face / My talent is my smile / My eyes are shooting blanks, though / My posture is a lie.” She confesses to taking out her rage about sexism, racism, ageism and the music industry on whatever is nearby. “I’ll beat the shit out of my Casio,” she sings in the cheery manner one would say, “Honey, I’m making casserole for dinner.”

Other weighty topics are in Stone’s crosshairs. This past spring brought the arrival of Problemas’ electro-pop rework and update of “Talking Union,” the 1941 labor union anthem written by Pete Seeger and other members of folk collective the Almanac Singers. It’s doubtful you’ll find it on Starbucks’ in-store mix.

||| Watch: the videos for “Emerald” and “People / Indoor Kid”