Line #146 Music/Poppy


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0167_col1bw1bbbpoppy_by_phil_knott_for_diymag_2020.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''I disagree.'']]
3
4	[floatboxright: Influences:
5	+Music/JimmyEatWorld, Music/NoDoubt, Music/CyndiLauper, Music/ElvisPresley, Music/{{Blondie\|Band}}
6	]
7
8	->''[[https://youtu.be/fpCXxqiTjqE "I'm Poppy."]]''
9	-->-- '''Poppy'''
10
11	On the surface, Poppy (formerly called "That Poppy") is a teenage pop singer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles who releases music on the Internet and also doubles as a [[Website/YouTube YouTuber]] who frequently posts promotional vlogs. Take a quick glance at these vlogs, however, and you'll quickly notice that's she's... [[MindScrew odd]].
12
13	In reality, "Poppy" is a musical art project based on the persona of singer-songwriter Moriah Rose Pereira (born January 1, 1995). The project was initially started in 2011 under similar names (including "Moriah Poppy"), and gained a small following for Pereira covering well-known songs as well as releasing a few original songs and music videos (many of which have been removed from [=YouTube=], but can still be found online if you look hard enough).
14
15	In 2014, Pereira partnered with director Titanic Sinclair (real name Corey Mixter), which led to Poppy being revamped into the surreal performance art project synonymous with the name today. In layman's terms, her new image was a bizarro take on standard teen/bubblegum pop stars with light [[JPop J-pop]] elements, although [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} she was anything]] [[CreepyCute but standard]]. The project ran on strange, abstract videos with subject matter such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2OtWSyDD0 her teaching you how to load a pistol]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgh3LG-qbsU spinning around for three minutes]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayfBf2J-Qlc interviewing a plant]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVtWvZbqg10 listing the names of famous people]], all presented with a pastel color palette and creepy, hypnotic aesthetic. Recurring themes in the videos consisted of her strange obsessions with technology, celebrity culture and the Internet, with surrounding {{motif}}s including [[MindManipulation mind manipulation]], [[{{Cult}} cults]], and the occult. These themes were further reflected in the official music she began releasing around this time, which resided in the genres of {{ambient}} and {{synthpop}}.
16
17	Like Poppy herself, the videos were intentionally strange and difficult to understand, described by Sinclair as "a combination of Creator/AndyWarhol's pop accessibility, Creator/DavidLynch's creepiness, and Creator/TimBurton's zany comedic tone," made to be the "strangest part of your day." With the occasional overt comedy/sarcasm, uncomfortable unfamiliarity, and [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory admittance from the creators that most of the content didn't have an actual intentionally-placed meaning]], this era of Poppy could be defined as a strange bit of "post-irony" or a running satire/commentary on Internet culture to a perpetually undefined extent. Regardless, the videos attracted a huge online community attempting to decipher their true meanings, whether they existed or not. Further blurring the line between fiction and reality was Poppy's strict maintenance of her persona on other online channels, [[BecomingTheMask and allegedly offline and in public, too]].
18
19	However, Poppy would spend the late [=2010s=] steadily distancing herself from this image in her content and appearance, showcasing a [[DarkerAndEdgier maturing of her character]]. Her bubbly pop music began to adopt experimental, Music/PCMusic-reminiscent elements before crossing over completely into Japanese alt idol-esque rock, mixing elements of genres including {{alternative\|Rock}}[=/=]{{indie\|Pop}} music, {{industrial}} music, and [[AlternativeMetal various]] [[{{Metalcore}} flavors]] of metal. Her lyrics (all written by Pereira from the start) began sharing more defiant and rebellious attitudes [[BecomingTheMask with the character's themes blending in the mix]]. Her videos saw an increase in production value and transitioned into mostly makeup tutorials that may be the least outwardly weird that Poppy content has ever been; she has since returned to more abstract videos with her trademark darkness and surrealism. As for her persona, Poppy ditched her blonde pastel look for dark hair and gothic fashion, and her public demeanor -- while still considered a character -- is now significantly toned down in terms of the robotic quality once associated with her, with more of her genuine personality allowed to shine through.
20
21	This evolution would culminate in December 2019, weeks after taking Sinclair's directing credits off of many of her videos and outright removing others from her [=YouTube=] channel, when Poppy announced [[https://twitter.com/poppy/status/1211006950160269313/photo/1 the dissolution of their partnership]]. In her statement, she accused Sinclair of emotionally manipulative behavior, attempting to continue that behavior with former friends, and subtly acknowledged another person who had also accused him of such behavior: singer-songwriter Music/MarsArgo.[[note]]Titanic Sinclair previously collaborated with Argo (real name Brittany Alexandria Sheets) from 2009 to 2015. Through the band and [=YouTube=] channel that they started, Argo was known for portraying a fictionalized version of herself online and uploading content that heavily satirized Internet culture, much like what Poppy would become famous for. Argo later [[https://www.nme.com/news/music/poppy-and-manager-titanic-sinclair-settle-lawsuit-with-mars-argo-2428225 sued both Sinclair and Poppy for copyright infringement]] in 2018, claiming they both copied her for the Poppy project. Argo also accused Sinclair of "severe emotional and psychological abuse and manipulation" and claimed Poppy was a knowing accomplice, which she has denied. Argo settled out of court with Sinclair, and the copyright case against Poppy was dismissed.[[/note]]
22
23	Has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}} that other Poppy]] or [[Franchise/{{Kirby}} those brothers named Poppy]], and none of them will [[Film/TheWizardOfOz put them to sleep]].
24
25	On July 10, 2019, a [[ComicBook/PoppyGenesis1 graphic novel]] was released which claims to be the definitive answer to dispel all the conspiracy theories in regards to Poppy.
26
27	Her video channel is [[https://www.youtube.com/user/thatPoppyTV here.]] Her Vevo channel is [[https://www.youtube.com/user/ThatPoppyVEVO here.]]
28	----
29	!!Discography:
30
31	!!!Albums:
32	* ''Poppy.Computer'' (2017)
33	* ''Am I a Girl?'' (2018)
34	* ''I Disagree'' (2020)
35	** ''[[UpdatedRerelease I Disagree (more)]]'' (2020)
36	* ''Flux'' (2021)
37	* ''Zig'' (2023)
38
39	!!!Extended Plays:
40	* ''Bubblebath'' (2016)
41	* ''Choke'' (2019)
42	* ''A Very Poppy Christmas'' (2020)
43	* ''Eat ([[Wrestling/{{WWENXT}} NXT]] Soundtrack)'' (EP) (2021)
44
45	!!!Soundtracks:
46	* ''3:36 (Music to Sleep To)'' (2016)
47	* ''I C U: Music to Read To'' (2019)
48	* ''Music to Scream To'' (2021)
49
50	----
51	!!Poppy provides examples of:
52	* AccentUponTheWrongSyllable: In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYjyX0bDUOc&t=71s "Poppy Reads the Bible: Part 1"]], when reaching Genesis 1:9[[labelnote:excerpt]]And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.[[/labelnote]], she stresses the last word with an almost ValleyGirl-style inflection, turning it into an "And it was... ''sooo''oooo..."
53	* AllLovingHero: She describes Poppy as someone who loves everything that crosses her path, because "the world needs that right now." [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJhXTUpfPQ "Transmission"]] seems to imply that [[{{Deconstruction}} this is backfiring for her]].
54	* {{Ambient}}: ''3:36 (Music to Sleep To)'', in stark contrast to the rest of Poppy's discography, but also doubles as the soundtrack to her promotional videos.
55	* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: "Am I a Girl?" from the album of the same name touches on this theme, with Poppy questioning concepts of androgyny, [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} gender dysphoria]], and gender stereotyping, featuring a narrator conflicted with identifying as a boy or a girl while still personally preferring to be the latter.
56	* AnimalisticAbomination: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8E634XGGbs The Man]]" features Poppy holding "The Man", [[SealedEvilInACan who appears contained]] [[CuteKitten in a sphynx cat]] [[{{Animorphism}} with a few rhinestones on its head]]. [[VocalDissonance It speaks with a]] [[VoiceOfTheLegion bizarrely distorted human voice]].
57	-->'''Poppy:''' He was once a boy.\
58	'''The Man:''' [[AC:I was once a boy.]]\
59	'''Poppy:''' And now he is a man.\
60	'''The Man:''' [[AC:I am now a man. I will not be contained. You will not contain me, Poppy.]]\
61	'''Poppy:''' ''(smiling)'' He's contained with me.
62	* ArcNumber: 3:36 is first shown in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lXvrQzUhj4 "3:36"]]. It shows up again at the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIRgXDuRIkg "What Percentage Am I?"]] Immediately following that video, Poppy has referenced the numbers (in the forms of "3 + 3 = 6", "3:36", and "336") ''much'' more frequently in her merch and on social media. ''3:36 (Music To Sleep To)'' is the name of her ambient album. The meaning of the number itself is unconfirmed, though it's been proposed to be an inside reference[[note]]The most popular being that it's referencing Titanic Sinclair's previous Music/MarsArgo project, as it's the length of their last video[[/note]].
63	* AudienceParticipation: Poppy went on Website/FourChan's /b/ board (yes, you read that right) to decide one of her promotional video's titles. The thread is [[http://thebarchive.com/b/thread/699684809/ here (potentially NSFW).]] As a result, we have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4pnlOGrZsU this video.]]
64	* AudienceSurrogate: Charlotte kind of serves this role in the 4th interview, where she expresses confusion over the videos and talks to Poppy like any regular viewer would, questioning her constantly and acknowledging her strange behavior.
65	* AutoTune: Used to eerie effect in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA4NiEQUm5o Freedom Song]]", where Poppy sings the American national anthem with a heavy amount of Autotune on her voice. It doesn't make her voice sound much better.
66	* AwfulTruth:
67	-->'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZZUMKCe9iY Charlotte]]:''' Poppy, will you please tell me what is going on?\
68	'''Poppy:''' I'd love to tell you, but you aren't ready for the truth.
69	* BeYourself: The message behind her single "Everybody Wants to be Poppy" which lambasts the notion of people idolizing pop stars to the point of carving their identities after them.
70	-->''Everybody wants to be someone else!\
71	All you need to do is just be you''
72	* BecomingTheMask:
73	** During the Titanic Sinclair era, Poppy was basically her persona ''all the time'' (at least in public), to the point where any work of hers during the area is really hard to determine in what's part of the "act" and what isn't. Some fans have alleged that she even did this ''in person'', with Poppy herself even admitting that she and her "persona" may as well be the same person now.
74	--->'''Titanic Sinclair:''' Everyone at the end of the day knows that Creator/JohnnyDepp isn't the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' guy, but he's more fun when he is. I like living in a world where you can have superheroes. It just makes life so much more exciting.
75	** Following the split from Sinclair, this has been [[SubvertedTrope largely thrown out]]. While Poppy still exists as a persona in videos and other work, Moriah's increased out-of-character presence in social media and press makes it clear that it's just a character to briefly inhabit.
76	* BiblicalMotifs: {{Satan}} makes an appearance in the music video for "Lowlife," and she has two videos of herself reading out loud from the Literature/{{Bible}}. Titanic Sinclair, Poppy's director, uploaded a video in which he says a string of sentences, the first letters of which spell out "P-O-P-P-Y I-S G-O-D."
77	* BloodFromTheMouth: In "Oh No!", Poppy watches another Poppy materialize out of thin air next to her. The original Poppy smiles, but then blood starts running out of her mouth and dripping down her chin. The cloned Poppy says "Oh, no!", [[TitleDrop hence the title]].
78	* BreakTheCutie: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJhXTUpfPQ Transmission]]" seems to showcase a breaking point in Poppy, where the feeling of being unloved finally penetrates her.
79	-->"I'm only human."
80	* BrokenRecord: The now-infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpCXxqiTjqE&feature=youtu.be "I'm Poppy."]] video, in which Poppy continuously introduces herself for ''ten minutes''.
81	* TheBusCameBack: For some time following around late 2017, recurring characters Charlotte and the talking plant became conspicuously absent from videos. A little over a year later, both [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v7GRpy7SNg the plant]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmJwmZ0pWQ8 Charlotte]] made videos announcing their return, the latter with a vengeance.
82	* CagedBirdMetaphor: Played with in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3iobs5JzGE "This Birdcage"]], where Poppy wears half of an old-fashioned birdcage on her head (with the door opened in front of her mouth) in an intentionally ambiguous statement on freedom versus safety.
83	-->'''Charlotte:''' Why are you wearing a birdcage on your head?\
84	'''Poppy:''' You can't be mean to me now that I have my birdcage.\
85	'''Charlotte:''' That birdcage will not protect you.\
86	'''Poppy:''' This birdcage protects me.
87	* TheCameo: She's appeared in-character in, of all things, WebVideo/TheNeedleDrop. She appeared [[https://youtu.be/iB6zYoD0ZhY?t=28 in the beginning of the Sept. 2016 episode of GREAT ALBUMS]], and even appeared on the Meme Review on Anthony Fantano's now-defunct alternate channel "thatistheplan", [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTRs5c0_LAY saying "Meme reviews are the future."]]
88	* CaptainObvious: Poppy sometimes says truisms as a way of letting you know she is strange and detached.
89	-->'''Poppy:''' Everyone was a baby once. We are living on a planet.
90	** "This is a pink outfit. This outfit is not orange or blue, it is pink. [[OverlyLongGag This pink outfit is a pink outfit.]]"
91	* CatchPhrase: "I'm Poppy." Interestingly, this seems to have been her catch phrase even before she met Titanic.
92	* CentralTheme: Here are some running themes in Poppy's promotional videos and music (they show up in a lot of it, not all of it):
93	** Cleaning (''Bubblebath'', Tide, Mr. Clean, cotton swabs).
94	** The exponentially growing influence of technology, namely the need to feel validated on the internet and social media, as well as its consequences in changing humanity in the future.
95	** The entertainment world in general, and the pros and cons of it all, including the obsession people have with celebrities and glamorizing celebrity culture.
96	** Poppy herself [[UnreliableNarrator claims]]:
97	--->"Well, sometimes [my videos] are about my childhood and sometimes they're about the things in my life that I desire most."
98	* CharacterBlog: [[https://twitter.com/charlottequin?lang=en Charlotte has her own Twitter account.]]
99	* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In earlier videos Poppy used to smile and emote more naturally, compare this to the wooden and dull emoting she has now.
100	* CharacterShill: Done ironically. Poppy spends an entire video talking about how awesome Tide is, and the video title is simply [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qG4mS3G0K0 "Tide commercial"]]. Done again in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-GpCwzcuH0 "The beginning of infinity"]] when Poppy blurts out that the episode was sponsored by Mr. Clean magic eraser. Also done sincerely, though in an overly on-the-nose manner that can come off as humorous--done because the character ''really'' likes money.
101	* {{Chiptune}}: Some of her songs like "I'm Poppy" and "Software Upgrade" contain elements of this.
102	* ClickbaitGag: Satirized in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_XJJcl0Q0s "young girl makes crazy video on Youtube"]].
103	-->"Young girl makes crazy video on [=YouTube=]! What happens next, you won't believe your eyes!"
104	* ClingyJealousGirl: The spoken word bridge to "Computer Boy" heavily implies this regarding her "computer boy":
105	--> ''Don't ever leave me! Don't go to sleep without me!''\
106	''Please stay by my side forever and never talk to anyone else.''
107	* CoverVersion:
108	** Did a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9PVGYf_haE cover]] of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuBcb2T55Q My Kind of Woman]]" by Mac [=DeMarco=].
109	** Also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTvIG6gHMh0 did a cover of "All The Things She Said"]] by Music/{{Tatu}}
110	* CreepyDoll: Charlotte is an inanimate mannequin who speaks in an electronic voice that appears a lot in promotional videos. She started off as just someone who held interviews with Poppy, but later on she started becoming more involved with... whatever is going on with Poppy.
111	* {{Cult}}: With her almost charismatic nature, her soothing tone of voice, and her hypnotic cadences, Poppy almost seems like a cult leader at times, especially in conjunction with the mind control motifs. Commenters on her videos often say they feel like they're being brainwashed. It's highly likely that this is because of Titanic Sinclair's interest in how people often treat celebrities like gods. Further corroborated by the "Poppy is God" thing (see BiblicalMotifs). Titanic also likely took notice of viewers' responses and let the cult motifs run wild in later vids, making it overtly apparent starting with "They Have Taken Control". And now she has [[http://impoppy.bandcamp.com/merch/poppy-official-membership-ring membership rings]]. [[http://impoppy.bandcamp.com/merch/poppy-official-membership-pin And pins.]] [[https://twitter.com/thatPoppy/status/806016236807016448 And now she's straight up using the C-word.]]
112	* DarkerAndEdgier:
113	** A few songs on ''Am I A Girl'' feature Poppy dabbling in much more dark and aggressive musical direction than her usual SynthPop fare, with "Play Destroy" and "X" being heavily inspired by NuMetal.
114	** ''I Disagree'' and the ''Choke'' EP features Poppy delving even deeper into a darker, metal/industrial-inspired sound, exchanging much of the cheery pop veneer for the creepier, ominous, and quietly sinister aspects of her character.
115	* DeadpanSnarker: Surprisingly, in a lot of interviews.
116	* DealWithTheDevil: Poppy "sold her soul to the man with a handshake" (lyrics from "American Kids") at age fifteen.
117	* DespairEventHorizon: Seemingly crosses this in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX-ohrHBNhk "I Can't Do This Anymore"]], [[spoiler:then [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] it at the very end]].
118	* DemBones: A live skeleton shows up in a couple of her promotional videos. Why? Who knows.
119	* DoNotCallMePaul: When mentioning "Moriah Rose Pereira", Poppy will usually respond with [[BlatantLies "I don't know who that is."]]
120	* DoubleEntendre: Some of the lyrics in [[LyricalDissonance the otherwise straightforward pop track]] "Computer Boy" are strangely suggestive, one of the most notable being:
121	-->''When you glow on my face you make me come alive,''\
122	''I want your floppy disk to be my hard drive.''
123	* DroneOfDread: Many of her non-musical videos have this as the soundtrack.
124	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: If you go back to her earliest videos, you can see that Poppy's voice was originally a bit deeper and closer to Moriah's natural voice before she consolidated the high-pitched voice she uses now.
125	** Her earlier works leaned more on folk-pop covers of popular songs, and her voice was more high pitched but natural sounding. She also tended to do vlogs and show up on other Youtube friends' videos.
126	* EnforcedPlug: [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oieo-5V7qk "Pajamas"]] when Poppy "subtly" plugs Tide by holding up a box of Tide and saying "My pajamas feel so soft..."
127	* EverybodyLaughsEnding: The end of [[https://youtu.be/NQJ22gPt1QE?t=2m54s "Everybody Wants to Be Poppy" episode 3.]]
128	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnIlXxb0eoc "Poppy Eats Cotton Candy"]].
129	* EyeMotifs: Poppy seems fond of eyes, putting them on her clothes and even fingernails. Flying eyeballs with bat wings are seen in the "Money" music video. Her gloves are covered in eyes in "Where Is It" and she wears an eyeball hair dec in "A Microphone."
130	* FakeInteractivity: Poppy will sometimes ask the viewers a question, then continue talking as if they had given an answer. This creates a mock-kids'-show feel. An example with fake audience sound effects can be found in [[https://youtu.be/rLase1Jd20I "Poppy's Line Dance"]].
131	-->'''Poppy:''' Would you like to take a selfie with me? ''({{beat}})'' Okay, let's do it! ''({{beat}}, [[StrangeGirl stares]])''
132	** Done in a slightly more unsettling way in "Step 1." And again in "Step 2."
133	--->'''Poppy:''' Are you ready for step 1? ''(beat)'' Good. Look directly into the center of your screen. ''(mind control sounds)''
134	** Done again in "A Microphone."
135	* {{Fan Community Nickname\|s}}: Invoked. She calls her fans "Popsisters" or "Poppy seeds."
136	* FingerTenting: Poppy's handler does this when he's first shown.
137	* FormulaBreakingEpisode:
138	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61mWvtCKBI "Where Did Everyone Go?"]] is radically and notably different than all the other promotional videos. First, it [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]], and shows Poppy walking around the set. Second, it shows Poppy ''leaving'' the set. Third, it has a tense and suspenseful tone, akin to a horror movie.
139	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsV2wjeMZBo "He Loves Me Not",]] rather than being unsettling, weird, eccentric, creepy-cute, or comedic like all the other videos, is unequivocally sincere and emotional.
140	** The "Everybody Wants to Be Poppy" series is unique in that it's animated.
141	** ''3:36 (Music to Sleep To)'' ''drastically'' stands out from the rest of Poppy's pop discography, as it's a full-blown ambient album.
142	** Most of her songs have hints of parody or are just plain creepy in context, but "Pop Music" is an [[SincerityMode uncharacteristically sincere and reflective]] ode to pop music, and how even though it can be annoying, you can still appreciate and like it. Musically, it's also a stripped-back acoustic ballad, making it heavily stand out from her general SynthPop sound.
143	* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: As of "They have taken control", Poppy's threats of mind control on her viewers have moved from subtle to very direct indeed.
144	-->''[[AC:You will pledge your allegiance to Poppy. You will do anything Poppy says.]]''
145	-->''[[AC:Prepare yourself for Programming Sequence 2. ... Programming complete.]]''
146	* FreezeFrameBonus: In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2OtWSyDD0 "How to Load a Gun"]], there's a very short bit in the video around 18 seconds in where Poppy notably flinches and grins as she slides the magazine into the gun. Many see this as a rare out-of-character moment, which may be why the video was unlisted.
147	* FunWithSubtitles: “Fun” may not be the operative word here given how disturbing the subtitles on some of her You Tube videos can get, for instance Helicopter starts with just a basic description of the sound effects but ends with someone begging the audience to save Poppy from something instead of just passively watching.
148	* GaiasLament: "Time is Up" is about the destruction of the world following what's implied to be a very [[RobotWar cybernetic and virtual uprising]], and consequently the destruction of humanity.
149	-->''I don't need air to breathe when you kill the bees''\
150	''And every river bed is dry as a bone''\
151	''Oh, I will still survive when the plants have died''\
152	''And the atmosphere is just a big hole''
153	* GenreRoulette: "X" from ''Am I a Girl?'' frequently swaps back and forth between violent {{Heavy\|Metal}} or ThrashMetal and bright and gentle acoustic pop. The song ends on a halfway point of the genres, close to PopPunk.
154	* GirlsWithGuns: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2OtWSyDD0 "How to Load a Gun"]].
155	* GirlyGirl: Poppy is ''not'' a tomboy. She likes princesses, unicorns, diamonds, cupcakes, [[PinkMeansFeminine the color pink]], and all things girly.
156	* GratuitousJapanese: Some of Poppy's aesthetic borrows from JapanesePopMusic and its culture, so it's inevitable. She once called herself a "[[UsefulNotes/{{Kawaisa}} kawaii]], pop-guitar, Barbie-doll princess", and she has the J-Pop-inspired song "Moshi Moshi" (a general "telephone hello").
157	* HateSink: Charlotte was formerly a news reporter who interviewed Poppy before concluding that she could be better than her. Becoming addicted to drugs, she tried to bribe the plant into giving her money to further fuel her habits to the point she neglected and abused her son Child Quin. When asked about her son, Charlotte grows furious and chokes Poppy. Instead of apologizing, Charlotte instead denies the incident, accusing Poppy of being selfish.
158	* HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight: Poppy (mostly as a character, as far as we know) has [[https://youtu.be/vBXdKhLXcX4?t=3s a love]]-[[https://youtu.be/oQMZ1yItXng?t=23s hate relationship]] with music, but she 100% loves being loved and expressing herself via art and the internet. And the money.
159	* IAmGreatSong:
160	** "Bleach Blonde Baby" is essentially Poppy's anthem to perfection, with her boasting her natural and almost divine perfection and beauty.
161	** "Chic Chick" plays it a different way, essentially being her version of a SelfEmpowermentAnthem, dissing anyone daring to question her strong, independent attitude.
162	* IdolSinger: Poppy is one, and a pastiche of the culture surrounding them.
163	* IJustWantToBeLoved: Central theme of "Adored".
164	* TheIlluminati: Poppy's producer, Titanic Sinclair, drew influence from Illuminati mythos in directing the "Lowlife" video. This is explained in more detail in WebVideo/NightMind's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmXQKMjEC8E "Who Is Poppy?" video]]. Lots of triangle and eye motifs appear in her videos, too.
165	* ImportantHaircut: Moriah dyed her hair back to her natural dark brown almost immediately after publicly breaking from Titanic's control.
166	* IndecisiveParody:
167	** [[invoked]]Due to [[MindScrew the nature of Poppy's videos]], it's occasionally unclear as to what she's supposed to be satirizing; is it shallow image-obsessed pop music, shallow MindScrew conceptual art projects, or nothing in particular? [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Of course, it seems Poppy and Titanic Sinclair are aware of this]], and part of the fun can be picking out [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory what's actually supposed to be commentary]] and what's just meant to be creepy.
168	** This also bleeds into her music, with some tracks hinting a lot more about [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant Poppy's character]] than others. ''Poppy.Computer'' in particular has just as many tracks that make a comment satirizing pop music/celebrity culture/technology as there are pop tracks that completely play it straight.
169	* TheIngenue: To an extent.
170	* {{Irony}}: The irony is laid on ''thick'', but figuring out the extent of irony vs the extent of sincerity is part of the puzzle. Here is an example of verbal irony:
171	-->'''Charlotte:''' Poppy, what inspires you as an artist?\
172	'''Poppy:''' [[StockPhrases What an interesting and remarkable question]] [[LampshadeHanging that no one's ever asked me before.]]
173	** A bit of situational irony is presented in the video of Charlotte's fourth interview with Poppy, in which Charlotte--a mannequin--behaves in a saner and more human manner than Poppy--a human--does.
174	* LeaveTheCameraRunning: There are lots of unsettling pauses between Poppy's lines in her videos, as well as scenes that go on for far longer than they should.
175	** A good example is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n0EPit53yE "Do you ever think about God"]], where Poppy asks the question of the video title and then stares at the camera silently for ''53 seconds'' before saying something else.
176	** At the end of the music video for "Computer Boy", the song ends, she kisses the screen of the supposed "computer boy", the body-suited men take it away... [[NothingIsScarier and Poppy continues to smile and stare at the camera for a good 15 seconds in complete silence.]]
177	** The trick is repeated with a twist in the video for "X", ending with a [[BloodSplatteredWeddingDress blood-drenched Poppy]] smiling at the camera for about the same amount of time... and then leaving with a cheeky wink to the audience.
178	* MadnessMantra: "I'm Poppy", "Famous People", and "Why Won't They Listen?" come off as this, for their length and repetition.
179	* MeaninglessMeaningfulWords: One has to wonder whether this is a major case of this. Of course a lot of the videos have some meaning behind them, but others, just ''seem'' meaningful but aren't. Sometimes her language is so cryptic and unspecific that it might as well be meaningless without more information.
180	-->'''Poppy:''' It's following you. It's following you. Is it following you? ''({{beat}})'' I think it is. I think it is following you.
181	** "If you think about it long enough, time isn't exactly linear. It's more of a transparent cube with light shining through it."
182	* MindScrew: Often, [[BecomingTheMask the line between Poppy and Poppy the character gets a bit blurred]]. Adding to the fact that the character is utterly bizarre.
183	-->'''Poppy:''' I don't even exist. You're imagining me right now.
184	* MinimalistCast: The Poppy videos mostly feature her alone, the only prominent recurring character is Charlotte the mannequin. Sometimes a talking plant, skeleton or Charlotte's son show up. Her music video for Lowlife and Bleach Blonde Baby are the only videos where there are multiple people present.
185	* MoodWhiplash: Multiple songs on ''Am I A Girl?'' (namely "X" and "Play Destroy") switch between happy, uplifting bubblegum pop and aggressive metal without warning.
186	* MultipleChoicePast: Much like the VagueAge setup, this was done intentionally.
187	** Official sources say she comes from Boston, Massachusetts but moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was 13.
188	** In her song "Money" she says that at 15, she moved out of her parents' home and lived for a short time alone.
189	** She says in her video "My Past" that she has done some bad things as well that when she is thinking about it, it feels foggy and it doesn't exist. Similar to the Trope Namer.
190	* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Many have interpreted "Freedom Song" as this, since it consists of Poppy singing the American national anthem with her voice densely autotuned so that it deliberately sounds off-key and artificial. People see the fakeness in Poppy's modified voice as akin to the fakeness of America's freedom.
191	* MythologyGag: Several sketches are references to songs from Titanic Sinclair's previous project, Mars Argo. Some of them are even outright remakes, such as Mars and Poppy both having several videos where they bleed out of the nose or mouth for no good reason.
192	* NewSoundAlbum:
193	** ''Am I a Girl?'' features notably more aggressive and experimental sounds when compared to the quirky, but mostly straightforward sound of ''Poppy.Computer'', including some moments such as "Play Destroy" and "X" mixing ''HeavyMetal'' into her poppy sound to incredibly MoodWhiplash-y effect.
194	** ''I Disagree'' saw Poppy dive headfirst into [[HeavyMetal metal]]-pop with only brief ([[MoodWhiplash if prominent]]) smatterings of her previous bubblegum sound. The ''Eat'' EP similarly treads into a {{metalcore}} direction with some of her [[HarshVocals most intense]] and [[MetalScream metal]] vocals to date.
195	* NotHyperbole: Among other hyperbolic boasts in "[[IAmGreatSong Bleach Blonde Baby]]", the first line says her "eyelashes are 7 feet long, people stop, they stop and stare." The music video shows they're just as tall, if not taller than she is.
196	* NumberOfTheBeast: Poppy says her favorite thing about Monster Energy Drink is the logo, making a not-so-subtle reference to the drink's logo's association with the Hebrew representation of the number 666.
197	* ObfuscatingInsanity: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8XSVlDkhPQ&t=43s No, she's not]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DCsjixvRv0&t=28s actually insane.]] It's just a behavior for Poppy's image.
198	* OlderThanSheLooks: Poppy is actually an adult, but seems way younger, even by the way she sounds. In her promotional videos, her voice is likely electronically pitched up; her real voice is fuller, deeper, and more sultry. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYjyX0bDUOc Watch this video to hear her real speaking voice.]]) This is all, of course, intentional.
199	* OminousVisualGlitch:
200	** A subtle one used to show Poppy's SanitySlippage in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n06FqMYa3eI&t=33s "Gravity."]]
201	** Another one appears in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohsnD7eBB3I "Do you believe in the Internet".]]
202	* TheOner: The latter half of the "Lowlife" music video is shot in one take.
203	* TheOphelia: She's a very, very disturbed {{Kawaiiko}} with an UncannyValley nature. This is made far more apparent after her in-character SanitySlippage.
204	* PeopleFarms: "Meat" from ''Choke'' is (on a strictly literal level) about aliens reducing humans into slaughterhouse animals, [[SickeningSlaughterhouse putting them through a]] [[TruthInTelevision distressingly realistic process]] of being bred and raised just to be consumed for their [[TitleDrop meat]].
205	* PinkMeansFeminine: Poppy's (the "character's") favorite color is pink. In an old vlog she listed off her true favorite colors, none of which were pink; so the pink obsession is unique to the current Poppy brand.
206	* PrecisionFStrike: While Poppy never swears in her videos, her music doesn't hold those same promises.
207	** In the chorus of "Lowlife":
208	--->''Take a shitty day and make it alright''
209	** In the chorus of "Chic Chick":
210	--->''Chic chick, I'm a chic chick, I'm a chic chick\
211	If you don't like it, suck my dick''
212	* ProductPlacement:
213	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWAiFndkfoM One time, Poppy made the strangest Mr. Clean ad ever.]]
214	** See EnforcedPlug above.
215	** This intentionally awkward line from "young girl makes crazy video on Youtube".
216	--->"I like to use the website Website/{{Facebook}} and also my Facebook app on my Apple [=iPhone=]."
217	* PropagandaPiece: Invoked ironically. Motifs of mind-control, cult-like indoctrination, and psychological persuasion show up from time to time. Sometimes Poppy will suddenly say something along the lines of "Will you do anything I say?" This reaches new heights in the video "They have taken control." In Poppy's concerts, images of [[https://youtu.be/hTDF6-Yx8GQ hypnosis spirals]] and the like are sometimes used.
218	* QuietCryForHelp: The capitalised letters in the description of "I Will Apply The Makeup" spell out HELP ME PLEASE.
219	* ReplacementGoldfish: [[RobotGirl The narrator]] of "Hard Feelings" considers this about herself when contemplating her own creation (which incidentally [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall might also be Poppy and Titanic Sinclair touching upon their feud with]] Music/MarsArgo):
220	-->''Am I a replica of someone that you loved? Someone you made me to replace''\
221	''Am I a replica of someone flesh and blood? Someone you made me to replace''
222	* {{Retool}}: Following her split from Titanic Sinclair, the format of Poppy as a project has shifted in a few significant ways.
223	** Regarding the entire Poppy persona, Moriah has become more open to acting and speaking "out of character," running her social media as herself, not Poppy.
224	** The [=YouTube=] videos have shifted to a more down-to-earth tone, mainly consisting of makeup tutorials. Some aspects like Poppy's soft-spoken delivery, eerie ambient soundtrack, and the occasional [[SurrealHorror surreal creeps]] are still present, but the general aesthetic appears to be much more personal than her Sinclair-era repertoire.
225	** As for a shift that was already beginning while she was partnered with Sinclair, [[NewSoundAlbum her discography shifted significantly from quirky bubblegum pop to metal]], fully committing to the sound with ''I Disagree'' onward.
226	* {{Retraux}}: "Altar" is essentially an 80's pop song. As is "Adored."
227	* RobotGirl: Referenced twice in ''Am I a Girl?'', "Time is Up" alluding to what sounds like a RobotWar, and the narrator of "Hard Feelings" explicitly describes herself as some kind of machine:
228	-->''Hard feelings, you got my circuitry bleeding\
229	Am I a man or machine? [[DoAndroidsDream If I can never love, why do I have hard feelings?]]
230	* SanitySlippage: After "Why Won't They Listen?" and "Am I okay?", Poppy seems decidedly less chipper.
231	* {{Satan}}:
232	** Makes an appearance in the "Lowlife" music video.
233	** Poppy refers to Satan when testing her microphone in "A Microphone."
234	-->'''Poppy:''' [[FakeInteractivity What else should we say?]] ''({{beat}})'' [[FakeInteractivity Oh, I like that!]] ...[[SurprisinglyCreepyMoment The devil.]]
235	* SelfEmpowermentAnthem: "Chic Chick" is Poppy's own quirky take on the concept, dismissing against what others think of her and asking them to "bow to your matriarch."
236	* SelfPlagiarism: Titanic must really like making videos called "Delete Your Facebook", because there's one on Mars Argo's channel, his channel, and then Poppy's channel.
237	* ShoutOut: The music video for "X" features Poppy [[{{Film/Carrie1976}} in a blood-covered prom dress]].
238	* SingerNamedrop:
239	** Poppy does this constantly throughout... "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin I'm Poppy]]".
240	** The intro to "Play Destroy" begins with an unfamiliar voice announcing "It's Music/{{Grimes}}!" before she's echoed with "[[CatchPhrase I'm Poppy]]!"
241	* SingingVoiceDissonance: Poppy speaks in a quiet, high voice, but she has a pretty strong range when she's singing.
242	* TheSingularity: It has been theorized, due to Titanic's past work/interviews (where he discusses how he thinks humanity will one day "plug in" to the Internet with our minds) and the prominence of mentions of the {{Internet}} and TheFuture in Poppy's videos ("What do you think the people are gonna say about Twitter in the future?", "The internet is the future", "I just can't wait for the future", "Hi, I'm Poppy, and I'm from the future" "Feel the pulse of the Internet as we become one", etc.), that Poppy lives in or comes from a universe where this has happened or will happen to humanity, or at least, the videos represent the idea.
243	* SpellingSong: The chorus to "I'm Poppy". Naturally, this takes a creepy implication, especially when put next to the lead-in lines:
244	-->[[MachineMonotone (But Poppy, how do I live in your future paradise?)]]\
245	All you have to do is follow these steps! Saaaaayyy...\
246	''P-O-P-P-Y, I'm Poppy!''\
247	''P-O-P-P-Y, I'm Poppy!''\
248	''P-O-P-P-Y, I'm Poppy!''\
249	''P-O-P-P-Y, that's me!''
250	* StartMyOwn: Charlotte, annoyed that she finds Poppy's newer videos to be not quite as good yet still gaining more and more popularity for Poppy, decides to start her ''own'' vlog in hopes of becoming more famous.
251	* StepfordSmiler: Poppy, big time. Whatever was done to make her pop-star material left her a bit off. For example: she posted [[https://www.reddit.com/r/that_Poppy/comments/4orwbp/please_help_me/ this on her subreddit.]] And now [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZZUMKCe9iY even Charlotte is noticing something is strange.]]
252	* SubvertedCatchPhrase: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq_KllfEAWc "Oh"]] is an eerie example, as she can only barely say "Hi, I'm-" before cutting herself off for whatever reason multiple times.
253	* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment:
254	** Too many moments to count, and probably many more that are YMMV. One of the most infamous examples is when Poppy's nose starts to bleed as she stares into the camera at the very end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4nHLHDtyVA "Am I okay?".]]
255	** This also sometimes affects her music, which often plays as innocent-sounding before briefly dipping into something creepy and strange, then suddenly going back to normal like nothing happened. An example from "My Style":
256	-->''Poppy is an object''\
257	''Poppy is your best friend''\
258	''Poppy will break your neck''\
259	''Poppy will be your pet''
260	* SurrealHorror[=/=]SurrealHumor: A huge part of Poppy's videos and her general persona involve evoking both of them, sometimes simultaneously.
261	* SymbolicBlood: Poppy signs her autographs with a single stroke of red paint.
262	* TakeThat: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_XJJcl0Q0s "young girl makes crazy video on Youtube"]] satirizes the culture of [=YouTubers=] and social media.
263	** "Hard Feelings" seems to as much call out of Titanic and what Mars accused him of as Poppy/Moriah can muster.
264	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_KB4KFPxss "Her"]] is blatantly about Sinclair and what he did to her and Mars.
265	* TakeThatAudience: Some videos on the channel, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDJjDZ_PuPY "Poppy is Over"]] have been interpreted as representations of the craze of Youtubers who take the channel too literally and claim to have "solved" or "debunked" a mystery behind it.
266	* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat: Inverted in [[{{WebVideo/React}} "Poppy Reacts to Kids React to Poppy"]]. For her reaction, she starts speaking in unison with the recorded Poppy in the videos the kids reacted to, which is weird, but not unthinkable, because they're her videos. Things get weird in the middle, though, when she speaks in unison with ''one of the kids'', despite never seeing their reaction before. The question she syncs up with? "Poppy, are you a robot?"
267	* ThemeTune: It seems strange for a musician to have one, but "Everybody Wants to Be Poppy" seems to serve this role. She confirmed in an interview that she does consider it her "theme song."
268	* ThirdPersonPerson: [[{{Downplayed}} Only sometimes.]] She will say "Poppy" when referring to herself. Note that she'll do this when in character and not just when Moriah is describing the character.
269	-->'''Poppy:''' Is it hot in here, or is it just Poppy?
270	* ThousandYardStare: In her promotional videos, when she's not locking eyes with the viewer, Poppy stares into the distance off-screen.
271	* ThreeMinutesOfWrithing: Played with in the video for "Interweb", which features two body-suited dancers in the background as Poppy herself stands almost completely still for most of it.
272	* TinFoilHat: A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0EWEbItLp0 tin-foil]] ''[[ExaggeratedTrope poncho]]''.
273	* TookALevelInJerkass: Charlotte, at first, was just a mannequin who parodied online interviewers, then her jealousy and hatred towards Poppy gets the better off her. Now she even takes drugs.
274	* {{Troll}}: Titanic has discussed whether his content is something akin to trolling (designed purely to get a reaction, though in this case a weirded-out reaction), and has settled that it's a grey area, further cementing the idea that the videos are post-irony.
275	** "I Can't Do This Anymore" initially seems like something of a DespairEventHorizon crossing for Poppy, with her gazing into the distance in noticeable despair...[[spoiler:until she turns to the camera, says "Just kidding", and smiles smugly]].
276	** She repeatedly trolls the kids from WebVideo/{{React}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aInNomibLQE when she meets them.]]
277	* UncannyValley:
278	** Poppy's way of speaking is... ''approximately'' how a normal person would speak, but not ''quite''. And half the time, she doesn't look into the camera, but [[ThousandYardStare somewhere far away off-screen]]. As discussed by Titanic, the speech and sound is dubbed over / added in, and sometimes ever so slightly out of sync. This creates an unsettling/fake feel. Titanic Sinclair also does this on his [=YouTube=] channel.
279	** This trope even bleeds into the music itself, namely her straight pop tracks after ''3:36 (Music to Sleep To)''. While it still remains as catchy and bright pop, some compositions can get creepily dissonant at times, and her lyrics can occasionally tread into weird territory (leaning on obsessions to technology, strange [[DoubleEntendre double entendres]] or [[{{Cult}} allusions to something more sinister]]), vague enough to be easily missed, but unnerving once you notice it.
280	* UnpluggedVersion: She has stripped-down, acoustic recordings of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCSH2e-cOo "Everybody Wants to be Poppy"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3nrzRbJOm8 "Lowlife."]]
281	* VagueAge: Intentionally. She doesn't make her real legal age public, and according to one of her videos, the character ''forgot'' how old she is. Some sources say the character is fifteen, which falls in line with the lyrics of "American Kids" and "Money", as well as the date (01/01/01) given in [[https://youtu.be/cCeZl0XR42k "Happy Birthday to Poppy"]], but Moriah is actually 23, being in fact born on 01/01/1995. Probably.
282	-->'''Poppy:''' Poppy does not identify with an age.
283	* WhiteMaskOfDoom: Poppy's handler wears one at the end of [[https://youtu.be/pRKVEKo3vFg "Sunglasses"]].
284	* WhiteVoidRoom: All of her promotional videos, and even some of her official music videos take place in completely featureless white rooms, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness though earlier videos usually tinged them in soft pastel colors.]]
285	----
286	-->[-[[TheStinger I BELIEVE POPPY]]\
287	[[LoonyFan I BELIEVE POPPY]]\
288	[[MadnessMantra I BELIEVE POPPY]]\
289	[[RoomFullOfCrazy I BELIEVE POPPY]]\

Context Music / Poppy