Yes, even a band as dark as Nine Inch Nails can make you feel warm and fuzzy.
- "Everything" - an upbeat (for NIN, anyway) song about surviving everything.I am whole. I am free.
- Considerable YMMV on this (as with the question as to whether or not this belongs in the Funny section in addition to or instead of here, or either), but at about 36:49 in the Austin City Limits concert, an audience member shouts, "I love you, Trent!" to whom Trent replies with "I love you too, man" with a smile before beginning the next song.
- During the performance of "Hurt" in the Panorama 2017 performance, after Trent sings the line "I am still right here", a fan in the crowd yells "YEAH, YOU ARE!" Seeing as it was touch-and-go in the late 90s, this is pretty life-affirming.
- Trent giving away The Slip for free. Why is it a heartwarming moment? Because it was Trent's "thank you" to his fans for being with him for all this years, saying, and quote: "This one is on me."
- The best part was before 2016, the album was online for free. Even with the download gone, Trent won't mind fans downloading it, since he loves making music.
- Trent's relationship with his fans in general is this. While the fans can be a bit arrogant regarding the Broken Base and his wife, it's obvious he loves them deeply.
- A small one: When David Bowie died, fans were all around worried about Trent. He pretty much worshipped Bowie, wondering how he was handling the news.
- Writer, concert photographer and NIN fanboy Andrew Youssef had been dealing with colon cancer for a couple years, and one night was too ill to attend a 2013 Las Vegas show. So of course Trent Reznor decides to Facetime him during the show,
and play "In This Twilight" for him. (Sadly, Youssef passed away a few weeks later.) - Trent Reznor and his idol David Bowie performing "Hurt". The face you can see on Trent just shows how much this all means to him.Trent: One of the greatest moments of my life was standing onstage next to David Bowie while he sang "Hurt" with me. I was outside of myself, thinking, "I'm standing onstage next to the most important influence I've ever had, and he's singing a song I wrote in my bedroom." It was just an awesome moment.
- Bowie also gently encouraged Reznor to get sober, as he had gone through a lot of what Trent was going through at the time. When Reznor eventually sobered up, Reznor met Bowie again and was met with a big hug and him saying "I knew you could do it."
- The Fragile may be an overall dark and depressing album, but still has heartwarming moments, particularly "We're in This Together", "The Fragile", and "La Mer".
- The opening monologue for this live rendition of "La Mer." Also a Tear Jerker.
Trent: About 10 years ago or so I locked myself away in a house on the ocean, and I tried to... well, I said I was trying to write some music. Some of which wound up on The Fragile. But what I was really doing was trying to kill myself. And the whole time I was away by myself, I managed to write one song, which is this song. So when I play it I feel pretty weird about it, because it takes me back to a pretty dark and awful time in my life. It’s weird to think how different things are now. [Beat] I’m still alive, I haven’t died yet. And I’m afraid to go back to that place because it feels kind of haunting to me, but I’m going to go back. I’m going to get married there. - The opening monologue for this
- After the tragic death of Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (who Trent toured with in 2014), Trent spoke out about his previous criticism of Cornell's album Screamnote . Feeling bad about the incident, Trent wrote a letter of apology to Chris to which Chris accepted Trent's apology, stating, "He was very cool and generous about it – 'It's the past, fuck it. Let's go on.' The Chris I met on that tour was a gentleman that completely had his shit together."
- In 2017, Trent and Atticus alongside fellow Twin Peaks alumni David Lynch and Laura Dern took part in a small project with Make My Film Foundation, a charity that helps children and teenagers who have serious medical conditions to create a short film with the help with various A-List talent including directors, actors, musicians and various behind the scenes talent. They helped compose the score to 16 year old's Anthony John Conti's movie The Black Ghiandola which can be purchased or rented here
- When Lil Nas X's manager contacted Trent Reznor's manager about "Old Town Road" sampling Trent's track "34 Ghosts IV", Trent recalls that Lil Nas X's manager sounded panicked from not getting it cleared by Trent at first. This was at the critical time when the song was getting traction but had not yet become a hit. Trent's response was, "Look, I’m fine with it. I get how stuff goes. They’re not saying they didn’t sample it. Just work it out, but don’t be a roadblock to this."
- Furthermore, Trent reportedly turned down an opportunity to be in the song's official music video, not wanting to take any of the spotlight away from Lil Nas X.
- Believe it or not, the fan-made Defictionalization of Strobe Light (intended to be an April Fool's joke) has one of these in the final track "Still Hurting". It combines the music for "Hurt", one of his most tear-jerking songs, with the lyrics of "Strings and Attractors" (a bittersweet duet between him and his wife written many years later.) The whole thing reads like a Triumphant Reprise of "Hurt".
- During the Coronavirus epidemic impacting the whole world Trent and Atticus released Ghost V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts, two ambient albums (also a follow-up to Ghosts I-IV) featuring at least over two hours of music, entirely for free, one record more hopeful while the other dreading, offering the many people in fear a much-needed catharsis in a time of crisis.
- The description in the official website also deserves a special mention:
Friends-Weird times indeed…As the news seems to turn ever more grim by the hour, we’ve found ourselves vacillating wildly between feeling like there may be hope at times to utter despair – often changing minute to minute. Although each of us define ourselves as antisocial-types who prefer being on our own, this situation has really made us appreciate the power and need for CONNECTION.Music – whether listening to it, thinking about it or creating it – has always been the thing that helped us get through anything – good or bad. With that in mind, we decided to burn the midnight oil and complete these new Ghosts records as a means of staying somewhat sane.Ghosts V: Together is for when things seem like it might all be okay, and Ghosts VI: Locusts… well, you’ll figure it out.It made us feel better to make these and it feels good to share them. Music has always had a way of making us feel a little less alone in the world… and hopefully it does for you, too. Remember, everyone is in this thing together and this too shall pass.We look forward to seeing you again soon.Be smart and safe and take care of each other.With love,Trent & Atticus.- Hell, the entirety of the Together album is a big, long 70-minute heartwarming moment. It's Trent and Atticus soothing us to sleep (while also unsettling us in places), almost musically trying to tell us that everything is going to be okay. The title track, "Letting Go While Holding On" and "Apart" in particular especially are just downright Sweet Dreams Fuel.
- "Still Right Here" is heartfelt and awesome at the same time, reminding the viewer that Trent and Atticus are alive and well and still making music.
