Within her decade of prominence, Poppy has gone from YouTube sensation to post-genre powerhouse. Since her debut EP Bubblebath in 2016, Poppy has released six albums, five EPs, collaborations with bands including Bad Omens and Knocked Loose, earning two Grammy nominations and several other prestigious awards. What gets overlooked is her long-standing relationship with WWE NXT, the developmental brand that was, at one time, the best pure wrestling product on the market. From theme songs for their weekly television show and several premium live events to a number of live performances to an entire EP dedicated to the brand, the Poppy-NXT crossover may cement the multihyphenate Poppy as WWE’s favorite musician.
“X” announced as the theme song for TakeOver: Phoenix
Up until the release of her 2018 album Am I A Girl?, the music Poppy had released was largely electropop, with her debut EP Bubble Bath leaning on ska influences. Imagine the surprise of her fanbase, then, when “X” was released as a single less than one week before the Halloween 2018 street date for the full album. The video for the song, seen below, is inspired by Brian De Palma’s take on Stephen King’s Carrie, and marks her first foray into heavy music. In another moment of polarity, the same month that “X” was announced as the theme for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, the acoustic version was given a proper release.
“I Disagree” kicks off NXT, then Io Shirai dons her “Scary Mask”
The October 30, 2019 edition of NXT saw a double dose of Poppy, just weeks before the release of her third album I Disagree. First was a performance of the title track, which had just been released as a single earlier that month, before she played in the sensational Io Shirai, now known as IYO SKY, with the “Genius of the Sky” entering to her alternate theme of “Scary Mask,” the Choke EP studio version of which is a collaboration with FEVER 333. Bonus nu metal trivia: it was around this time that NXT’s official theme song was Slipknot’s “All Out Life.”
Poppy rocks TakeOver: Portland with “Fill the Crown” and “Anything Like Me”:
Shortly after the release of I Disagree, Poppy returned to NXT with a two-song salvo to kickoff TakeOver: Portland, the final premium live event for the black and gold before the pandemic. Donning a purple and black bodysuit that would make Mortal Kombat’s Sindel’s eyes bug out, Poppy played “Fill the Crown” and “Anything Like Me,” while a video package featuring the brand’s best and brightest played on the TitanTron above her and her band. As Io Shirai wasn’t on the show, we didn’t get “Scary Mask,” not yet, at least…
A champion’s entrance for Halloween Havoc:
By the time Halloween Havoc rolled around, Io Shirai was NXT Women’s Champion, having won the title in June at TakeOver: In Your House. For her main event Tables, Ladders, and Scares match against Candice LeRae, Shirai was played to the ring once again by Poppy, albeit without a live band due to COVID restrictions. The Capitol Wrestling Center saw Poppy in a costume reminiscent of those in the anime Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler, fitting the returning “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” gimmick that gave the special stipulation for the title bout.
Standing and Delivering over WrestleMania 37 weekend:
For her third time playing NXT, this time for the inaugural Stand and Deliver, Poppy gave the Capitol Wrestling Center a special treat in the form of a then-unreleased new song. “Say Cheese” blew the roof off the building, continuing Poppy’s dalliance with heavy metal, complete with screams that would predate her now-infamous Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance alongside Knocked Loose.
“Say Cheese” ushers in a new era of NXT as its opening theme:
On April 20th, 2021, “Say Cheese” became the official opening theme song for NXT, with the song featuring as such until the September 7th, 2021 edition of the show. Lyrically, the song is a goading smirk, with Poppy encouraging an unseen assailant to finish what they started, making for perfect material for a wrestling show theme tune. The song would later be featured on the soundtrack to WWE 2K22, seen by many as a return to form for the long-running video game series.
EAT (NXT SOUNDTRACK) Drops, Io Shirai returns:
On June 8th, 2021, Poppy released her EP EAT (NXT SOUNDTRACK), appearing on NXT for the fourth time to promote it. In a backstage segment featuring Paul “Triple H” Levesque and then-NXT General Manager William Regal, Poppy made the formal announcement before being confronted by Dexter Lumis, who presented a hand-drawn piece of art to Poppy, much to the ire of Lumis’ on-screen girlfriend and then-NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion Indi Hartwell.
Later in the show, Indi’s tag team partner Candice LeRae would run down Poppy, threatening her with “a proper introduction to the NXT parking lot.” Poppy then claimed that she didn’t wrestle, but she knew someone who does, before introducing a returning Io Shirai, who went after LeRae on behalf of the Grammy-nominated singer. Shirai had not been seen on NXT since losing her NXT Women’s Championship three months prior, but within one month of her return, she and the upstart Zoey Stark would claim the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships from LeRae and Hartwell.
Now that “New Way Out” is the theme song for Elimination Chamber: Toronto, set to take place on March 1st, the relationship between Poppy and WWE has seemingly picked back up after three and a half years. May this lateral move from NXT to the main roster prove to be a positive one for all involved.
