Backed by hip-hop swagger and emo pop-punk tenacity, FROSTisRAD provides the ultimate confidence boost for angsty listeners.

The Detroit alternative rapper infuses courage, strength and authenticity into his latest insecurity-smashing single, “McLovin/The Ugly One,” now available on all streaming platforms. FROSTisRAD’s fearless multi-genre anthem delightfully draws inspiration from “Superbad’s” much-adored McLovin character.

“He was the man in that movie, like a lot of people overlook that. He was the realest one. He wanted to tell the homeboy, ‘Like Yo, we’re going to be roommates together. You just need to tell him,’” said Jeremy Ian Doneghy-Horrington, aka FROSTisRAD.

“He’s the only one who ended up with the girl at the end. He was rolling with the cops shooting the guns, like he was the man. He was overshadowed; he needed more props.”

Throughout “McLovin/The Ugly One,” FROSTisRAD instantly adds a sonic backbone as vivid, ascending electric guitars, booming bass, light cymbal taps and intermittent electric drums push listeners into unfamiliar territory.

In tandem, AV CLUB bandmates Armando De Jesus III (guitar, audio engineer), Antonio De Jesus (drums, film), VA (bass, multi-instrumentalist) and Myron “TheMrMr” Watkins (film/DJ) help FROSTisRAD solidify his bold and brash mindset.

FROSTisRAD reveals, “Pops told me right/Keep ’em at a distance/And everything is tight/I’m mostly talking shit/Yo/I don’t believe the hype/Lambo for the weekend/They can’t believe my life/I don’t give a fuck/This is nothing/Bitch I’m super bad/I’m McLovin/Yea/Got two on me/You the one I’m fucking/Bitch I’m super bad/I’m McLovin/Yea.”

That newfound “McLovin” self-assurance also prompts FROSTisRAD to accept his true self and look past others’ shortcomings and hang-ups. He developed the initial reflective concept for the track while recording it in his home studio.

“I know I’m gonna be friends and forgive people when they do shit. Because that’s just my nature, it’s the kinda guy that I am. It’s just a battle in my head if I’m gonna stay mad at people,” said Doneghy-Horrington.

“I feel everyone doesn’t do things purposely or intentionally to hurt each other. It’s just based on how they’re feeling that day, and they don’t know how to fucking manage the way that they feel or treat people sometimes.”

Reflections and Loaded Gun

“McLovin/The Ugly One” isn’t the only introspective FROSTisRAD track that tackles self-doubt and anxiety. In April, he dropped his alt rock self-actualization anthem, “Reflections,” which clobbers the parasitic, negative thoughts that infect and kill optimism and confidence.

Bookended by compelling quotes from “Inception,” the track enlists roaring electric guitars, thumping bass, calm cymbal taps and pounding electronic drums to attack the second-guesses.

FROSTisRAD shares, “Mirror mirror/On the wall/Would you see a star if I fall/Huh/Yea/Mirror mirror/On the wall/Love is like a gun/Let the shot gun off/Bang/One in the head/Stuck like a dread/Idea of love/Two the chest/Controlling your breath/Feelin’ your body/There no need to stress/The love that’s in my heart/Travels through my head.”

“If I could just send out a positive message to everybody, it would be to love yourself and be your own boss. If I could incept that idea into your mind, kinda just like the clip says, about an idea being like a parasite, then I could make them be better,” said Doneghy-Horrington, who’s inspired by Eminem, Green Day, Nirvana and Blink-182.

“What better thing is there to do than that? I listened to that song over and over, and it made me feel good. Hopefully, it makes some other people feel good.”

FROSTisRAD continues to explore good feelings on “Loaded Gun,” a cheeky, rompy ode filled with humorous double entendres about sex and weaponry intertwined with raunchy quotes from “There’s Something About Mary.”

Frantic, crunchy electric guitars, chaotic cymbals and propulsive drums push listeners into a fun-filled, choose-your-own-adventure stratosphere.

He sings, “When I hit the plane/I’m in space/(Kurt Cobain feeling on the way) You don’t wanna go there/Oh we’re gonna go there/I’m gonna leave my love on your face.”

“It’s a playful song. Like am I talking about getting a blowjob or am I talking about blowing my brains out? I don’t know. At first that song was going to be called either ‘Nirvana’ or ‘Kurt Cobain,’ but then I was watching ‘There’s Something About Mary,’ and was like, ‘Boom, that works – ‘Loaded Gun,’ and then put the clip in,” Doneghy-Horrington said.

Becoming FROSTisRAD

A Detroit native, FROSTisRAD discovered a love of hip-hop while listening to Eminem in high school and making beats and freestyling with friends in the lunchroom. After switching schools, he dove into the rock and emo sound and eventually started a small record label with friends.

“It was super dope; I learned a lot just hanging out and making music with them. I changed high schools again and picked up hip-hop. That’s where I got the base for things and from there I worked on it,” said Doneghy-Horrington, whose artist moniker comes from a high school nickname.

By 2017, he released his groovy R&B-rap debut jam, “Hookd Right Now,” but quickly shifted his sound to embrace his signature hip-hop and emo pop-punk sensibilities.  

“That’s always been the sound that was in my head. The production caught up with me, but when I was doing ‘Hookd Right Now,’ I was going for that, but I had this really hop-hop beat from Trox. He did stuff for G-Unit and all those guys. That was just like a whole different world when he gave me that beat,” said Doneghy-Horrington, who also directs videos for artists on Shady Records, Def Jam and Sony Music.

“And I did the best I could to make it sound like it was in my head, but the whole time I just wanted to make rock songs. Once I met the right people, then that’s when we started doing it. When you really start to do what relates to you or your passion, people pick up on it so much more.”

With his versatile sound defined, FROSTisRAD started releasing a growing roster of singles in 2019 and later formed the band AV Club. He recently filmed a video for “McLovin/The Ugly One” on Belle Isle with AV Club and featured a product placement for Altes beer.

“The video is shot with us driving around Belle Isle in a van, and I’m hanging out of the sliding door screaming my lungs out. I’m holding an Altes beer and hanging out the window ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin style,” said Doneghy-Horrington with a laugh.

“By the end of the shoot, we see all these cars following us. When I did my last performance scene on the grass, we had a huge crowd watching us.”

While FROSTisRAD doesn’t have a release date yet for the McLovin/The Ugly One video, he plans to release two new singles, “Sometimes I Just Wanna Be Alone,” and “Boy Meets World/Nighttime Fugee,” later this summer. He also has several secret pop-up shows lined up with AV Club to keep fans engaged.

“We’ve been practicing really hard for it. We’re gonna be dropping clues all over social media, writing on walls and leaving flyers different places. There will be random locations, and we’re gonna pop up in a U-Haul truck and rock out until the police shut us down,” Doneghy-Horrington said.