Pope Is a Rockstar

"Pope Is a Rockstar"
Song by Sales
from the album Sales LP
ReleasedApril 20, 2016
GenreIndie pop
LabelSelf-released
Songwriters
  • Lauren Morgan
  • Jordan Shih
Producers
  • Lauren Morgan
  • Jordan Shih

"Pope Is a Rockstar" is a song by American band SALES. The song was released on April 20, 2016, on the band's self-titled album.

Composition

"Pope Is a Rockstar" is an indie pop song,[1][2] written and produced by Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih.[2] The song's name was inspired by an observation Morgan made in a grocery store, and was not intended to reference religion.[3] "Pope Is a Rockstar" centers on insecurity and the divide between fame and personal hardship.[2]

Reception

In December 2021, "Pope Is a Rockstar" gained popularity on the social media platform TikTok, and had been used on 1.4 million videos at the time.[4] The song became associated with the phrase "Go little rockstar" due to a mishearing of the original lyrics.[4][5][3] The song also went viral on Instagram in a trend that involved "cheering for people silently." [5] The trend often highlights personal achievements or milestones, either of the creator or someone they know.[6] "Pope Is a Rockstar" was ranked 22 of 56 best TikTok songs of all time by Teen Vogue.[7] The song was also ranked one of the 14 best TikTok songs of all time by The Mary Sue.[8]

The virality boosted the band's streaming numbers, increasing Spotify monthly listeners from 3.6 million to over 7 million.[3] Lauren Morgan, a member of Sales, said that she noticed "Pope Is a Rockstar" was receiving a significant number of plays while checking the band’s streaming statistics following the release of a new single.[4] The TikTok-driven popularity allowed Morgan and Shih to become full-time musicians.[3] The band embraced the misheard lyrics, expressing enjoyment of how fans use the song.[9] SALES tweeted in response to the viral trend, noting that they liked the alternate lyrics and joking that they hadn’t thought of them.[10][9]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Pope Is a Rockstar"
Chart (2021) Peak

position

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 89
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 52
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 82
UK Independent Singles (OCC)[14] 10
UK Independent Singles Breaker (OCC)[15] 1

References

  1. ^ "Pope Is a Rockstar - SALES". Shazam. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  2. ^ a b c Ellis, Jordan (2025-03-05). "All Time Sensational Lyrics of "Pope is a Rockstar" by Sales". GigWise. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  3. ^ a b c d Stokel-Walker, Chris. "A band who went viral after TikTokers mis-heard their lyrics explained why they don't mind that people got it wrong". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  4. ^ a b c "Everything To Know About The "Go Little Rockstar" TikTok Trend All Over Your FYP". Bustle. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  5. ^ a b "'Go Little Rockstar': How a 'Misheard' Lyric Became Internet's Newest Viral Track". News18. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  6. ^ "Where does the 'Go little rockstar' TikTok sound come from and what are the real lyrics?". The Tab. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  7. ^ Perry, Christin (2021-07-20). "The 56 Best TikTok Songs of All Time". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  8. ^ Carpou, Madeline (2022-11-28). "The Best TikTok Songs of All Time". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  9. ^ a b "'Go Little Rockstar': Lyric Used In Viral Videos Have Been Misheard". Newsweek. 2022-01-07. Archived from the original on 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  10. ^ SALES [@WEARENOTSALES]. "i LIKE the new lyrics to "pope is a rockstar" why didnt i think of that". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on April 24, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  11. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - Week of December 25, 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  12. ^ "Discography Sales". irish-charts.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 17/12/2021". Official Charts. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  14. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart on 17/12/2021". Official Charts. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  15. ^ "Official Independent Singles Breakers Chart on 17/12/2021". Official Charts. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
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