Poppy’s break into the metal scene culminated with the release of her new album, I Disagree, this past Friday, January 10. The album was a hot topic of discussion on social media over the weekend, with as many metalheads professing their love for the pop-meets-metal affair as those who just don’t get it.

While opinions on Poppy’s new output remain split, I’ve noticed that most folks coming to Poppy on this release are unaware she’s been around for quite a while. Here’s the tl;dr version: Poppy (née Moriah Pereira) first burst onto the scene in 2014 with a series of bizarre but captivating YouTube videos that garnered her a massive following. She spring-boarded that success into a music career beginning in 2017, and released the delightfully catchy dance pop album Am I a Girl? in 2018, full of delectable electronic grooves and sporting a Robyn-turned-millennial aesthetic. And then came the pivot into metal, starting with one track on that album, “X.”

Poppy found herself involved in some public drama in 2018 when Titanic Sinclair (née Corey Michael Mixter), her producer/songwriter/lover, came under fire from his former protege and girlfriend, Mars Argo (née Brittany Sheets). Sheets brought a lawsuit against Mixter alleging “severe emotional and psychological abuse and manipulation from Mr. Mixter.” Sheets also accused Sinclair of creating “a Mars Argo knockoff” in the form of Poppy, copying “Mars Argo’s identity, likeness, expression of ideas, sound, style” and more. You can read more of the backstory over at The Verge. Early last year both parties agreed to a settlement, seemingly putting the issue behind them. Just last month, Poppy announced she had split with Sinclair and made many of the same allegations against him that Sheets had in the past.

Now that we’re all caught up, here’s the lede: Hulu is releasing a an episode of their Into the Dark TV series based on that story. The episode was made without the consent of Pereira or Sheets. And people are PISSED.

Maggie Levin, who wrote and directed the episode, entitled “My Valentine,” announced it on Twitter last week: @hulu and @blumhouse present:



INTO THE DARK: MY VALENTINE



written & directed by yours truly 💋 pic.twitter.com/E6SA2cTa9Y— Maggie Levin (@MaggieLevin) January 9, 2020

No mentions of Poppy, Mars Argo or Titanic Sinclair are included in the trailer or any of the materials surrounding it. But anyone familiar with the story can easily see the similarities in the dramatic adaptation portrayed in the clip, which has been given a dose of horror to fit in with the series’ theme. A controlling, abusive producer who creates a pop star out of his new lover in the same image as his previous one; the manufactured, doll-like imagery of those stars; the electro-pop-fueled dance beats; one confronting the other, saying “we are both his victims;” and so on and so forth.

Understandably, Poppy and Mars Argo fans — as well as those barely familiar with the story — are upset that the show was made without their consent: its not a fucking feud. they both dealt with abuse. this is a mockery of what they faced and they did not give permission for their abuse to be exploited like this. disgusting.— 𝕯𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖊𝖓 ➐ (@sitst4y) January 10, 2020 more like fucked up … talking a real abuse story and turning it into a tv episode i can’t 🤡— james (@jamescjm) January 10, 2020 also uh,,, how funny is it that mars is having her story stolen by someone AGAIN. incredible.— Lesley Garner (@afriendlygoast) January 11, 2020 you stole the stories of abuse victims and made it into an aesthetic horror film while profiting off of what they went through and presumably not getting their consent to use their experiences first! you're a s1ck fu©k and should be ashamed @MaggieLevin— gray ➐ (@poppymetaI) January 10, 2020 idk, it strikes me as kind of disrespectful that she didn't credit the source or even say it was based on a true story. none of the people who lived the story irl consented to a movie being made, and they seemingly aren't happy about it so :/— gray ➐ (@poppymetaI) January 13, 2020 sure looks like it and its fucked up— 𝕯𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖊𝖓 ➐ (@sitst4y) January 10, 2020 Exploiting an abuse victims story for your show, gross. What the hell is wrong with you @MaggieLevin— 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜 (@venicemotels) January 10, 2020 Is this based off the mars Argo situation I- did any of them even consent to this wtf— 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜 (@venicemotels) January 10, 2020 Hi, you guys should not be using the stories of abuse victims (especially without their consent because I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have said yes) to earn a quick buck. It's pretty messed up. The description alone makes it seem like this is based on M**s, Ti***** and P**py.— Jim Halpert (@gravedesires) January 10, 2020 hm. the storyline rings a bell, does it not?



yes, very creative of you to turn an abuse victims story into an 'aesthetic' film! great job.— olivia the 🐷 || 86 (@cqpycqt) January 10, 2020 Was this based on what Mars Argo went through?

For those wondering, this is a really great backstory- https://t.co/BHS8dthC2B— 𝕄𝕚𝕤𝕤 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕚 🎀 (@FlirtyNikka) January 11, 2020 congratulations on making a horribly distasteful & insensitive movie about two women who didn’t consent to you using their trauma as a money grab— nicole 🐇 (@pangea2020) January 11, 2020

And so on and so forth, with comments in a similar vein extending for pages and pages. You can read more here if you’re so inclined. Neither Hulu or Levin have commented on the backlash while Pereira, Sheets and Mixter have kept their thoughts on the show to themselves as well.

Rather than dwell on the TV show episode or promote it any further, I’m going to wrap up by suggestion you pick up Poppy’s new album and go see her on her upcoming tour. Dates below, and you can stream the album underneath:

Jan 22 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall [Tickets]

Jan 24 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre [Tickets]

Jan 25 – Seattle, WA – Neptune [Tickets]

Jan 27 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Grand at Complex [Tickets]

Jan 28 – Denver, CO – Gothic [Tickets]

Jan 30 – Minneapolis, MN – Amsterdan [Tickets]

Jan 31 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre [Tickets]

Feb 1 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic [Tickets]

Feb 2 – Toronto, ON – Opera House [Tickets]

Feb 5 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall [Tickets]

Feb 6 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Steel [Tickets]

Feb 7 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts [Tickets]

Feb 8 – Washington, D.C. – U Street Music Hall [Tickets]

Feb 10 – Charlotte, NC – Underground [Tickets]

Feb 12 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum [Tickets]

Feb 14 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft at Center Stage [Tickets]

Feb 15 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall [Tickets]

Feb 16 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall [Tickets]

Feb 19 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre [Tickets]

Feb 20 – Phoenix, AZ – The Pressroom [Tickets]

Feb 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theater [Tickets]

Mar 12 – Manchester, UK – Academy 2 [Tickets]

Mar 13 – Glasgow, UK – Cathouse [Tickets]

Mar 14 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy 2 [Tickets]

Mar 15 – London, UK – Heaven [Tickets]

Mar 17 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg [Tickets]

Mar 18 – Brussels, BE – Orangerie [Tickets]

Mar 20 – Paris, FR – Le Trabendo [Tickets]

Mar 21 – Bochum, DE – Zeche [Tickets]

Mar 22 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater [Tickets]

Mar 24 – Munich, DE – Backstage Halle [Tickets]

Mar 25 – Milan, IL – Santeria [Tickets]

Mar 26 – Vienna, AT – Flex [Tickets]

Mar 27 – Zurich, CH – Plaza [Tickets]

Mar 29 – Barcelona, SP – Sala Razzmatazz 2 [Tickets]

Mar 30 – Madrid, SP – Sala Caracol [Tickets]