Lil Aaron
Aaron Jennings Puckett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aaron Jennings Puckett May 31, 1994 Goshen, Indiana, U.S. |
| Other names | Lil Aaron, lil aaron |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | Merging pop punk and emo with hip hop and pop; songwriting for artists such as Blackbear and Lizzo |
| Notable work | EPs: Gloing Pain$, Rock$tar Famou$, Worst Christmas Ever, Dark Matter, 808 Rock; Collaborations with Boyfriendz |
Aaron Jennings Puckett (born May 31, 1994), professionally recognized as Lil Aaron (stylized as lil aaron), is an American vocalist, rapper, and songwriter originating from Goshen, Indiana. His sound merges elements of pop punk and emo with hip hop and pop, resulting in five solo EPs alongside two collaborative EPs with the alternative hip hop group Boyfriendz. He has penned tracks for artists such as Blackbear, Liam Payne, Hailee Steinfeld, Dev, and Kiiara, and contributed to the 2019 Grammy-winning album Cuz I Love You by Lizzo.
Early life
Raised in Goshen, Indiana, Puckett is the younger sibling of Kora Puckett, a musician performing with the rock band Narrow Head. Coming from a Christian household that limited exposure to secular music, he discovered punk rock and emo bands through online platforms like MySpace and PureVolume. His initial musical inspirations included acts like Never Shout Never, Owl City, and The Ready Set, later broadening to groups such as Hit the Lights and Boys Like Girls. Reflecting on his musical identity, he remarked, "I’ve been emo my whole fucking life." During his school years, he served as lead singer for a pop punk ensemble influenced by Hit the Lights and Metro Station, characterized by heavy use of auto-tune. His growing passion for independent hip hop motivated him to leave high school and relocate to Los Angeles.
Career
Puckett's career began primarily in songwriting, collaborating with artists including Travis Mills, DRAM, Icona Pop, and Kiiara. He initiated his solo journey in 2016 with the single "Damn," produced by Y2K. On April 10 of that year, he appeared on Travis Mills' "Trouble," followed by releasing "Prolly" featuring Ilovemakonnen on June 23. Later in 2016, he was featured on Joy's track "Birthday." For his debut EP Gloing Pain$, he partnered with members of Polyphia for instrumental contributions. His music garnered attention in 2017 through songs like "Hot Topic" and "Warped Tour," which referenced pop punk and emo subcultures while incorporating samples from bands such as Paramore and Panic! at the Disco.
Towards the end of 2017, Puckett co-founded Boyfriendz alongside Smrtdeath and Lil Lotus, releasing their self-titled EP in December. This project was recorded within a single night and distributed via SoundCloud. That same year, he secured a deal with Dr Luke's production company, Prescription Songs. In January 2018, he featured on Kim Petras' track "Faded," accompanied by an official music video.
In March 2018, Puckett collaborated on Goody Grace's "In The Light Of The Moon" from the Infinite EP. He then released his own EP Rock$tar Famou$ on May 31, which was recorded between locations in Kauai, Hawaii, and Hollywood, California. The song "Quit," featuring drummer Travis Barker, was supported by a music video. Subsequent videos included "Anymore" featuring Kim Petras in September. In November of that year, Puckett opened for Blink-182 during their Las Vegas performance and appeared on Brooke Candy's track "Nuts."
On December 7, 2018, he issued the holiday-themed EP Worst Christmas Ever. Later that month, he released "Studded Gucci Belt," which samples "Shake It" by Metro Station; its video incorporated footage from iconic emo and pop punk groups. The EP Dark Matter followed on January 25, 2019. He featured again with Kim Petras on "Homework" in February, while Boyfriendz unveiled their second EP BFZ2 shortly thereafter.
In 2020, Puckett appeared on Big Baby Scumbag's "Dale Earnhardt (remix)," Big Freedia's "GTFOMF" from the EP Louder, Plavtinum's "Girls on the Internet," as well as Smrtdeath's album Somethjng's Wrong, contributing to tracks "Lights Off" and "She Told me to the Kill Myself." On October 6, 2020, he released his EP titled 808 Rock. Early in 2021, specifically February, he featured on Ethel Cain's song "Michelle Pfeiffer."
Musical style
Puckett's sound is frequently classified under emo rap and rap rock, blending influences from pop punk, SoundCloud rap, and pop music. Alternative Press characterized his approach as "defying genre boundaries."
He acknowledges inspirations including Panic! at the Disco, Blink-182, Brokencyde, and Dot Dot Curve. In a discussion, he expressed his intention to connect with audiences who enjoy hip-hop figures like A$AP, Cudi, and Kanye, as well as followers of alternative groups such as Black Veil Brides and the Warped Tour community. His tracks frequently combine trap-style beats with autotuned, distorted vocals, alongside melodies that evoke pop punk and emo vibes. Joe Price of Complex described his music as a blend akin to "Travis Scott meets Green Day." Jayson Greene from Pitchfork portrayed it as an amalgamation of Panic! At the Disco samples, vocals reminiscent of Blink-182, and Chief Keef-inspired elements layered over 808 drum patterns, resulting in a distinctive rap rock fusion. Hypefresh.co highlighted his ability to merge pop-punk energy with contemporary autotuned rap styles.
His musical approach has impacted artists like Yungblud, particularly evident on the album Weird!.
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Gloing Pain$ |
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| Rock$tar Famou$ |
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| Worst Christmas Ever |
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| Dark Matter |
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| 808 Rock |
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| American Scumbag |
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As lead artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Quit" (featuring Travis Barker) | 2018 | Rock$tar Famou$ |
| "Dark Matter" | 2019 | Dark Matter |
| "Vans Untied" | 2020 | 808 Rock |
| "That One Song" (featuring Lil Lotus) | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Pretty Little Breakdown" (featuring Smrtdeath) |
As featured artist
| Title | Artist | Year |
|---|---|---|
| "Trouble" | Travis Mills | 2016 |
| "Birthday" | Joy. | |
| "Faded" | Kim Petras | 2017 |
| "In the Light of the Moon" | Goody Grace | 2018 |
| "Nuts" | Brooke Candy | |
| "Love Nightmare" | Macho Randy | |
| "Homework" | Kim Petras | 2019 |
| "Dale Earnhardt (remix)" | Big Baby Scumbag | 2020 |
| "GTFOMF" | Big Freedia | |
| "Girls On The Internet" | Plvtinum | |
| "Lights Off" | Smrtdeath | |
| "She Told Me to Kill Myself" | ||
| "Michelle Pfeiffer" | Ethel Cain | 2021 |
| "Bleach (On the Rocks) {lil aaron remix}" | John Harvie | |
| "HMU" | Ocean Grove | 2022 |
| "Walk Away" | Oni | 2024 |
Collaborative Releases as Boyfriendz
| Title | EP Information |
|---|---|
| Boyfriendz |
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| BFZ2 |
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Writing Contributions
| Track | Year | Performer(s) | Album | Co-writers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Fragile" (featuring Hailee Steinfeld) |
2016 | Prince Fox | Haiz (Japan deluxe edition) | Prince Fox, Jordan Palmer, Jordan Humphries |
| "Weekend" (featuring Icona Pop) |
Louis the Child | Non-album single | Louis the Child, Icona Pop, Imad Royal, Blaise Railey | |
| "#1" (featuring Nef the Pharaoh) |
Dev | Non-album single | Dev, Nef the Pharaoh | |
| "Coconut Oil" | Lizzo | Coconut Oil | Lizzo, Ricky Reed | |
| "Church" | 2017 | Chase Atlantic | Part One | Mitchel Cave, Christian Anthony, Clinton Cave |
| "All Night" | Big Boi | Boomiverse | Big Boi, Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Griffin Oskar, Chloe Angelides | |
| "I Don't Want It at All" | Kim Petras | Non-album single | Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Aaron Joseph | |
| "Intro (Slow)" | Quinn XCII | The Story of Us | Quinn XCII, David Gamson | |
| "Bedroom Floor" | Liam Payne | LP1 | Liam Payne, Charlie Puth, Jacob Kasher, Ammar Malik, Noel Zancanella, Steve Mac | |
| "up in this" (featuring Tinashe) |
blackbear | cybersex | blackbear, Tinashe, Starrah, JUDGE, Wax Motif | |
| "Boys" | 2018 | Lizzo | Cuz I Love You | Lizzo, Ricky Reed, Nate Mercereau |
| "Feeling of Falling" (featuring Kim Petras) |
Cheat Codes | Non-album single | Cheat Codes, Sean Myer, Ivy Adara | |
| "Animal" | 2019 | Fever 333 | Strength in Numb333rs | Jason Aalon Butler, John Feldmann, Travis Barker, Zakk Cervini |
| "1,2,3 dayz up" (featuring Sophie) |
Kim Petras | Non-album single | Kim Petras, Aaron Joseph, Dr. Luke, Sophie | |
| "Clarity" | Clarity | Co-written by: Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph, B Ham | ||
| "Got My Number" |
Co-written by: Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph, Jussifer |
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| "Meet the Parents" |
Co-written by: Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph |
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| "Shinin'" |
Co-written by: Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph, Theron Thomas (R. City) |
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| "Death by Sex" |
From Turn Off the Light Co-written by: Kim Petras, Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph, B Ham |
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| "Reckless" |
rowspan="4"|Spencer Barnett |
rowspan="4"|Reckless |
Co-written by Spencer Barnett, Digi, Hoskins, and Sam Fischer (first two tracks) |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Downfalls High | Ensemble dancer |