Despite a mild resurgence in recent years, mainstream rock music has gone up and down as hip hop, EDM, country, and other genres have had substantially more dominance on the charts. However, the rock music scene has spent its entire time consistently churning out new and exciting musicians; Musicians like King of Cups. Their second single of 2026, “As One Global Ghost,” lyrically delves into personal mortality and humanity’s collective future, accompanied by ear-hook riffs and soaring melodies.
The California based pop-rock/pop-punk/emo-pop powerhouse duo delivers an electrifying piece with “As One Global Ghost.” The song asks two simple questions, “What will remain of us when we’re gone?” and “What will they say when they look at our deeds?” These two open-ended questions remain unanswered by the band and, instead, are left sitting with the listener: “What will they say when the time comes for us?” “What should we do?” “Who should we be with the life of you and me?” As humans spend an exorbitant amount of time asking these questions and pondering their future, King of Cups reminds us to live intentionally, make choices that we are proud of, and leave a lasting impact.
As one collective unit, King of Cups combines melodic songwriting, aggressive guitars, live drums, and a layered studio production. Frontman Shaun Zizi blasts his written shout-along lyrics, most evident in the chorus, with raw and emotional angst. Multi-faceted Bryan Underwood provides an epic guitar solo in the bridge, but leaves his biggest mark on the production, mixing, and mastering process. Despite the duo’s undeniable talent, rock music thrives on the rhythm section. Bassist Tyler Wolter and drummer Kevin Prince are the foundational backbone that gives the song its thunderous presence and high-octane precision which is felt from start to finish.
“As One Global Ghost” is the second single from King of Cups in 2026. Preceded by their latest single, “Keeper of the Flame”, both will be featured on their upcoming album, Elemental. Those looking for alternative rock, pop punk, or anything in between need to check out King of Cups because they have proven they are a staple in the modern alt scene.
Written by Jazz Williams
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