The song is the official theme song of the WWE pay-per-view (now "Premium Live Event") event Backlash (2020).[1]
Background and composition
"Oh Yeah!" was originally titled "Bulletproof Backpack" but was re-titled at some point in the production process to more closely associate it with "Do You Wanna Touch Me", which the song samples in its chorus.[2] This represents the first time the band has sampled another artist's work.[3] The writers of "Do You Wanna Touch Me", Gary Glitter and Mike Leander, both receive writing credits on the track. The band described Glitter as a "total asshole" because of his sexual abuse convictions and pledged to donate their royalties from the track to International Justice Mission and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.[3][4] The lyrics of "Oh Yeah!" address celebrity culture and the polarization of modern society.[5]
The song topped the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart at the week ending of April 18, 2020.[10] This broke the record previously held by Red Hot Chili Peppers for the longest span of Alternative Songs chart toppers, as 'Longview' became their first chart topper in June 1994.[11]
Music video
An accompanying music video directed by Malia James premiered January 16, 2020.[12] The clip opens with drummer Tré Cool filming a tutorial on how to play the song.[12] A driver is shown watching this video as the camera zooms out from the tutorial and promptly hits lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong in a grocery store parking lot as a result.[4] This incident is filmed by a fan nearby and goes viral.[12] While Armstrong shows up on multiple occasions throughout the video, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have recurring appearances as a security guard (who recognizes Armstrong) and a news reporter respectively. Throughout the rest of the video, various people take selfies and are otherwise absorbed by their phones.[12][4] Celebrity status and social media obsession are two themes in the video identified by critics.[12][13]
