Hollywood Undead are an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2005. Their music is associated with rap rock and nu metal, while also incorporating influences from hip-hop, industrial music and other styles. From the beginning, the members have used stage names, and during the band’s early years they became particularly recognizable for wearing masks, many of which were based on hockey goaltender designs. The current lineup consists of J-Dog, Funny Man, Johnny 3 Tears, Charlie Scene and Danny.
The band originated on June 3, 2005, under the name The Kids, after J-Dog, Deuce and Shady Jeff posted a song called “Hollywood”, later renamed “The Kids”, on MySpace. Following positive reactions, they formed Hollywood Undead with Johnny 3 Tears, Charlie Scene, Funny Man and Da Kurlzz. Shady Jeff left the group in 2007, and after several years of work the band released its debut album, Swan Songs, on September 2, 2008. The album reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while the 2009 live CD/DVD release Desperate Measures also achieved notable positions on several US charts.
In early 2010, Deuce left the band and was replaced by Daniel Murillo, who has performed under the name Danny. The band’s second studio album, American Tragedy, was released in 2011 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, becoming their highest-charting album at the time. It was followed by Notes from the Underground in 2013, Day of the Dead in 2015 and Five in 2017. Notes from the Underground reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Canadian Albums chart.
In 2020, the band released two connected records, New Empire, Vol. 1 and New Empire, Vol. 2. The albums featured collaborations with artists including Benji Madden, Kellin Quinn, Killstation, Tech N9ne, Jacoby Shaddix and Spencer Charnas. Their eighth studio album, Hotel Kalifornia, was released in 2022, followed by a deluxe edition in 2023.
From 2024 onward, Hollywood Undead began releasing standalone singles, including “Hollywood Forever”, “SAVIOR”, “1x1”, “All My Friends” featuring Jeris Johnson and “Feels Like Home”. In June 2026, Johnny 3 Tears announced that the band would release a new album in early 2027 and that the standalone singles would not be included on the record.
