Strange Merch
A tour through music's oddest memorabilia
Written by Hannah Morgan (@hannahtmorgan)
This is a companion piece to our Merch Favorites.
If you’ve spent time on the Internet, you’ve seen insane artist merchandise. (See the Ice Spice airfryer, which was unfortunately confirmed as a Twitter hoax.)
Ridiculous merch objects like these are often engineered to make waves on social media. In the last decade in particular, these experimental merch releases have increased. Usually, they are limited in quantity and functional use value, and high in viral potential.
While they make a big splash, these outlandish merchandise objects are also more easily forgotten. Unlike a t-shirt, which is made for steady everyday visibility and has an established secondary market that guarantees its future availability, unconventional merchandise is often impossible to wear or use, and difficult to ascertain the value of. As a result, these cultural objects have a much shorter cultural half-life than garments.
So we curated some of our favorite examples of strange merchandise. Some speak to the unique sensibility of the artist, others that of their fans, others simply to the cultural moment in which they came into being. Read on for the strangeness.
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Weezer Snuggie (2009)
Weezer’s official collaboration with Snuggie is a remarkable entry from the golden age of infomercials. Alongside a palette of solid colorways, the “Wuggie” was released in limited-edition leopard and zebra prints. Rivers Cuomo has performed in the garment, something he could do because the Wuggie’s arm holes allow for “big rock poses - unlike a blanket that would be falling all over the place”.
Owl City silly bandz (2010)
For a short time, the starry-eyed success of Owl City’s “Fireflies” made Adam Young a poster child for wholesome, MySpace born synth-pop. The band’s merch at the time featured plenty of ocean motifs and quirky graphics, with their silly bandz exemplifying the optimism of the era.
Deadmau5 x Sol Republic cat headphones
Each of these cat headphones feature hi-fi sound and “dog isolating technology.” Designed by Joshua Davis for Deadmau5’s cat Professor Meowingtons (PhD), the project was limited to just ten pairs. Each sold for $999 with all proceeds benefiting the ASPCA.
Grimes’ Pussy Rings (2012)
In 2010, Grimes collaborated with sculptor Morgan Black to engineer her take on the brass knuckle. The “Pussy Ring” debuted on Tumblr and was sold during the Visions tour for $30, alongside other pastel-goth trinkets and talismans. At the time, fans theorized that the cast came from Grimes herself, though this is unconfirmed.
Iceage knife (2012)
A crudely handwritten “no stabbing” admonition accompanied Iceage’s branded knives at the merchandise table for the New Brigade summer tour. Not concerned about potential accidents, Jakob reassured media that “the knives are really small - if [he] wanted to stab somebody, [he’d] probably use another knife”.
Lana Del Rey cocaine pendant (2015)
Among the most storied and bootlegged merchandise in pop music history, Lana Del Rey’s Endless Summer tour saw the release of rosary-like pendants with a miniature spoon. Acclaimed by the fandom as quintessential Lana, the $50 necklace routinely sells for upwards of $1,000 - fans of this design should check out the brass pill case or brass whistle on her site.
Eminem’s bricks from his childhood home (2016)
These 1-of-700 bricks were released to celebrate the anniversary of Marshall Mathers LP, and were salvaged from Eminem’s childhood home that features on the album’s cover. Dog tags produced with the home’s salvaged wood were issued for the same promotional run.
Fall Out Boy fidget spinner (2017)
Emblematic of the era, the Fall Out Boy fidget spinner was released with LED and Bluetooth capabilities to promote the band’s seventh album Mania. The spinner’s release was accompanied with an infomercial-style video featuring the band, and top listeners on Spotify were given early access to the device ahead of its wider drop.
Deftones Cannabis Collection (2021)
Following earlier ventures into beer and tequila, Deftones dropped an entire line of cannabis products in collaboration with California producer Golden Barn. To date, the collection includes White Pony branded cannabis tinctures, vapes and edible gummies.
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown vape USB (2023)
Known for novelty flash drives, JPEGMAFIA’s collaboration with Danny Brown for 2023’s irony-laden Scaring the Hoes is a strong contender for their greatest respective merch object. Faithfully mimicking a real Elf Bar down to the packaging is a natural extension of the album’s tongue-in-cheek irreverence.
Charli XCX douche (2022)
The infamous Charli XCX douche has its origins in a 2019 meet-and-greet where the artist unknowingly signed a fan’s douche. The moment was referenced three years later in an official merch item for the Crash tour. Online, the only current listing for the douche asks $343 dollars on eBay.
Snoop on the Stoop (2021)
Snoop Dogg’s answer to the Elf on the Shelf holiday tradition, and a reflection of his late-career reinvention as a figure of commercial Americana. Unprecedented demand for Snoop on the Stoop has seen it expand to a full merchandise line - including homeware, apparel, and Funko Pops.
100 Gecs x My Chemical Romance tee (2025)
The billing alone - hyperpop’s chaos agents opening for emo’s most revered band - is absurd enough to merit commemoration through merchandise. Long-time Gecs merch designer Mira Joyce manages to encapsulate the spirit of both bands in a single deadpan event tee for the fan who has indeed pooped their pants. See also the “she my my chemical till i romance then i 100 gecs” t-shirt for the same tour.