REDD.’s 2026 just keeps getting better.
Before the halfway mark of the year, the Melbourne artist is already one of Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Future of Music entrants this year, and their track, “Messy”, recently featured in the global hit show, Off Campus.
If there was any way to top that, getting the same song used in Scary Movie 6 is it.
Not only is the Scary Movie franchise one of the most popular of the 2000s, but the new instalment also topped the Australian box office after its debut this past weekend. We sat down with REDD. to talk all about it and how it felt hearing – and watching – the track at the LA premiere.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Congratulations on the news! How did this all come to be?
REDD.: With this particular one, it was my lovely sync team. They’re fucking incredible. It takes a whole village to make something happen, and I’ve been lucky enough to have, literally, the best sync team in the world. They always try and play it off — “Oh no, it’s the music, it’s the music” — but they have the connections, they have the knowledge. They pitched the song for the movie, and I remember hearing it was in the running, in the final shortlist, and I was like, oh my God. And then you never want to curse it, you know? Just knock wood. And then I was at the office one day, and my manager goes, “Hey, do you want to be in Scary Movie?” and I was like, shut up. They got my reaction on video and everything. Pretty incredible.
When “Messy” was pitched, did anyone know where in the film it would be used?
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I actually don’t know if the sync team knew that. I only found out once it was confirmed — they wanted it over the title card. I couldn’t believe it. It plays for about a minute and a half, loudly for ten or fifteen seconds. Being in the theatre and actually seeing it is a completely different experience. I had no idea it would feel like that.
Scary Movie is an iconic comedy franchise. Were you across the films growing up, or did it come to you later?
I definitely understood the magnitude of it. I grew up watching it — I had my own little stoner era as a kid, so Scary Movie 1 and 2 were absolutely on repeat, especially every Halloween. I’m a big horror movie person. My favourite movies of all time are all horror movies, except Fantastic Mr. Fox. Other than that, just horror. So seeing Scary Movie 6 and catching all the references, I was eating it up, and telling my friends. They were all freaking out because we grew up on those films.
You attended the LA premiere last night. How was that experience?
It still feels unbelievable! I haven’t really fully processed what was happening, who I met, who I saw. I had the biggest crush on Anna Faris growing up, so that was incredible — she’s so funny and so gorgeous. It was crazy to see her, crazy to see the whole Wayans family — there’s so many of them, and I love that they make jokes about it all the time. So many celebrities, so many iconic people, and they made me feel important, like I mattered, which is always so lovely. I got to shake some really cool hands — I met Big Boy, I met Lizzo, I saw everyone in the cast. Really surreal, especially coming from the other side of the world.
In that environment, do you play the humble card or are you telling everyone that opening song is yours?
Nah, I’m always gonna be a fan first. At the end of the day, career-wise I am an artist, [but] I’ll always be a fan. I was just freaking out, having the best time, shaking hands. I feel like I’m making it sound very professional, but I just had a big stupid grin on my face the whole night. I’ll never not be excited. The day I’m not excited is the day I feel like I should take a step back — because these people paved the way, they inspire me, they create the things I love.
You’re already riding high with “Messy” on Off Campus. Which came first — that or Scary Movie?
Off Campus came a lot earlier. We were in talks about it really early on, and the special thing about Off Campus is they really wanted to focus on Australian music and highlight that — so those conversations were happening from the start. Scary Movie only got locked in less than a month ago. I’m honestly surprised it even made the edit. And then we booked the trip super last-minute — I got the offer to come to the premiere about three weeks ago.
Does a night like the premiere become a working opportunity? If Scary Movie 7 happens, they know who to call?
They do know where to find me, of course! But I think the premiere and opportunities like that are moments where I just get to sit there and be a kid in a candy store. I have really lovely people around me on my team who help with the whole business side, so I just get to have fun — which is how it should be. If I’m not having fun, if I’m not excited, if I’m not inspired, then what’s the point? There’s enough time to worry about business. Red carpets are the time to have a little more fun. Especially when the media’s not all over me — I just get to walk my walk, do my thing, and I’m chilling.
