What’s occurring, butt!?
Grab your Santa hats, your eyeliner, and maybe a spare bauble to chuck into the pit because Taylor Momsen has just pulled the most gloriously full-circle move in rock ’n’ roll festive history.
Yup.
The Pretty Reckless have dropped a brand-new cover inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary, and the internet is losing its tinsel-covered mind.
And yes… for the younglings in the back… Taylor Momsen was Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 Jim Carrey film.
The tiny tot with the massive hairdo has officially transformed into the goth queen of Christmas. Proper job. 🎤🎄😈
🎶 THE COVER
Word is the band have leaned into a moody, slow-burn, sleigh-bell-sprinkled intro before kicking into a thunderous, fuzzed-out chorus that makes the Grinch’s heart grow at least seven sizes.
Imagine Whoville… but in black leather and dimmed stage lights.
Fans are calling it:
“Cindy Lou Who but make it metal.”
“Festive depression-core.”
“Finally, a Christmas song I can headbang to.”
Same, mun. Same. 🤘
🏴 A WELSH TAKE ON THE MADNESS
Down here in Wales, we fully support this chaotic multiverse where a childhood film star grows up to summon riffs harder than a blizzard up Pen y Fan. My nan would have a meltdown if she realised Cindy Lou Who is now screaming into a Shure SM58 like she’s exorcising the Ghost of Christmas Past.
🎥 25 YEARS OF THE GRINCH — AND NOW THIS
On the quarter-century of the film that traumatised and delighted a generation, Momsen delivering a rock reimagining is poetic… in a “drop-tuned sugar plum fairies punching through the snowdrift” sort of way.
Expect this track to blast at every alt Christmas club night from Cardiff to Glasgow. Expect the pits to open. Expect Santa to be confused.
🔥 WHAT’S NEXT?
If the universe is kind, The Pretty Reckless will perform this live with full Whoville staging, fake snow cannons, and Taylor emerging from a giant Christmas present like a festive demon queen.
Make it happen, mun. 🎁😈
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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