Cheat Codes

Los Angeles-based electronic trio Cheat Codes deliver floor-filling, radio-ready bites of pop-friendly house in a vein similar to the Chainsmokers, Seeb, and Sigala. They built a steady following in the late 2010s with hit singles such as “Sex” with Kris Kross Amsterdam, “Feels Great” with Fetty Wap and CVBZ, and “No Promises” with Demi Lovato. The latter track became their first U.S. Top 40 and was certified platinum in the U.S., Australia, and across Europe. Maintaining their presence on the Dance charts, they issued a steady stream of singles, many of them appearing on their EPs Level 1 and 2. In 2021, the group released the first two volumes of their three-part debut full-length, Hellraisers, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, with Pt. 3 arriving in 2022. The country-influnced One Night in Nashville appeared in early 2023.
Influenced by the likes of Avicii and Swedish House Mafia, Cheat Codes got together in the 2010s. Each of the group’s three members — Matthew Russell, Trevor Dahl, and Kevin Ford — has deep roots in L.A., working on individual projects before joining forces as Cheat Codes (Dahl once performed as singer/songwriter Pluginstereo). Their different backgrounds helped inform Cheat Codes’ stylistically varied sound, which can range from warm pop to outright big house bangers. After the release of “Visions,” they quickly followed with the tropical-tinged “Don’t Say No” (featuring Dresses), “Senses” (featuring Lostboycrow), and “Adventure” (featuring Evan Gartner). As they gained exposure on social media and spins on streaming services, they joined the Chainsmokers on tour.
Additional Cheat Codes singles continued to drop in 2016, when they unveiled a pair of global hits: the Top Ten, multi-platinum “Sex” featuring Kris Kross Amsterdam and the U.K. favorite “Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On)” with Dante Klein. The following year they released their biggest feature yet, “No Promises” with Demi Lovato on vocals, and embarked on the No Promises world tour, which brought them to the U.S., Europe, and Australia. The single was certified platinum in Australia, the U.S., and around Europe, earning the trio their first Top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. They followed their Lovato hit with “Feels Great,” which featured Fetty Wap and CVBZ, and “Put Me Back Together” with Kiiara. In 2018, singles such as “NSFW” with Danny Quest and “Balenciaga” maintained their exposure, while the trio provided remixes for high-profile singles by Thirty Seconds to Mars (“Dangerous Night”), U2 (“Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way”), and Sean Paul (“Mad Love”). A collaboration with Little Mix, “Only You,” earned them another platinum certification in the U.K.
After issuing their first official EP, Level 1, they released additional singles “Home” and “Feeling of Falling” with Kim Petras. In 2019, they unveiled the sequel EP, Level 2, which featured guest spots from the likes of Trixie, Afrojack, Kaskade, and more. A pair of 2020 singles, “Stay” with Bryce Vine and “Washed Up,” entered the Billboard Dance charts and they kicked off the following year with another Top 40 Dance hit, the Lil Xxel collaboration “No Chill,” from their debut full-length, Hellraisers, Pt. 1. The summery set also included tracks with Tinashe (“Lean on Me”), Au/Ra (“Wish It Was Me”), Marc E. Bassy (“Do It All Over”), and CXLOE (“Between Our Hearts”). Pt. 2 appeared later in the year, with Travis Barker, All Time Low, and Trippie Redd among its guests. Subsequent singles included “How Do You Love” (with Lee Brice and Lindsay Ell), “Payback” (with Icona Pop), and “Afraid of Love” (with Stondon Massey). Pt. 3 was released in 2022, with additional collaborators including Loote and Space Primates. Singles such as “I Remember” (with Russell Dickerson and Dixie D'Amelio) and “One Night Left” (with Mackenzie Porter) preceded the 2023 full-length One Night in Nashville. ~ Neil Z. Yeung