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Social Repose | |
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| Born | Richard McLean Giese February 9, 1990 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, social media content creator |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels |
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| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Genres |
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| Subscribers | 1.2 million |
| Views | 256 million |
| Last updated: September 14, 2025 | |
Social Repose is the stage name of Richard McLean Giese (born February 9, 1990 in Cabin John, MD), [1] an American singer-songwriter, musician, and social media content creator.
Giese attended American University in Washington, D.C. and majored in film production. [2]
Giese began making music in high school and college. Giese has named influences including Modest Mouse, My Chemical Romance, Death Cab for Cutie, Imogen Heap and Twenty One Pilots. [3]
The Social Repose YouTube channel launched April 22, 2011, with a single and video, "Helium House". Paradise, the inaugural Social Repose EP, was announced on Facebook and debuted on Bandcamp May 2, 2011. Additional tracks from the album were posted to YouTube in the following days. Giese posted his first vlog July 9 of that year, introducing himself. Paradise was followed shortly by several additional releases also in the electronic synth pop music style. To support his music, Social Repose played live shows at indie clubs in and around the D.C area. Giese also handed out demos at popular alternative band shows, and posted all of his music online. [7]
Early Social Repose YouTube offerings consisted of original music, vlogs, music videos, and cover songs. He gained some traction and was able to perform locally as an opening act for better known bands, but Giese wasn't finding music to be a self-sustaining career. Drawing inspiration from World of Warcraft characters, Giese decided to create a compelling visual identity, including a feathered headpiece and makeup. [8] Giese posted vlogs detailing the increasingly intricate aesthetic: outfits, makeup, accessories, and even wings. [9]
After upgrading the look, Social Repose began posting covers of songs by Warped Tour-style bands, favoring short samples so that he could easily experiment with several styles. He landed a tour spot opening for Blood on the Dance Floor and some dates on the Grow Wild tour. [10]
Social Repose released Yalta in the fall of 2015, choosing the name to signal a new beginning. Giese wanted to make emotionally meaningful music, thus the shift from electronic dance music to experimental indie. He wrote and produced this transitional album, citing Imogen Heap and Twenty One Pilots as big influences. Themes touched on identity and relationships, with softer piano replacing aggressive synth and with melodic, often poetic, vocals. [11]
Social Repose is primarily a solo artist, so touring to support Yalta reduced the time available to upload new musical content. Giese apologized in a tour vlog for the delay, explaining that he managed his own travel, stage load in/load out, and merch, and didn't realize how little free time he would have.
In the fall of 2016, Social Repose released trailers that contained glimpses of an upcoming work, and on Halloween the "Filthy Pride" song and video dropped. The melancholy lyrics touched on relationship and mental health struggles and the accompanying video was a striking monochromatic piece. The following fall, two more video trailers appeared, each followed shortly by the music video debuts for "Villain" and "Empress" respectively. The Empress EP released on the same date as the video, and Social Repose toured to support "Empress" across the US and Europe through late 2019. [12] Continuing Social Repose's shift to alternative music that began with Yalta, Empress featured a dark, atmospheric sound inspired largely by bands Daughter and Twenty One Pilots. Giese wrote Empress around the themes in the "Filthy Pride" single because he felt they needed to be talked about. [13]
During this period, Giese was open about struggling with depression and burnout. He spoke about how the pressure to constantly upload and maintain relevance made it difficult to focus on time-intensive creative work like songwriting. Giese shifted Social Repose uploads more towards skits and satire. [16]
On January 1, 2020, Social Repose posted a video, fading away, which featured Richie reciting the poem "Before the Past Happened" by V. B. Price. Calamity, a word in the poem, was also the name of the new Social Repose album. "Me" debuted the next day, a spoken word piece with accompanying concept video. "Malevolent" dropped at the end of the month and the rest of Calamity became available towards the end of March. Calamitys tracks contained existential reflection and contemplated relationships, with some songs being nearly autobiographical in nature. Richie's lyrics drew heavily from both personal experiences, and from the ongoing professional struggle to balance artistic expression with personal well-being. [17]
Examples of Giese's work include the "Nothing Matters" art video series which features simply silence and ambient music, and a spoken word piece titled "These are my pills". Behind-the-scenes videos let viewers understand the depth of preparation and the technical process of creating Social Repose concept videos. Giese lost significant weight for the "Mercy Kill" video, spent 13 hours in and out of acrylic paint-filled bathtubs for "Filthy Pride", and submerged himself in a swimming pool in January for the "Me" spoken word video. [18]
From the muted tones and deliberate pacing of "Stand Tall" to the dark dystopian imagery of "Dry Run", Social Repose music videos paired visual storytelling with the lyrical and musical complexities of the songs.
| Indicates an accompanying concept video. |
| Indicates an accompanying performance video. |
| Indicates an accompanying lyric video. |
| Song | Year |
|---|---|
| "Angela" | 2012 |
| "Dry Run" | 2023 |
| "Gauze" (acoustic) | 2024 |
| "Gauze" | 2024 |
| "I Beg for the End" | 2018 |
| "I Can’t Sleep” | 2015 |
| "I Could Be" | 2024 |
| "I Want To Be Happy" | 2018 |
| "If You're Thinking of Leaving, You Should" | 2015 |
| "If You're Thinking of Leaving, You Shouldn’t" | 2015 |
| "Island Of Yours (Redux)" | 2022 |
| "Mercy Kill" | 2018 |
| "1000 Knives (Day Cycle)" | 2025 |
| "1000 Knives (Night Cycle)" | 2025 |
| "Sad Song About a Girl Who Isn’t Coming Back " | 2020 |
| "Stay Alive" | 2018 |
| "This Can’t Be It" | 2011 |
| "Windows" | 2025 |
| Contents |
|---|
| Song | Original Artist | Year |
|---|---|---|
| "A Lack of Color" | Death Cab For Cutie | 2014 |
| "A Love Like War" | All Time Low feat. Vic Fuentes | 2015 |
| "A Part of Me" | Neck Deep | 2024 |
| "Africa" | Toto | 2018 |
| "After Dark" | Mr.Kitty | 2023 |
| "All Around Me" | Flyleaf | 2024 |
| "All I Wanted" ft. Ayalla | Paramore | 2016 |
| "Avalanche" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2016 |
| "Bad!" | XXXTentacion | 2018 |
| ”Bad Guy” | Billie Eilish | 2019 |
| ”Basket Case” | Green Day | 2017 |
| "Be Happy" | Dixie D'Amelio | 2020 |
| "Black Hole Sun" | Soundgarden | 2025 |
| "Blackout" | Breathe Carolina | 2012 |
| "Bloody Valentine" | Machine Gun Kelly | 2020 |
| "Breaking the Habit" | Linkin Park | 2025 |
| "Brother" | Falling in Reverse | 2015 |
| ”Bury a Friend” | Billie Eilish | 2019 |
| "Cake" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| "Cancer" | My Chemical Romance | 2015 |
| "Can't Help Falling in Love" | Elvis Presley | 2018 |
| Car Radio" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| Car Radio" | Twenty One Pilots | 2015 |
| "Caraphernelia" | Pierce the Veil | 2015 |
| Careless Whisper" ft. Anniê | Wham! | 2025 |
| ”Carousel” | Melanie Martinez | 2017 |
| "Cheatercheaterbestfriendeater" | Never Shout Never | 2015 |
| "Chemical Prisoner" | Falling in Reverse | 2015 |
| "Choke" | I Dont Know How But They Found Me | 2020 |
| "Circles" | Pierce the Veil | 2016 |
| "Closer" | The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey | 2016 |
| "Coffee and Cigarettes" feat. Sounds Like Harmony | Never Shout Never | 2015 |
| "Coma White" | Marilyn Manson | 2016 |
| "Come Little Children" | Hocus Pocus Soundtrack | 2021 |
| "Control" | Halsey | 2016 |
| "Control" | Metro Station | 2015 |
| "Crazy Kids" | Kesha | 2013 |
| "Creep" | Radiohead | 2023 |
| "Cry Baby" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| "Cute without the E (Cut From The Team)" | Taking Back Sunday | 2017 |
| "Daisy" | Ashnikko | 2021 |
| "Death Stranding" | Chvrches | 2015 |
| "Death of A Bachelor" | Panic! at the Disco | 2016 |
| Dear Maria, Count Me In | All Time Low | 2015 |
| "Decode" | Paramore | 2021 |
| "Die Young" | Kesha | 2012 |
| "The Divine Zero" | Pierce the Veil | 2015 |
| "Dollhouse" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| ”Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time” | Panic! at the Disco | 2017 |
| "Drama Club" | Melanie Martinez | 2019 |
| "Drown" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2014 |
| "The Drug In Me is You" | Falling in Reverse | 2015 |
| "Emily" | From First To Last | 2015 |
| "Emperor's New Clothes" | Panic! at the Disco | 2018 |
| "Everything I Wanted" | Billie Eilish | 2019 |
| "exile" | Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver | 2020 |
| “Eyes Closed” | Halsey | 2017 |
| ”Falling Down” | Lil Peep and XXXTentacion | 2018 |
| "Famous Last Words" | My Chemical Romance | 2015 |
| "Fake Love" | Drake | 2017 |
| "Feeling This" | Blink-182 | 2023 |
| "First Day of My Life" | Bright Eyes | 2015 |
| "Follow You" feat. BryanStars | Bring Me the Horizon | 2016 |
| "Friday I'm In Love" | The Cure | 2023 |
| "Gasoline" | Halsey | 2016 |
| "Girls / Girls / Boys" | Panic! at the Disco | 2017 |
| "The Gold" | Manchester Orchestra | 2022 |
| "Goner" | Twenty One Pilots | 2015 |
| "Goodbyes" | Post Malone feat. Young Thug | 2019 |
| "Guns for Hands" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "Hard Times" | Paramore | 2017 |
| "Hearts a Mess" | Gotye | 2012 |
| "Heathens" | Twenty One Pilots | 2017 |
| "Heavy" | Linkin Park | 2017 |
| "Helena" | My Chemical Romance | 2016 |
| "Here" | Alessia Cara | 2016 |
| "Heregoesnothin" | Never Shout Never | 2015 |
| ”The Hero” | JAM Project | 2019 |
| "Hey Ya!" | OutKast | 2026 |
| "Hide and Seek" | Imogen Heap | 2015 |
| "Hold On Till May" | Pierce the Veil | 2015 |
| ”Hostage” | Billie Eilish | 2018 |
| "House Of Gold" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "Hurt" | Oliver Tree | 2019 |
| “IDGAF" | Dua Lipa | 2018 |
| ”I Fall Apart” | Post Malone | 2018 |
| "i like the way you kiss me" | Artemas | 2024 |
| "I Miss You" feat. Johnnie Guilbert | Blink-182 | 2016 |
| "I Will Wait" | Mumford & Sons | 2023 |
| "I'm Low On Gas and You Need a Jacket" | Pierce the Veil | 2015 |
| "I'm Low On Gas and You Need a Jacket" | Pierce the Veil | 2017 |
| "Illegal" | Pink Pantheress | 2025 |
| "In the End" | Black Veil Brides | 2013 |
| "Iris" | Goo Goo Dolls | 2024 |
| "Just Like You" | Falling in Reverse | 2015 |
| "Kelsey" | Metro Station | 2011 |
| "Kids In the Dark" | All Time Low | 2015 |
| "Kill This Love" | Blackpink | 2019 |
| “LA Devotee” | Panic! At the Disco | 2017 |
| "Lane Boy" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "Linger" | The Cranberries | 2024 |
| "Little Lion Man" | Mumford & Sons | 2022 |
| "Lost Boy" | Ruth B. | 2016 |
| "Lost It All" | Black Veil Brides | 2015 |
| "Love Me Like You Do" | Ellie Goulding | 2015 |
| "Love Yourself" | Justin Bieber | 2016 |
| ”Lovely” | Billie Eilish and Khalid | 2018 |
| ”Lowlife” | Poppy | 2018 |
| "Lucid Dreams" | Juice Wrld | 2023 |
| "Ludens" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2019 |
| ”Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” | Panic! at the Disco | 2018 |
| "Mad Hatter" feat. Jaclyn Glenn | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| "Mad World" | Tears For Fears | 2014 |
| "Make It Right" | BTS feat. Lauv | 2019 |
| "Mary On a Cross" | Ghost | 2022 |
| "Million Reasons" | Lady Gaga | 2016 |
| "Misery Business" | Paramore | 2020 |
| "Monster" | Meg & Dia | 2024 |
| "Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 2018 |
| "Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 2025 |
| "Mrs. Potato Head" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| ”My Blood” | Twenty One Pilots | 2018 |
| "My Mother Told Me | Egill Skallagrímsson | 2024 |
| “Nico and the Niners” | Twenty One Pilots | 2018 |
| "No Time To Die" | Billie Eilish | 2020 |
| "The Nobodies" | Marilyn Manson | 2015 |
| "Not Good Enough for Truth In Cliche" | Escape the Fate | 2014 |
| ”Numb” | Linkin Park | 2017 |
| "Nurse's Office" | Melanie Martinez | 2019 |
| "Ocean Eyes" | Billie Eilish | 2018 |
| "On the Brightside" | Never Shout Never | 2015 |
| "1x1" | Bring Me the Horizon feat. Nova Twins | 2020 |
| “Pacify Her” | Melanie Martinez | 2017 |
| ”Parents” | Yungblud | 2019 |
| "Paris" | The Chainsmokers | 2017 |
| "Peaches" | Jack Black | 2023 |
| "Photograph" | Ed Sheeran | 2015 |
| "Pity Party" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| "Popular Monster" | Falling in Reverse | 2020 |
| "The Principal" | Melanie Martinez | 2020 |
| "Psycho" | Red Velvet | 2018 |
| "Pumped Up Kicks" | Foster the People | 2022 |
| “Remembering Sunday” | All Time Low | 2014 |
| "Ride" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "Run" | Joji | 2020 |
| "Running Up That Hill" | Kate Bush | 2022 |
| "Sad!" | XXXTentacion | 2018 |
| ”Save That Shit” | Lil Peep | 2018 |
| "Savior" | Black Veil Brides | 2015 |
| "Say Amen (Saturday Night)” | Panic! At the Disco | 2018 |
| "Scarborough Fair" | Traditional | 2024 |
| ”Self Care | Mac Miller | 2018 |
| "Sellout" | Never Shout Never | 2015 |
| "Seventeen Forever" feat. Johnnie Guilbert | Metro Station | 2015 |
| ”Shape of You” | Ed Sheeran | 2017 |
| "Show and Tell" | Melanie Martinez | 2019 |
| ”Sign Of the Times” | Harry Styles | 2017 |
| ”Silhouette” | Kana-Boon | 2019 |
| "Situations" | Escape the Fate | 2015 |
| "Slow Dancing in the Dark" | Joji | 2018 |
| "Somebody That I Used To Know" | Gotye | 2023 |
| ”Something Just Like This” | The Chainsmokers and Coldplay | 2017 |
| "Something's Gotta Give" | All Time Low | 2015 |
| Somewhere Over the Rainbow" | Judy Garland | 2023 |
| "Sorry" | Justin Bieber | 2015 |
| ”Starboy” | The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk | 2016 |
| "Stay" | The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber | 2021 |
| "Stitches" | Shawn Mendes | 2015 |
| "Stressed Out" ft. Ayalla | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "Such Great Heights" | The Postal Service | 2012 |
| "Such Small Hands" | La Dispute | 2015 |
| "Sugar, We're Goin Down" feat. Fairlane | Fall Out Boy | 2025 |
| "Summertime Sadness" | Lana Del Rey | 2013 |
| "Supermassive Black Hole" | Muse | 2016 |
| "Sweatshirt" | Jacob Sartorius | 2016 |
| "Tag, You're It" | Melanie Martinez | 2016 |
| "Take Me to Church" | Hozier | 2015 |
| "Teenage Dirtbag" | Wheatus | 2024 |
| "Test Drive" | Joji | 2018 |
| "Text Me" | Lil Peep feat. Era | 2019 |
| "Therapy" | All Time Low | 2015 |
| "This Is Halloween" | The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack | |
| "Throne" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2015 |
| "Time To Dance" ft. Jordan Sweeto | Panic! at the Disco | 2015 |
| "Toes" | Lights | 2012 |
| "Trailer Trash" | Modest Mouse | 2011 |
| "Trailer Trash" | Modest Mouse | 2011 |
| "Truce" | Twenty One Pilots | 2015 |
| "True Friends" | Bring Me the Horizon | 2015 |
| "Unholy" | Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras | 2022 |
| "Unravel" | Toru Kitajima | 2019 |
| "Valhalla Calling" | Miracle of Sound | 2023 |
| "VOID" | Melanie Martinez | 2023 |
| "We Don't Believe What's on TV" | Twenty One Pilots | 2016 |
| "We Don't Have To Dance" | Andy Black | 2016 |
| "The Weekend" | Millionaires | 2014 |
| ”Weight of the World” | Nier: Automata Soundtrack | 2019 |
| "Welcome To the Internet" | Bo Burnham | 2021 |
| "Wellerman" | Traditional | 2023 |
| "WAP" | Cardi B | 2020 |
| "We'll Fall Together" | Austin Jones | 2015 |
| "What Is Love?" | Never Shout Never | 2013 |
| ”When the Party’s Over” | Billie Eilish | 2018 |
| "Wheels On the Bus" | Melanie Martinez | 2019 |
| "Wish You Were Gay" | Billie Eilish | 2019 |
| "Wrecking Ball" | Miley Cyrus | 2023 |
| ”You Should See Me in a Crown” | Billie Eilish | 2018 |
| "Zombie" | The Cranberries | 2022 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Red Velvet Room" | 2:04 |
| 2. | "Helium House" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Circumstances" | 3:51 |
| 4. | "MWWMTB" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Barrel and the Trigger" | 5:09 |
| 6. | "Perforated Heart" | 4:46 |
| 7. | "Lifted" | 4:15 |
| 8. | "Barrel and the Trigger (acoustic)" | 3:02 |
| Total length: | 30:36 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ambiguity" | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Mother Winter" | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Mystery Girl" | 3:24 |
| 4. | "WC Treason" | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Low" | 4:54 |
| 6. | "Time Is Killing Me" | 4:03 |
| 7. | "Mystery Girl (acoustic)" | 3:00 |
| Total length: | 28:01 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Battle City" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Little Panther" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Modern Age" | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Save the Girl" | 3:56 |
| 5. | "Semantics" | 4:41 |
| 6. | "Family Portrait" | 1:14 |
| 7. | "Barrel and the Trigger" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Autumn Ashes" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "A New Chapter..." | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 33:51 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mr. Grumpy Gills" | 1:33 |
| 2. | "The Sane Life" | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Machine" | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Float Away" | 4:49 |
| Total length: | 14:49 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Be Brave" | 2:50 |
| 2. | "Reckless Closure" | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Beautiful Disaster" | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Raise Your Fist" | 2:57 |
| 5. | "I Remember When..." | 3:03 |
| 6. | "New World" | 4:05 |
| 7. | "Cannonball" | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Floor Boards" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "The Architect" | 5:13 |
| Total length: | 33:03 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crazy Manic Love" | 3:46 |
| 2. | "More" | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Wither" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "I Will Kill Your Sadness" | 2:28 |
| 5. | "Temptress" | 3:26 |
| 6. | "Sellouts (Social Repose Remix)" (Breathe Carolina cover) | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 21:51 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Drown" (Bring Me the Horizon) | 3:05 |
| 2. | "Remembering Sunday" (All Time Low) | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche" (Escape the Fate) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Bulletproof Love" (Pierce the Veil) | 0:29 |
| 5. | "Let It Go" (Frozen soundtrack) | 0:45 |
| 6. | "Anaconda" (Nicki Minaj) | 1:27 |
| 7. | "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" (Death Cab For Cutie) | 1:51 |
| 8. | "Time Travel" (Never Shout Never) | 1:44 |
| 9. | "A Whole New World" (Aladdin soundtrack) | 1:00 |
| Total length: | 17:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stand Tall" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Arctic Eyes" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Island Of Yours" | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Bipolar Love" | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Tail Lights" | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Echo Fades" | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Demons" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "The Maw" | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 29:42 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Empress" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Villain" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Filthy Pride" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Chemistry" | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Mother" | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Behave" | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 22:13 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Me" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "With Teeth" | 2:24 |
| 3. | "XO" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "What Will You Do When I'm Gone" | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Is This Love?" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Malevolent" | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Everyone's a Narcissist" | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Her Tears Are Not Clean" | 3:29 |
| 9. | "Bleak" | 2:02 |
| 10. | "Blood In the Water" | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Straight Into the Sun" | 2:37 |
| Total length: | 33:28 | |
2021: appeared in videos for Sadboy2005, a Trisha Paytas project. [19] [20]
2021: Lent vocals to "Villains", a K-pop K/DA cover by MasterAndross also ft. Kuraiinu, Hyurno, & Will Stetson [21]
2023: Performed on the hook of "My Way" from the Tom MacDonald and Adam Calhoun album The Brave 2 (2023). [22]
2024: Guested onstage for "The Kill" with 30 Seconds to Mars at the iHeartRadio ALTerEGO concert on January 24 in Anaheim. [23] [24]
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