Description
Ghost – Popestar – Grey Smoke Marbled Vinyl Record
2023 Limited Edition Color Repress. Exclusive to Ghost LV Bodega Collection
Ghost released their powerful and hauntingly catchy EP Popestar — a key moment in their evolution from theatrical doom-laden metal to genre-blending, arena-ready rock. While not a full-length album, Popestar packed enough punch to feel like a major creative leap, cementing Ghost’s place in the wider rock landscape and giving fans a glimpse into the band’s expanding soundscape. This was the first Ghost release featuring “Papa Emeritus III” as the front-facing persona of Tobias Forge during the band’s “Meliora” era.
Track Listing
Square Hammer (original)
Nocturnal Me (Echo & the Bunnymen cover)
I Believe (Simian Mobile Disco cover)
Missionary Man (Eurythmics cover)
Bible (Imperiet cover)
The only original song on the EP, “Square Hammer” is one of Ghost’s most infectious and accessible tracks. With its anthemic chorus, crisp guitars, and retro-rock vibe, the song became a massive breakthrough, peaking at #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart — their first ever to do so.
Lyrically, it’s classic Ghost: theatrical, occult-tinged, and tongue-in-cheek. The hook — “Are you on the square? / Are you on the level?” — became a fan mantra, and the track opened their live shows for years afterward. It represents Ghost at their most radio-ready without compromising their sinister, satirical edge.
Where Phantomime (2023) would later cover rock and pop in a heavier, more faithful tone, Popestar plays with mood and texture, turning unexpected tracks into gothic, synth-drenched, metal-tinted reinterpretations of “Nocturnal Me” – Originally by Echo & the Bunnymen, this version deepens the gloom and brooding atmosphere, perfect for Ghost’s spectral vibe. “I Believe” – Ghost takes Simian Mobile Disco’s electro-minimalist original and transforms it into a slow-building, spiritual dirge. It’s one of their most surprising and ambient covers. “Missionary Man” – The Eurythmics’ original is already punchy, but Ghost add grit and theatricality, pushing it into almost industrial territory. “Bible” – A cover of a song by Swedish band Imperiet, this is the most emotional and atmospheric track on the EP. Sung largely in English, but deeply rooted in Swedish 1980s post-punk, it closes the EP with a dramatic, almost sacred feel.
Commercially, Popestar performed exceptionally well for an EP, debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart — a rarity for a non-album release. Critically, it was seen as Ghost testing boundaries: balancing their heavy-metal origins with synth-pop, new wave, and alt-rock textures. The Popestar Tour that followed was their first as a headlining arena act in North America, proving they were no longer just a cult favorite — they were ascending into major rock stardom.
Popestar is arguably the turning point in Ghost’s career — where they began to fully embrace hooks, melody, and mainstream appeal without shedding their dark humor or conceptual depth. It paved the way for the glossier, more theatrical albums like Prequelle and Impera while honoring their genre-hopping roots.
It’s only five tracks long, but each song reveals a different layer of what Ghost can be: metal, goth, pop, satire, sincerity — all at once.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Square Hammer
Nocturnal Me
I Believe
Missionary Man
Bible
