The Chainsmokers announce abrupt name change—now known as JuulSquad

Amidst a rising nationwide concern in growing smoking behavior among young adults, The Chainsmokers have announced a name change to JuulSquad. It is still unclear how the name change will affect the duo’s popularity and whether fans will be resistant to the cross-over into new releases under the moniker.

The Chainsmokers have come under fire for perpetuating an underage smoking culture with their name. In an interview with Billboard, the pair explained the origin of their name and the rationale behind the sudden decision. “We actually met each other while we were both taking a smoke break outside so it was serendipitous that we ended up adopting The Chainsmokers as our name”, Alex Pall said. Drew Taggart admitted he thought the name sounded cool at the time and that he “thought it would impress hot chicks.”

“We realized it’s time for us to be role models for all our young fans out there. We can really make a difference,” Taggart said.

Both of the members hope that their new name will steer fans away from smoking and instead to juuling—as vaping has an already become popular smoking alternative. Whether they are aware of these new implications of stigmatizing vape culture in the younger generation is unknown. The duo will commence touring and releasing music under JuulSquad immediately as of April 1st, 2019. They have also hinted at an exclusive JuulSquad x Juul collaboration.