Meaning of “Style” by Foster the People

By and large, Foster the People’s “Style” is a song wherein the singer, Mark Foster, anticipates his own death. This is not done so in a pessimistic way, as in him being disturbed by the prospect of dying. Nor is it presented prophetically, as in Mark trying to predict the time or circumstances under which it will occur. Rather the track is espousing a philosophy of going all-out and embracing the moment since our days on the earth are finite. In other words, when Foster does finally leave the mortal plane, he strongly desires to do so “in style”.

In this track, the singer adopts somewhat of the role of an underdog. To put it differently, you can see that he faces many challenges and uphill battles, specifically as he is a “true American”. However, he remains confident towards the future, with his main goal being freedom.

He also seems to recognize death as “the sweetest release”, as in the ultimate form of freedom. Owing to this, it does not appear that the idea of dying intimidates him. Rather his primary concern is the manner in which he goes out, whether it is befitting of someone who possesses his all-or-nothing attitude toward life.

Likewise, up until his ultimate departure Mark wants all people who interact with him – whether they do so in a spirit of love or a temperament of hate – to do so “in style”. Hence the line below:

Facts about “Style”

• A total of 5 songwriters (including Mark Foster) are credited with writing “Style”. The others are: Ali Payami, Sean Cimino, Rami and Adam Schmalholz.
• Mark Foster produced this song along with Ali Payami.
• March 22, 2019 was the official release date of “Style”. It was Foster the People’s first new material of 2019.
• The song was released two days after the band announced it on social media for the first time.

Who sings the background vocals on “Style”?

Two singers (Camille Grigsby as well as Cassandra Grigsby) handle the song’s background vocals.