In true over-the-top Cheetos fashion, the brand is turning heads with one of the most unexpected collaborations of the year, bringing together Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion for a bold new campaign.
After fans demanded the return of Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle, the snack made its comeback permanent alongside the debut of Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Puffs earlier this year.
But Cheetos didn’t stop there. Leaning into the hype, the brand launched “Pickle’s Back,” a high-energy, tongue-in-cheek music video that puts a fiery spin on Nickelback’s iconic hit, “How You Remind Me.” The result? A chaotic, spicy mashup of music and snack culture that’s unforgettable.
Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake of Nickelback sat down with The Blast exclusively to chat about the collab, share some behind-the-scenes fun from the video, and more.
Nickelback Joins Forces With Megan Thee Stallion For Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Return
In a fun and spicy collab, Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion team up to reintroduce a popular Cheetos flavor in an exciting way.
The band reimagined their hit song, “How You Remind Me” more than 20 years after it flooded the airwaves. When asked what that was like, Peake said “a lot of laughing and a lot of chuckling.”
“You know three different worlds collide when you’ve got Cheetos, Nickelback, and Megan Thee Stallion, and they’re coming together on something,” Peake told The Blast exclusively. “We get to parody our own song in a Weird Al Yankovic kind of way. We couldn’t sign up for this fast enough.”
Kroeger jumped in to add, “And we got to smash our bass player’s head into a safe wall.”
When the topic of working with Megan Thee Stallion entered the chat, the guys said she was “great” to work with.
“She’s an absolute sweetheart, a complete professional. We had no idea what to expect, and you never do when you show up to one of these things,” Peake said. “We met her on set. We didn’t get into a studio before and do the collab. We did our parts and she did her parts, and once everything was approved, we moved forward. We showed up to the Paramount lot in LA and she did not disappoint. She was great.”
Behind The Scenes Look At Shooting The Video
Of course, the guys had a fun behind-the-scenes story to share that had them both laughing and reminiscing.
“Oh my favorite was Chad being strapped to the side of the truck, his ‘Mission Impossible’ moment,” Peake said, before asking Kroeger to elaborate.
“So there’s a harness that they put on you and you can imagine, it’s pinching and grabbing you in all kinds of places. So I am holding on to this pipe that they’ve built and sort of just the side of the truck and they’re like ‘Action’ and tell me to kick off,” Kroeger said. “And I start to kick off and then you get lifted up in the air. I am holding on to the thing and they’re like, now hold on to that with one arm and look like you are flying sideways.”
He said it was that moment that he realized the whole band and managers were all watching and recording it all. When he’s done with the scene, everyone applauds, but he said, “over all that was just a ton of laughter.”
“When you put one of those things on and you start doing these things, it is impossible not to feel like Tom Cruise doing his own stunts,” he added with a laugh. “It’s so incredibly surreal.”
Bringing Two Unexpected Artists Together For This Collab
When asked why they felt Cheetos decided to bring Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion together for this epic collab, they joked and said it’s because “the name of our band rhymes with the new product.”
“I think it’s just purely because it’s so unexpected,” Kroeger said. Peake added, “It was such a parody of the situation and a ridiculous fever dream. It’s nice to have fun, especially at this point in our career.”
Being One Of The Most Recognizable Rock Bands For Decades
Undeniably, Nickelback is one of the most recognizable rock bands and it’s been that way for decades. When asked why they feel that is, they simply said “hard work will get you there.”
“If you take your foot off the gas pedal, you’re just going to coast over to the side of the highway and that’s kind of it,” Kroeger said. “If you’re going to continue to put the work in, I think you’re gonna be successful in any business.”
He said that his job is to write music and go on tour to play it for “adoring fans,” further explaining that it’s a “great job” and a “labor of love.”
What’s Next For Nickelback?
Fans who are hoping for some new music won’t have to hope for too much longer. The band is working on a new album currently and said they are about “98 percent done.”
“The fans should definitely be ready,” Peake said. “We’ve got new music coming very soon. And then in probably 2027, we’ll do a world tour. So we’ll be traveling around playing all those new creations for people.”