A capella (Ylvis song) explained

a capella
Type:single
Artist:Ylvis
Released:January 5, 2016
Length:03:52
Label:Discovery Networks Norway

"a capella" is a song and music video by the Norwegian duo Ylvis. It parodies a cappella groups like Pentatonix. Ylvis revealed "a capella" on I kveld med YLVIS on TVNorge on January 5, 2016. Three days after the song's release, it had 250,000 views.[1]

Music video

Ylvis revealed the music video and song "a capella" on I kveld med YLVIS on TVNorge on January 5, 2016.[1] It parodies a cappella groups like Pentatonix.[2] [3] [4] In the music video, a small boy is bullied. Ylvis brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker head an a cappella group that attempts to save and galvanize the bullied child through their singing and joyful facial expressions.[2] [5] They are able to defeat the bullies because they have the "scary" talent of being capable of "sing[ing] a song in any musical style".[6]

Caricaturing rousing a cappella songs, the song exploits frequent a cappella customs such as fake words, grinning "like you know Jesus personally", and a male beatboxer.[5] The song includes rock and rap, and a cappella members make trumpet and drum sounds.[6] One of Ylvis' fictional words is "Boodelooap", a fictional Nigerian soft drink.[2] [5] Boodelooap is cherry-red and stored in a long tall bottle.

Critical reception

L.V. Anderson of Slate wrote that the song was "a pitch-perfect spoof of self-serious a cappella groups like Pentatonix".[2] Anderson noted that "purists" could argue that the song is not "strictly" a cappella because it likely has had electronic music components added after production though "that's not really the point".[2]

Entertainment Weeklys Dylan Kickham said the song was "fairly timely" because a cappella is "still very much in the public eye".[5] Kickham cited three examples of a cappella's high visibility: Pentatonix is drawing large crowds, Pitch Slapped opened on TV network Lifetime, and the Pitch Perfect franchise is making Pitch Perfect 3.[5]

Times Olivia B. Waxman said the song was "aca-awesome".[6] Hoai-Tran Bu wrote in USA Today that the song was "a spot-on parody of a cappella groups that is both amazing and odd". She praised their performance for "delv[ing] into just what makes a cappella cool", citing the combating of bullying, the singing like they personally know Jesus, and props like leather straps and matching woolen hats.[7]

Jojo Girard of WFGR called the song a "a weird tribute to a capella groups" that was "wonderful".[8] KBMX's Tony Hart said the music video was "a funny look" at a cappella groups, noting "[t]his parody is perfect, right down to the reference to the leather straps these groups always seem to wear, and what's with all the smiling?"[9] KSL's John Clyde praised the song for being "pretty darn catchy and incredibly clever".[10]

Notes and References

  1. News: Nyland . Bjørn Kristian . 2016-01-08 . Ny Ylvis-låt går verden rundt: Vil brødrene gjenta The Fox-suksessen? . New Ylvis song goes around the world: Would brothers repeat The Fox-success? . Norwegian . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160111050900/http://www.dagbladet.no/2016/01/08/kultur/ylvis/the_fox/viralt/42671455/ . 2016-01-11 . live .
  2. News: Anderson . L.V. . 2016-01-06 . Ylvis' New Music Video Explains Why A Cappella Groups Have Been Singing "Boodelooap" All This Time . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160112093204/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/01/06/ylvis_new_music_video_explains_why_a_cappella_groups_have_been_singing_boodelooap.html . 2016-01-12 . live .
  3. News: Mav . 2016-01-06 . Vokální muzika je nejvíc, přesvědčují norští komedianti. Přemůže všechna bezpráví . Czech . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160111052903/http://www.reflex.cz/clanek/kultura/68442/vokalni-muzika-je-nejvic-presvedcuji-norsti-komedianti-premuze-vsechna-bezpravi.html . 2016-01-11 . live .
  4. News: Rancken . David . 2016-01-11 . Ylvis Has A New A Capella Hit . . 2016-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160113065552/http://kluv.cbslocal.com/2016/01/11/ylvis-has-a-new-a-capella-hit/ . 2016-01-13 . dead .
  5. News: Kickham . Dylan . 2016-01-06 . Ylvis parodies a cappella groups in new music video . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160111050033/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/06/ylvis-parodies-a-cappella-video . 2016-01-11 . live .
  6. News: Waxman . Olivia B. . 2016-01-06 . Watch the A Cappella Parody to End All A Cappella Parodies: "What Does the Fox Say?" group takes on a cappella . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160112002034/http://time.com/4170283/ylvis-a-cappella-parody/ . 2016-01-12 . live .
  7. News: Bui . Hoai-Tran . 2016-01-06 . What does the a cappella group say? Ylvis is back to find out . . 2016-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160111225055/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/01/06/what-does-capella-group-say-ylvis-back-find-out/78361740/ . 2016-01-11 . live .
  8. News: Girard . Jojo . 2016-01-12 . Ylvis : An A Capella Parody [Video] ]. . 2016-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160113065748/http://wfgr.com/ylvis-an-a-capella-parody-video/ . 2016-01-13 . live .
  9. News: Hart . Tony . 2016-01-12 . Ylvis Takes on Groups Like Pentatonix with Their New Song 'A Capella' . . 2016-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160113065136/http://mix108.com/ylvis-takes-on-acapella-groups-with-their-new-song-a-capella/ . 2016-01-13 . live .
  10. News: Clyde . John . 2016-01-12 . Have You Seen This? The power of a cappella . . 2016-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160113070007/http://www.ksl.com/?sid=38105278&nid=1017 . 2016-01-13 .

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