a capella (Ylvis song)

"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.[2]

"a capella"
Single by Ylvis
ReleasedJanuary 5, 2016
Length3:52
LabelDiscovery Networks Norway
Songwriter(s)Vegard Ylvisåker, Bård Ylvisåker, Christian Loechstoeer, Lars Bleiklie Devik [1]

Music video

Ylvis revealed the music video and song "a capella" on I kveld med YLVIS on TVNorge on January 5, 2016.[2] It parodies a cappella groups like Pentatonix.[3][4][5] 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.[3][6] 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".[7]

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.[6] The song includes rock and rap, and a cappella members make trumpet and drum sounds.[7] One of Ylvis' fictional words is "Boodelooap", a fictional Nigerian soft drink.[3][6] 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".[3] 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".[3]

Entertainment Weekly's Dylan Kickham said the song was "fairly timely" because a cappella is "still very much in the public eye".[6] 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.[6]

Time's Olivia B. Waxman said the song was "aca-awesome".[7] 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.[8]

Jojo Girard of WFGR called the song a "a weird tribute to a capella groups" that was "wonderful".[9] 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?"[10] KSL's John Clyde praised the song for being "pretty darn catchy and incredibly clever".[11]

References
  1. "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  2. 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?]. Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  3. Anderson, L.V. (2016-01-06). "Ylvis' New Music Video Explains Why A Cappella Groups Have Been Singing "Boodelooap" All This Time". Slate. Archived from the original on 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  4. Mav (2016-01-06). "Vokální muzika je nejvíc, přesvědčují norští komedianti. Přemůže všechna bezpráví". Reflex (in Czech). Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  5. Rancken, David (2016-01-11). "Ylvis Has A New A Capella Hit". KLUV. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  6. Kickham, Dylan (2016-01-06). "Ylvis parodies a cappella groups in new music video". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  7. 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". Time. Archived from the original on 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  8. Bui, Hoai-Tran (2016-01-06). "What does the a cappella group say? Ylvis is back to find out". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  9. Girard, Jojo (2016-01-12). "Ylvis : An A Capella Parody [Video]". WFGR. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  10. Hart, Tony (2016-01-12). "Ylvis Takes on Groups Like Pentatonix with Their New Song 'A Capella'". KBMX. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  11. Clyde, John (2016-01-12). "Have You Seen This? The power of a cappella". KSL. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
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