Bad Guy
March 10, 2020 8:14 AM Subscribe
So, there's this video by Billie Ellish. I only found out about it because someone played it in a major key. The original seemed somewhere in the funny/creepy range, and I wasn't that impressed. I've since gotten used to it. A number of people have noticed how catchy the tune is....
This video explains the joke (a parody of videos about how tough the male singer is) and shows how much craft wen into it.
Piano version, 1920s style.
Violin, cello, bass, funny noises
Pumpkin ocarina
This video explains the joke (a parody of videos about how tough the male singer is) and shows how much craft wen into it.
Piano version, 1920s style.
Violin, cello, bass, funny noises
Pumpkin ocarina
Oh, that second link is delightful!
posted by amanda at 8:36 AM on March 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by amanda at 8:36 AM on March 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish but
posted by a car full of lions at 8:39 AM on March 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by a car full of lions at 8:39 AM on March 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
As proven last year by Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse, it does make a pretty good tango song!
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 8:56 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 8:56 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I only found out about it because someone played it in a major key
hahahaha that performative "3rd grader in a talent show" smile on that guy's face throughout the whole video 🤣🤣
posted by grandiloquiet at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2020 [25 favorites]
hahahaha that performative "3rd grader in a talent show" smile on that guy's face throughout the whole video 🤣🤣
posted by grandiloquiet at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2020 [25 favorites]
Seth Everman did a lofi take on how to recreate the sound. He then posted "i'm the bald guy" as a comment on the original video. Over 1.6 million clicks later, it became the most liked comment in YouTube history.
posted by persona at 9:02 AM on March 10, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by persona at 9:02 AM on March 10, 2020 [8 favorites]
That is awesome, and exactly what the word 'jaunty' was created for.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:04 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:04 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Then there's the time an incompetent Disney villain sang his own version.
Billie hit the news last night for including a new bit in her concert: video of her stripping off her normally baggy clothes while reciting a powerful poem about being judged.
posted by hanov3r at 9:19 AM on March 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
Billie hit the news last night for including a new bit in her concert: video of her stripping off her normally baggy clothes while reciting a powerful poem about being judged.
posted by hanov3r at 9:19 AM on March 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
That major key version is so dope. It feels like a corporate video soundtrack. Like, it really makes me want to invest in The Internet Of Things. FULL DISCLOSURE: I often sing a version of this song around the house - to the eye rolling consternation of my 12 year old daughter - the chorus of which is "I'm a Dad Guy!"
posted by Bob Regular at 9:30 AM on March 10, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by Bob Regular at 9:30 AM on March 10, 2020 [11 favorites]
I can't find the link, but I recently saw (on Twitter?) an amusing collage of photos of her, captioned "In every photo of Billie Ellish she is looking at the camera like she just said 'I'm hungry' and the cameraperson said 'Hi, hungry, I'm Dad!'"
posted by thelonius at 9:36 AM on March 10, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 9:36 AM on March 10, 2020 [11 favorites]
The thing is, Billie is the real deal. She's thoughtful, dedicated to her craft, talented, and she's got a hell of a lot to say. If one doesn't like the style of her music, it's easy to write it off, but the depth is there.
I recommend starting with her self-published first album, Don't Smile at Me. It's got more of a traditional singer-songwriter treatment for the vocals - you can hear her range and dig the lyrics.
My favorite: "If teardrops could be bottled / there'd be swimming pools filled by models / told a tight dress is what makes you a whore."
posted by skullhead at 9:42 AM on March 10, 2020 [22 favorites]
I recommend starting with her self-published first album, Don't Smile at Me. It's got more of a traditional singer-songwriter treatment for the vocals - you can hear her range and dig the lyrics.
My favorite: "If teardrops could be bottled / there'd be swimming pools filled by models / told a tight dress is what makes you a whore."
posted by skullhead at 9:42 AM on March 10, 2020 [22 favorites]
hanov3r - thank you, that was what I was looking for!~
posted by thelonius at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2020
posted by thelonius at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2020
I'm gonna work on rocking a Nice guy smile like that all the time.
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2020
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2020
"The thing is, Billie is the real deal."
All year I've been a little stunned that I think a teenage pop star's music is really good. Everything about her (and Finneas) is just so contrary to what I expect from mass audience pop music. It's basically the one good unexpected thing in this, the worst timeline.
That BrooklynDuo 1920s piano cover is very good.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:10 AM on March 10, 2020 [7 favorites]
All year I've been a little stunned that I think a teenage pop star's music is really good. Everything about her (and Finneas) is just so contrary to what I expect from mass audience pop music. It's basically the one good unexpected thing in this, the worst timeline.
That BrooklynDuo 1920s piano cover is very good.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:10 AM on March 10, 2020 [7 favorites]
I love that Rolling Stone video! Finneas was also on Switched on Pop last year and also mentioned how hard it was to get that "duh" take.
posted by radioamy at 10:43 AM on March 10, 2020
posted by radioamy at 10:43 AM on March 10, 2020
Also this NY Times video interview with Billie, Finneas, and their mom is great.
posted by radioamy at 10:47 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by radioamy at 10:47 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
@ Bob Regular - I too sing my own version of this but my twist is the song is all about possessing "fat thighs"
posted by hoodrich at 12:11 PM on March 10, 2020
posted by hoodrich at 12:11 PM on March 10, 2020
If Beethoven Composed Billie Eilish's 'Bad Guy' (TwoSet Violin, violin + piano)
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 12:32 PM on March 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 12:32 PM on March 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
I really like the major key version! And looking at the YouTube comments, many people compared it to the Sims music, so I listened to that as well and now I have a whole huge list of happy peppy instrumental songs to enjoy! Thanks!
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 1:06 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 1:06 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
The Interrupters Pleasant fast rock. Includes a trombone.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 1:19 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 1:19 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is an absolutely amazing post. THANKS!
posted by etaoin at 3:51 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by etaoin at 3:51 PM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Billie Ellish kinda reminds me a bit of the Ellen Feiss 2007 Apple Computer stoner advert (not stoned on cannabis, & an Errol Morris project).
posted by ovvl at 6:28 PM on March 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 6:28 PM on March 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
Some youngsters I know are too hip to listen to Billie Eilish. But as an old jazzbo, I have added a couple of her tunes to my repertoire, because she has an uncanny gift for melody.
posted by kozad at 8:24 PM on March 10, 2020
posted by kozad at 8:24 PM on March 10, 2020
Nowadays I get all my new music intake from One Million Dance Studio videos, and they have done "Bad Guy" no less than four times. Each choreography is a delight -
Ara Cho
Koosung Jung
Mina Myoung
Tina Boo
Bonus - Lia Kim dancing to "ilomilo".
Her music really brings out the quirkiness in all these dancers.
posted by of strange foe at 10:36 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
Ara Cho
Koosung Jung
Mina Myoung
Tina Boo
Bonus - Lia Kim dancing to "ilomilo".
Her music really brings out the quirkiness in all these dancers.
posted by of strange foe at 10:36 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by Naberius at 8:18 AM on March 10, 2020 [1 favorite]