Yoooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The recent post by robincarmody on his LJ reminded me that we haven't yet talked here about "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" - number 1 in the States for several weeks of late and now spawning literally dozens of home-made remixes and cover versions.

Here's the original in case you've not heard it: link to youtube video (embedding disabled, sorry)

What with this and Sean Kingston, maybe teen pop has found the way forward it was looking for? It will be interesting to see how the mainstream reacts to its runaway success. In any event, I think this is a marvellously dumb and accessible single and, as Kalefah Sannah noted in the NY Times, captures the same playfulness that drove hip hop in its early years.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Oh my god that is TERRIFIC - I think I've had an mp3 of it for a while now but never got round to listening to it? I had no idea it was such a massive hit otherwise I would have prioritised it. Anyway I am SO going to be rocking the sunglasses-with-name-Tippexed-on look in the near future.

There's a definite recent lineage for this sort of thing (I mean...it's generic southern hip-hop but kind of..extra fun and extra retarded?). 'Chain Hang Low', 'Lip Gloss', 'This Is Why I'm Hot', 'Bean Pop', 'Crank Dat'.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I wish the UK was at all receptive to these songs! RACIST-io 1 more like.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

It's crap though IMHO

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think I've had an mp3 of it for a while now but never got round to listening to it?

Hah yeah me too - oh jukeboxpaws...

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

heh, you may find your mp3s are a completely different song! I downloaded a track from zshare yesterday that purported to be "Crank That" and it only bore vague similarities to the hit version.

[cis.livejournal.com]

literally dozens of home-made remixes and cover versions

including one by travis barker out of blink-182! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKQgDY0pZ68)

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Hahaha awesome!

[mackromackro.livejournal.com]

Noteworthy is the Meta-YouTube-ness of the video

It reminds of the Teriyaki Boyz/Kanye West video for "I Still Love H.E.R." a little:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9-049z1yK4

[kill-yr-idols.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is massive, & has been getting played out round here for months & months - this was gonna be what I was gonna submit to the 00s round of Pop Open back in August but it TOOK OVER THE WORLD (this + Mims = go 2007!). I hope everybody's been watching all the YouTube mashups - the Barney & Spongebob ones are the best. Instructional dance video = k-grebt; pretty easy to learn even though when yr drunk you end up doing the reverse foot-lift & "superman dat ho" bits, heh.