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=== Production ===
=== Production ===
The video was originally created to promote the new season of local show ''I kveld med Ylvis'' (English: "Tonight with Ylvis") on [[TVNorge]] but was released on YouTube on TVNorge's channel and went viral. The video was directed by Ole Martin Hafsmo with cinematography by Magnus Flåto. The choreography was done by Thea Bay. The song itself was produced by [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]] and Australian producer M4SONIC.<ref name="Mother Jones" /> The forest scenes were filmed in [[Nittedal]] municipality, 22 kilometers from [[Oslo]] downtown.<ref name="Nittedal">{{cite web|last=Høidalen|first=Sigbjørn|title=Ylvis-videoen er fra Nittedal|url=http://www.varingen.no/Kultur/tabid/390/Default.aspx?ModuleId=60480&articleView=true |publisher=Varingen |accessdate=28 September 2013 |language=Norwegian}}</ref>
The video was originally created to promote the new season of local show ''I kveld med Ylvis'' (English: "Tonight with Ylvis") on [[TVNorge]] but was released on YouTube on TVNorge's channel and went viral. The video was directed by Ole Martin Hafsmo with cinematography by Magnus Flåto. The choreography was done by Thea Bay. The song itself was produced by [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]] and Australian producer M4SONIC.<ref name="Mother Jones" /> The forest scenes were filmed in [[Nittedal]] municipality, 22 kilometers from [[Oslo]] downtown.<ref name="Nittedal">{{cite web|last=Høidalen|first=Sigbjørn|title=Ylvis-videoen er fra Nittedal|url=http://www.varingen.no/Kultur/tabid/390/Default.aspx?ModuleId=60480&articleView=true |publisher=Varingen |accessdate=28 September 2013 |language=Norwegian}}</ref> THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVER!!!!!!OHOH YEAH YERAH EH YEAH


== Analysis ==
== Analysis ==

Revision as of 20:51, 18 October 2013

"The Fox"
Song

"The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" is an electronic dance music song and viral video by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. The video was posted on YouTube on 3 September 2013, and has over 132 million views as of October 18.[2] It has been compared to K-pop hit "Gangnam Style".[3][4][5][6] Currently, "The Fox" is no. 6 in the Billboard Hot 100,[7] the highest ranked song by a Norwegian artist on Billboard since a-ha's number-one song "Take on Me" in 1985.

The song was released as a single on iTunes in Norway on 2 September 2013,[8] and it was planned to be released on iTunes in the United States on 9 September.[9] However, it remained unavailable for one week due to allegations of copyright infringement by a third party.[10] It became available on iTunes in the US on 16 September[11] and was ranked as number 9 in the iTunes Store Top 10 Songs the following week.[12] There are currently no plans to release an album including the song.[9]

Background

The brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker, members of the Norwegian comedy group Ylvis, produced the song and music video "The Fox" to promote the upcoming season of their television talkshow I kveld med YLVIS (Tonight with Ylvis) on TVNorge. In an interview with Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, the brothers stated that the idea about a song about a fox was originally conceived in 2012, but then shelved. Half a year later, in 2013, Bård and lyricist Christian Løchstøer began to play with the idea once again. Vegard was initially skeptical about making a song about a fox, but soon relented.[13] In an interview with Billboard in the United States, Bård described the writing process for the song: "The way we work is we just sit around and talk about things and get ideas and take some notes. I guess we must have been talking about what sound a fox makes. And then we had a chance to work with Stargate, a production company in New York City... We actually did a favor for them and we asked them if they could produce a song for the new season in exchange".[9]

Music video

Screenshot from the music video

The video was released on 3 September 2013 with a length of 3 minutes and 45 seconds. It is performed in the style of a typical electronic dance pop song, and the lyrics are sung "with deadpan seriousness."[6]

The video opens with the singer at a costume party where each person is dressed as a different animal. He gives a summary of animal sounds ("Dog goes woof/cat goes meow", etc.) that "could have been lifted straight from a pre-school primer."[14] It then asks "what does the fox say?" and transitions to a synchronized dance scene in a forest with the duo dressed in fox costumes, complete with face-paint and giant, bushy tails. During each chorus, the song offers several increasingly absurd possibilities for the fox's sound such as "gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!" and "fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!"[15][16] Among the dancers, an elderly man is shown reading the lyrics from a book to a boy sitting in his lap. The song then describes the fox and the singer's admiration for it, and asks whether it would communicate with a horse using morse code. In the end, the singers float in the air and a computer-animated fox stands and scat sings.

Production

The video was originally created to promote the new season of local show I kveld med Ylvis (English: "Tonight with Ylvis") on TVNorge but was released on YouTube on TVNorge's channel and went viral. The video was directed by Ole Martin Hafsmo with cinematography by Magnus Flåto. The choreography was done by Thea Bay. The song itself was produced by Stargate and Australian producer M4SONIC.[15] The forest scenes were filmed in Nittedal municipality, 22 kilometers from Oslo downtown.[17] THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVER!!!!!!OHOH YEAH YERAH EH YEAH

Analysis

Tris McCall of the Star-Ledger describes "The Fox" as "a parody of the excesses and absurdities of contemporary club music": the brothers "take turns singing preposterous lyrics about animal noises" over "typically vainglorious synthpop," with the proposed fox sounds "mimic[king] the car-alarm synthesizers of contemporary dubstep." He compares it to Ylvis' "Someone Like Me," which mocked the insertion of dubstep breaks into pop songs.[14] Ylvis themselves characterize the song as coming from "a genuine wonder of what the fox says, because we didn’t know."[18]

Although interpreted by some commentators as a reference to the furry fandom,[19] the duo have stated they did not know about its existence when producing "The Fox."[20]

Reception and response

In the U.S., "The Fox" debuted on September 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 at #29, and at #3 on the Streaming Songs chart.[21] It later reached the top spot on the Streaming Songs chart for the week ending October 19.[22] The music video's viral success and catchiness was also compared to that of PSY's "Gangnam Style".[23][24]

Ylvis were surprised by the international success of the song, intending only to target their Norwegian audience.[9] Bård said he was "quite surprised" and that it was "supposed to entertain a few Norwegians for three minutes — and that's all."[15] Vegard described it as "definitely very shocking."[20]

Following the song's success, Ylvis were signed on by Warner Music, and their first live U.S. performance was on 20 September 2013 at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.[18] They appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show[25] and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on 9 October 2013.[18]

Like many viral music videos, "The Fox" has become an Internet meme and has been extensively covered and adapted by others, with some of the most prominent including a cover by The Ohio University Marching 110 who had previously covered "Gangnam Style" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem";[26] an acoustic guitar cover of the first verse by Tyler Ward;[27] an adaptation based on popular video game League of Legends entitled "What Does Teemo Say?";[28] an advertisement for the Fox Network featuring clips of FOX programs and actors singing the song;[29] and an adaptation by Annoying Orange entitled "The Sock."[30] The video was also featured twice by the Fine Brothers on their popular series Elders React and Teens React, which show reactions of elderly people and teens to YouTube videos, respectively.[31][32]

Chart performance

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[33] 19
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[34] 25
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[35] 49
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[36] 26
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[37] 19
Denmark (Tracklisten)[38] 9
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 2
France (SNEP)[40] 195
Invalid chart entered Germany2 58
Ireland (IRMA)[41] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[43] 1
Scotland (OCC)[44] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 55
UK Singles (OCC)[47] 24
US Billboard Hot 100[48] 6

References

  1. ^ Trust, Gary (27 September 2013). "Chart Moves: Ylvis' 'The Fox' Scampers Up Hot 100, Pearl Jam Ties Alt Rock Record, Luke Bryan Stays Atop Hot Country Songs,". Billboard. Retrieved 6 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Ylvis. "Ylvis – The Fox [Official music video HD]". YouTube.
  3. ^ Topher Gauk-Roger (6 September 2013). "Latest viral sensation: Ylvis' 'The Fox'". CNN. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  4. ^ Dredge, Stuart (6 September 2013). "What the fox say? Ylvis music video goes viral on YouTube". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  5. ^ ""The Fox" is Weirdest Dance Song Ever [VIRAL VIDEO]". Elvis Duran and the morning show. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b Mansfield, Brian (5 September 2013). "Your next viral video: Ylvis' 'The Fox'". USA Today. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  7. ^ Trust, Gary (9 October 2013). "Lorde's 'Royals' Remains Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  8. ^ "The Fox – Single". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 10 September 2013. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Nagy, Evie (7 September 2013). "Ylvis Q&A: What 'The Fox' (Viral Stars) Say About Their Surprise Hit". Billboard. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Hit music video pulled off iTunes". Newsinenglish.no. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  11. ^ Zahn, James (16 September 2013). "YLVIS – The Fox FINALLY comes to iTunes in the U.S... and goes Metal!". The Rock Father. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  12. ^ "iTunes Store Top 10 Songs". Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  13. ^ Ripegutu, Halvor (18 September 2013). "Ville ikke lage "The Fox"". Aftenposten. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  14. ^ a b McCall, Tris (23 September 2013). "Song of the Week: 'The Fox,' Ylvis". Entertainment. The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  15. ^ a b c Suebsaeng, Asawin (5 September 2013). "The Guy Behind "The Fox"—The Summer's Funniest Music Video—Talks About Going Viral". Mother Jones. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  16. ^ Hachman, Mark (5 September 2013). "Must-see viral video of the moment: Ylvis 'The Fox'". PC World. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  17. ^ Høidalen, Sigbjørn. "Ylvis-videoen er fra Nittedal" (in Norwegian). Varingen. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  18. ^ a b c Zemler, Emily (21 September 2013). "Ylvis, of Viral Sensation 'The Fox,' Lands Major Label Deal Ahead of U.S. Live Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  19. ^ Jones, Van. "If anyone missed joke, viral video "What Does The Fox Say?" is sly tribute to sex habits of "furries." (Thus correct answer: "yiff.") #Geeks". Twitter. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  20. ^ Gruger, William. "Ylvis' Viral Hit 'The Fox' Debuts On Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  21. ^ Trust, Gary (9 October 2013). "Lorde's 'Royals' Remains Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  22. ^ Scott Monty (11 September 2013). "Me-too won't do: why viral marketing must be real | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  23. ^ Ornos, Riza. "The Fox: "What Did The Fox Say?" Hits 31 Million Views And Still Counting (With Video)". International Business Times. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  24. ^ "'The Fox' Is Here!". YouTube. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  25. ^ Ohio University Marching Band (14 September 2013). "Ohio University Marching 110 – The Fox – Ylvis". YouTube. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  26. ^ Ward, Tyler (8 September 2013). "The Fox – Ylvis (Tyler Ward Acoustic Cover) – Official Music Video & Challenge". YouTube. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  27. ^ "Instalok – What Does Teemo Say? (Ylvis – The Fox PARODY)". YouTube. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  28. ^ Fox Broadcasting Company (17 September 2013). "What The FOX Say? - Ylvis Cover – FOX BROADCASTING". YouTube. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  29. ^ Annoying Orange (20 September 2013). "Annoying Orange – The Sock (The Fox By Ylvis Parody)". YouTube. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  30. ^ Fine Brothers (19 September 2013). "ELDERS REACT TO YLVIS – THE FOX". Elders React. YouTube. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  31. ^ "Teens React to Ylvis – The Fox". YouTube. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  33. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  34. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  35. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox" (in French). Ultratip.
  36. ^ "Ylvis Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  37. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". Tracklisten.
  38. ^ "Ylvis: The Fox" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  39. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox" (in French). Les classement single.
  40. ^ "Chart Track: Week 42, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  41. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". Top 40 Singles.
  42. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". VG-lista.
  43. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  44. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". Singles Top 100.
  45. ^ "Ylvis – The Fox". Swiss Singles Chart.
  46. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  47. ^ "Ylvis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

External links

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