Those of us who lived through the 1990s will carry lifelong memories of certain musical moments. Nirvana playing MTV Unplugged. The battle of East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop. Those months when it was compulsory to do the Macarena anytime, anywhere, for any reason. And, of course, the brief craze for European club singles like Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.”
It’s a certain millennial nostalgia attached to those propulsive, synth-laden jams — the kind of stuff you’d step to playing Dance Dance Revolution — that’s been reawakened by “Planet of the Bass.” The song is a loving parody of “Every European Dance Song in the 1990s” by comedian Kyle Gordon (as his alter ego “DJ Crazy Times”) and a singer who goes by Ms. Biljana Electronica (portrayed in the clip by Instagram influencer and TikTok performer Audrey Trullinger). Though Gordon has released only a 50-second snippet of the track, which drops in full on Aug. 15, it’s arguably the song of the summer already: over 4 million views on TikTok, close to 80 million on Twitter, and a handful of lyrics that have become standalone memes practically overnight. If you haven’t heard it yet, prepare yourself for an unshakeable earworm, complete with a “rap” breakdown.
@kylegordonisgreat Planet of the Bass (feat. DJ Crazy Times & Ms. Biljana Electronica) #djcrazytimes #eurodance #90s #dancemusic #edm #funny #funnyvideos #funnytiktok
♬ Planet of the Bass (feat. DJ Crazy Times & Ms. Biljana Electronica) – Kyle Gordon
While Gordon has occasionally inhabited the character of DJ Crazy Times in years past, putting on an ambiguously Balkan accent and pretending to rev up audiences with not-quite-fluent English catchphrases, it was surely the addition of Biljana that catapulted the bit into mega-virality. When she belts out “All of the dream / How does it mean,” you can almost convince yourself she’s asking something profound. And just try not to move when she sings, “Danger and dance / Clapping the hands.”
Of course, Gordon’s hype man is no less fully realized, sporting an ensemble of tactical vest and mirrored goggles while pulling ravey moves and barking meaningless interjections like “Electric! Electric!” But it is probably the beginning of his verse — the banger couplet “Life, it never die / Women are my favorite guy” — that has most captivated the internet, which is prone to both gender fluidity and “guy” taxonomy. The appreciation posts and Genius lyrics annotations have flowed freely, along with popular fan art from illustrators including Kenzie Bugg.
life, it never die, women are my favorite guy pic.twitter.com/kD0b2WmwO8
— kenzie (@pk_kenzie) August 2, 2023
planet of the bass will put the final nail in the coffin of that very heteronormative idea of what gender is pic.twitter.com/PlWhhUOoms
— luzian (@crochemonsieur) August 2, 2023
her: you better not be on the planet of the bass when i get there
my rambunctious ass: pic.twitter.com/WnAaoI43Mk
— atticus (@book3nds) August 1, 2023
Although the song was set for an Aug. 22 streaming release, the world clearly couldn’t wait that long, so we’re getting it a week earlier, Gordon announced on Wednesday. You can pre-save it on your preferred platform here. Presumably, there’s an extended music video to match — it was shot in the appropriately futuristic Oculus mall at the World Trade Center in New York — with who knows what kind of bonus visuals. (In a TikTok comment, Gordon revealed that they were kicked out for filming there, so perhaps there’s footage of a choreographed showdown with security guards.)
And though one or two Eurodance experts have quibbles with the exact references and signifiers in this historical homage, even they have to admit that “Planet of the Bass” is a landmark achievement. Could it usher in a renaissance for the genre, as many are now suggesting? Even if not, this tune is blessing enough, a party anthem to brighten the dog days of this sweltering season. After all, when the rhythm is glad, there is nothing to be sad.
From Rolling Stone US
