Danny Elfman has released his first solo music in over 30 years.
Happy is a sinister and erratic track that dips into many different genres — musical theatre, pop, electro and punk-rock — to deliver frantic melodies and disturbing lyrics. It arrives via Anti-/Epitaph, with whom he's recently signed.
The renowned film composer, who was also the singer-songwriter for '80s new wave band Oingo Boingo, took care of the vocals, guitars and synths, while drums were handled by Josh Freese (the Vandals, Nine Inch Nails), more guitar by Nili Brosh (Dethklok), bass by Stu Brooks (Dub Trio) and additional synth design by Randall Dunn. Elfman said:
"I originally wrote 'Happy' to perform at Coachella 2020. It was written to be an absurd anti-pop song, designed to begin as a very simple pop tune that degrades into something more subversive. The cynical nature of the lyrics echo how I feel about living in a semi-dystopian world turned upside down."
Elfman, who is well known as voicing The Nightmare Before Christmas lead character Jack Skellington as well as for his frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton and work on The Simpsons, made sure the single arrived just in time for Halloween, one of his favourite holidays.
“I always enjoyed Halloween because it was a night to let loose, to become something or someone else,” he said. "[Halloween is] a night to celebrate the dead, and ghosts and monsters of all variety. A night for mutants, zombies, vampires, misfits, and miscreants to celebrate themselves and each other. And, aligned with the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos, a night to celebrate departed spirits… and for me, a night to laugh in death’s face (and feel safe doing so).”
Happy arrives with a frightening video that you can check out below.
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