The greatest band in the world, Tenacious D, is back with a new original song for the first time in five years, “Video Games”. Released along with an animated video with the professional quality fans have come to expect from the Hollywood duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the country-tinged track is decidedly on brand, complete with silly but thoughtful humor and a signature “frigi-ga-giga-giga” scat solo from JB.
Created by Oney Plays and directed by both Emmy-nominated director Adam Paloian (SpongeBob SquarePants and The Cuphead Show) and Chris “Oney” O’Neill (known for his online animations and his YouTube show Oney Plays), the music video stars animated and video game-ified versions of Jables and Kage, who find themselves inside various games from old-school favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros to modern classics like God of War and Fallout.
Related: Tenacious D Performs The Who Medley On ‘Howard Stern’ [Videos]
One scene even shows an 8-bit side-scrolling Jack Black as Mario with a fluffy beard and a J on his hat instead of an M, which is ironic considering he just played Bowser, Mario’s nemesis, in the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie, a song from which earned him his first Billboard Hot 100 hit as a solo artist. The animators must have skirted the need to license the Mario Bros IP from Nintendo, or else the overtly phallic (and surprisingly detailed) power-up mushroom/penis that helps Jables double in size probably wouldn’t have been approved.
“It’s about growing up and leaving childish things behind…But then realizing that video games are more than just mindless toys….in fact they can be a true expression of huge ideas that belong in the pantheon of great works of art!” Tenacious D said of the song. “It’s about time someone defended the honor and integrity of this bold new horizon. Leave it to the greatest band in the world…Tenacious D!!!”
Director Chris “Oney” O’Neill added, “I have only been to 2 concerts in my life, and they were both Tenacious D shows. It’s a real honor to work with Jack and Kyle, although I do feel bad about shooting Kyle’s penis off via animation.”
“Video Games” is out now on all streaming platforms. Watch the music video in the player below.
Tenacious D is currently traveling the world on the Spicy Meatball Tour with support from Steel Beans. Click below to view a list of upcoming tour dates, and visit the band’s website for ticketing details.
Tenacious D – “Video Games”
