Just before Halloween, Danny Elfman released his first solo single in 36 years, an “absurd anti-pop song” called “Happy.” Today, the famed composer/musician is giving us another taste of new material with “Sorry.”
The anger-fueled track pulls from industrial and prog-rock influences to create an uneasy atmosphere that’s made even more unnerving with a jarring video animated by Jesse Kanda (Arca, FKA Twigs, Bjork). The intricate visuals were originally created for Elfman’s Coachella 2020 performance, which was postponed.
“‘Sorry’ was the first song I’ve written for myself in a long time,” Elfman explained in a statement.“It began as an obsessive choral-chant instrumental work, which at the time I called ‘alien orchestral chamber punk’ and evolved slowly into a song. I was surprised by the amount of rage I’d been storing inside myself, which came bursting out as soon as I applied my voice.”
Watch the “Sorry” video below.
Elfman founded Oingo Boingo; however, he might be best-known for his work as a composer, scoring over 100 films including Batman, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Good Will Hunting, Edward Scissorhands, Men in Black, and of course Nightmare Before Christmas.
“I need to push myself into new territory with fresh challenges as much as I can and whenever I can,” Elfman confessed in a press release. “I am told I have a recognizable style but my greatest pleasure is when I can surprise the audience with my music.”
He plans to continue rolling out new singles throughout the year on the 11th day of the month.