New Music \
Danny Elfman Releases His First Solo Single in 36 Years
Fresh off signing with Anti-/Epitaph, hear his new track, "Happy"
Known for being the voice of Nightmare Before Christmas’ Jack Skellington and the Corpse Bride’s Bonejangles, it only makes sense that composer Danny Elfman’s first release in 36 years, “Happy,” would drop only days before Halloween.
“I always enjoyed Halloween because it was a night to let loose, to become something or someone else,” Elfman said in a statement. “[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).”
Elfman initially wrote “Happy” for Coachella this year. But with the global pandemic, plans changed. And it seems the undulating melody blending with this deep vocals just had to be heard.
“It was written to be an absurd anti-pop song,” he said, “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.”
The release also marks his signing to Anti-/Epitaph.
Watch Danny Elfman’s video for “Happy” below.
