In the world of cover music it has become common practice for artists to select unexpected, sometimes ridiculous songs to perform ironically for comedic effect, exposing the track’s silliness by stripping away the slick production and overhyped, mediated context. Unfortunately, thanks to Youtube we now have an overwhelming number of “ironic” hip-hop and pop covers that are as unamusing as they are musically disappointing. However, every so often a novelty cover rises above all the rest. Such is the case with Manhattan-based all-female french horn quartet Genghis Barbie’s mostly instrumental rendition of Sisqo‘s notorious “Thong Song.”
Genghis Barbie, who describe themselves as “the world’s leading post post-feminist all-female horn experience” performed the cover as their entry in The Greene Space’s 2011 Battle of the Boroughs Talent Quest, which pits hundreds of burgeoning musical acts from around New York City against each other to try to win an opening slot for one of this season’s SummerStage concerts. In their entry, the group gets the crowd going with a stage presence uncharacteristic of most horn ensembles, beginning the song in a formation of mock seriousness and quickly devolving into lighthearted choreography and a single chorus of vocals, just to make sure everyone gets the joke.
The quartet translates the simple melody into an arrangement of layered harmonies that captures all the musical motifs of the original while adding a traditional brass ensemble feel. They even preserve Sisqo’s “Livin La Vida Loca” quote. Watch the amazing video below. Vote for Genghis Barbie to move on to the Battle of the Boroughs finals by texting “mn5” to the number 69866!
Genghis Barbie – Thong Song (Sisqo cover)
Check out more from Genghis Barbie, including more videos, at their website.
