Crazy Frog, you either love him or hate him. Before it was known as Crazy Frog, the European ringtone sensation had a much more accurate name: The Annoying Thing. This helium-voiced, bluish-gray, anatomically correct CGI lump became a pop culture epidemic in Europe and especially the U.K., with ringtones, TV commercials, pop songs, video games and other forms of (over)exposure included in its virus-like spread. Crazy Frog's popularity peaked that summer, when the full-length single of the Axel F ringtone, based on Harold Faltermeyer's instrumental theme for Beverly Hills Cop, topped the U.K. singles charts for several weeks and kept Coldplay's comeback single, Speed of Sound, from debuting at number one (which might be reason enough for some to love Crazy Frog). Later that summer, the ringtone and full-length album Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits marked the Frog's arrival in the States. This Christmas Crazy Frog returns with a special edition of his trillion-selling debut.
A clever business man knows that when you create a successful novelty, it is necessary to milk it for all that it is worth before fresh tack emerges and takes the crown. So it's going to be a Crazy Frog mas! You know you just can't get enough of this little guy and the prolific amphibian doesn't disappoint. The album attempts to repeat Crazy Hits' success by pairing Crazy Frog again with a rogue's gallery of pop hits that, in their heydays, were omnipresent. Get Ready for This and I Like to Move It are silly enough in their own right, but with the addition of a little voice chanting "bing bong a ding ding ding," they're pushed into deeply stupid territory. Of course, novelty pop is one of the few genres where deeply stupid can be taken as a compliment, and Crazy Hits (Crazy Christmas Edition) stupidest moments are also the most fun (or irritating, depending on your outlook). Axel F is still the definitive Crazy Frog song, but Popcorn, In The '80s, and Whoomp! There It Is are nearly as dumb and infectious. This special Yuletide edition of Crazy Hits also features Crazy Frog’s covers of Don't You Want Me, Pump Up The Jam and frogified seasonal versions of Jingle Bells and Wham!'s classic Last Christmas. Parents are likely to be reducing their kids' sugar intake as they watch them jump around to a rendition of MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This.
The Crazy Frog is the phenomena of 2005 – being the only act in history to have started life as a ringtone and then to have sold millions of singles and albums in over 30 countries. Crazy Frog has sold far many more units than is healthy, notching up 21 number 1's throughout the world, and recently helped turned on the Christmas Lights in both Bolton and Swansea. Ultimately and unsurprisingly, Crazy Hits (Crazy Christmas Edition) is again a collection of extended ringtones. There isn't much gray area when it comes to pop culture phenomena like this – you'll think Crazy Frog is another sign of civilization's decline, or you'll find its sheer ridiculousness oddly endearing. Either way, the album lives up to Crazy Frog's original name: it is quintessentially annoying... and somehow fascinating because of it. If you like the Crazy Green One, you'll love this. Pity the rest of humanity... Patrick Parodi, chairman of the London-based industry group the Mobile Entertainment Forum and head of mobile video and music at Alcatel, predicts more synergies between the ringtone and the music industry in the future. "This is the tip of the iceberg," he says.
Crazy Hits
Best Night Of My Life 2010
The tracks on Jamie Foxx' fourth album Best Night Of My Life are carried out in the best R&B traditions, the production is practically brought to perfection and the beats are full of energy
