Bo Burnham’s recent Netflix special Inside is hard to miss—especially with several song clips of it trending on the Internet. Bo is a well-known stand-up comedian who dabbles mostly in musical comedy. He had several tours from 2009 to 2016 before taking a step back from live shows due to severe anxiety. During his break, Bo directed the award-winning feature film Eighth Grade (2018) and even acted in the revenge thriller movie Promising Young Woman (2020).
Inside, which was all written, directed, edited, and performed by Bo, marks his return to comedy. And it’s a good comeback, at that; the documentary-slash-stage act has since been nominated for a whopping six Emmys. Inside is merely the tip of the iceberg though. Bo has roughly 14 years worth of wickedly funny and brilliantly existential music, some of which we’ll be sharing with you today.
words, words, words.
Bo’s no stranger to internet fame; he kicked off as one of the first few viral YouTubers, after all. With songs like words, words, words., it doesn’t take much to wonder why. The track is chockful of genius double entendres that highlight what is inarguably Bo’s most remarkable skill: witty wordplay. As a bonus, the music video’s a whole trip in itself. You have to see it to believe it.
art is dead.
Something that sets Bo apart from other comics would be his acute sense of awareness towards the morality of his craft. Though he acknowledges his privilege in many other forms, Art is Dead is perhaps the most striking commentary on the irony of it all. It’s a mournful, biting piece that has you holding your breath from start to finish. Though there’s a studio version of the song, Bo’s performance of it at The Green Room—in front of renowned American comedians like Marc Maron and Ray Romano—is his most emotionally charged rendition of the track.
Can't Handle This (Kanye Rant)
Serving as the finale to Bo’s Make Happy routine, Can’t Handle This (Kanye Rant) is supposedly inspired by Kanye’s Yeezus Tour where the latter talked about his problems. “Can I say my shit, New York? Can I say my shit?” Bo sings before launching into a couple of verses about trivial, relatable ‘problems.’ Midway, though, you’ll feel as though you’ve been sucker-punched in the gut. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Left Brain, Right Brain
A fun fact about Bo: He was accepted into New York University’s prestigious experimental theater program. The Left Right, Right Brain skit from his what. show is probably one of the best manifestations of his theatric genius. Aside from terrific production value, the bit manages to balance Bo’s distinctly sentimental humor along with his carefully calculated vulnerability.
love is…
In Inside, Bo acknowledges that a lot of his earlier work is offensive just as much as it is satirical. It’s worth something to admit that love is… is probably one of his tamer works from that era, even with its nuanced takes on history and culture. Uploaded over 12 years ago, this track serves as a humbling reminder of Bo’s beginnings as a kid in his room just happy to be making music for the hell of it.
