"Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)" is a 2019 comedy hip hop song with rap vocals from Zack Fox and produced by Kenny Beats. Created in a freestyle rap session, the song went viral and has amassed 35.5 million streams in the United States on Spotify, topping the platform's US Viral Chart.[1][2]
| "Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)" | ||||
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| Single by Zack Fox & Kenny Beats | ||||
| Released | June 2019 | |||
| Genre | Comedy hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:52 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Kenny Beats | |||
| Zack Fox singles chronology | ||||
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| Kenny Beats singles chronology | ||||
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Composition edit
"Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)" is the second collaboration between Fox and Kenny Beats after their 2018 song "Square Up".[3] The song was produced on the fifth episode of Kenny Beats' YouTube series The Cave, where he invites rappers into the studio to record a freestyle rap and creates an instrumental to go with it. On this episode, Fox requested "a beat that sound[s] like Runescape mixed with Jodeci mixed with almond milk mixed with domestic violence... Make me a pro-lifer beat. Make me a Bernie bro beat. Make me a post-9/11, pre-death of Whitney Houston-style beat."[4] While rapping, Fox pulls down his pants and wears a top hat and wrap-around sunglasses. His lyrics are equally as bizarre and nonsensical: Fox says people with mental illnesses should "turn up", preemptively mourns the death of Betty White (as he knows "it's coming up" – she would pass away about two and a half years later), calls to free Palestine and Tay-K, and more.[2][5]
Reception edit
The song was not intended for commercial release, but after it went viral, the duo decided to release an official version in June 2019. As of June 2021, the original YouTube video has surpassed over 14 million views, and the song also has more than 34.3 million streams on Spotify. TikTok also contributed to the song's fame.[2][3]
Despite its popularity, both artists were bemused with the song's fame. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Fox said: "Is it that people want something this meaningless, or is it that everything is already so meaningless that this fits right in? [Hip hop] is so broken right now I bet someone could literally troll their way to the top."[2] In an interview with Genius, Kenny Beats said that "this song is bigger than all the serious shit I'm working on. It's TikTok's fault. It's Zack's fault."[6]
References edit
- ^ "Viral 50: July 22, 2019". Spotify Charts. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Leight, Elias (August 1, 2019). "Comedian Zack Fox Trolled His Way to the Top of the Charts (and Hated It)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Status Ain't Hood (March 25, 2020). "Zack Fox Is The Perfect Troll For This Ridiculous Moment". Stereogum. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Status Ain't Hood (August 14, 2019). "Kenny Beats' YouTube Show Might Be The Rap Album Of The Year". Stereogum. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Renshaw, David (June 14, 2019). "Zack Fox and Kenny Beats combine on the hilarious "Jesus Is The One (I Got Depression)"". Fader. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Reneau, Steven (July 13, 2019). "Zack Fox & Kenny Beats Break Down The Meaning Of "Jesus Is The One (I Got Depression)"". Genius. Retrieved February 17, 2021.