After a clip and stills of Norwegian singer Bard (from the duo Ylvis) laying down in a coffin circulated the internet, other folks sought after to know what happened.

Mustafa Gatollari - Author

The Gist

  • Rumors circulated on-line in November 2023 that Bård Ylvisåker from the duo Ylvis — of "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" viral popularity — passed on to the great beyond.
  • Folks who noticed a VGTV televised "funeral" for the singer, which presentations him laying down in a casket, led many to believe he used to be dead.
  • Singer Maria Mena led a choir in a slowed-down and sad efficiency of the viral hit observe.
  • Bård is now not dead, on the other hand, and the video used to be just indeed a staged efficiency.

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The phenomenon of viral one-hit wonders from artists who apparently pop out of nowhere and gain large recognition on the internet are a fascinating phenomenon: for a couple of weeks (or months, even), these tracks are apparently in every single place. About a year or two later, playing the track at a party turns out like an insult, until the proper "throwback" threshold has been reached.

Ylvis (a comedy duo composed of brothers Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker) is one such artist, however fans became anxious in November 2023 that Bård would possibly've passed away. But what actually happened? And what has Ylvis been up to within the years since their hit 2013 observe?

What happened to Ylvis?

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And whilst neither Mena or any of the other singers ever once cracks a smile right through the performance, the similar cannot be said for the oldsters who were in attendance for the artist's funeral.

Which most probably manner one of the crucial following:

  • (A) A few people on the funeral who have been glad to see the singer dead
  • (B) A testament to how much of a bop "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) is
  • (C) Norwegians either have strange funeral customs or a sick sense of humor
  • (D) The funeral was staged, Bård is still alive, and the video was a bit of dark humor in action

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Of course one could add to the final aforementioned multiple choice selection that Ylvis could be making a wider statement on the life cycle of viral one-hit wonder tracks in general.

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Bård is indeed still among the living; after the performance, he even stood up, exited the coffin, and conducted an interview afterward.

While it's difficult to imagine that anyone would see the video and so many of the laughing folks watching and recording the performance, and think that Bård legitimately died, there are some images that could've been lifted from the video that would lead folks to think he actually passed away.

And it wouldn't be just pictures of him in his coffin that could convince folks he died; Marina Mena shared some photos in a multi-picture Instagram upload that shows just how far the video production went to replicate the look and feel of a legitimate funeral.

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In her post, she features a snapshot of a memoriam pamphlet showing Bård's face along with his birth and fake death year and in another photo she's holding up the same exact image on a funeral portrait style painting.

Again, however, the jovial nature of the other pictures in the post don't exactly scream "rest in peace."

What is Ylvis of "What Does the Fox Say" fame doing now?

After their 2013 mega-hit, the brothers continued to put out music, releasing their first album in 2014. They also continued to appear on Norwegian TV (where they first grew to fame) and even released a documentary series in 2018 that took stories from Norwegian news and turned them into musicals. And in 2022, they began making content for VGTV.

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The guys also post a slew of funny social media posts, interspersed with clips of musical performances, and even some extended love for the track that was a global phenomenon. A great example would be the somber instrumental version of "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" set to this good clip of a misplaced McDonald's cheeseburger's globe-trotting journey back home to their McFamily.

So whilst sure, viral songs, just like many popular songs, can undoubtedly change into nerve-racking after some time, Ylvis seems to be demonstrating a certain amount of gratitude for what they are most recognized for whilst also showing a stalwart ability to stick to slightly.

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