Thanks to popular culture, there are certain characters who’ve been immortalised. For better or worse, they inspire reactions and spark debates from fans all over the world. The Joker is one of those characters whose dark mystique has transcended every form of medium. Comics. TV. Movies. Books. Music as well.
With the release of the Joker film, NerdCore artists JT Music have created an original song called ‘From Ear To Ear’ that tells the story of the Clown Prince of Crime. Told from the perspective of how Arthur Fleck sees himself, JT Music’s song is haunting, darkly funny and over the top in the best possible way.
Put on a smile from ear to ear
JT Music have made a name for themselves by releasing songs inspired by gaming and pop culture themes. Christian Ames and John Gelardi started making videos in 2009. Since then, they’ve amassed over 3 million followers on YouTube and continue to come up with creative videos that celebrate some of the most iconic fictional characters of all-time. Their Joker video is no different.
From the very beginning, the video has a big musical feeling to it. Arthur Fleck laments his place in the world and claims he’ll keep on putting on a happy face despite there being no reason to smile. He shambles about a deserted stage and becomes bolder and more erratic.
A disguise for my sadness
But I’m sick of charadin’
Now, try on some madness
And dance with the devil
Laugh with the sinners
Long as you’re smiling
You’re always the winner
An inventive song about the depths of madness
The video shifts to feature Fleck as a spectator in the audience. He watches himself as Joker strut about the stage and descend into madness. The sequence mirrors Joaquin Phoenix towards the end of Joker when he appears on the Murry Franklin (Robert De Nero) Show. By the end of the song, Fleck has lost all traces of his previous sorrow. He’s determined to keep on laughing because he can.
From a creative perspective, ‘From Ear To Ear’ is very inventive. It nails all the beats of the Joker movie, while standing out as its own piece of storytelling. I could easily picture JT Music presenting the song in a live musical.
Be sure to check out the video and JT Music’s channel for more pop culture inspired anthems. It’s not hard to see why they’ve earned the distinction of being two of the most talented NerdCore artists around.
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