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{{short description|American musician and video creator}}
{{Short description|American musician and video producer}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Distinguish|Bill Wertz|Bill Wirtz}}
{{about|the musician|the sculptor|B. Wurtz}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
<!-- Don't add the origin to the template, even though it is fair to assume Wurtz is from New York City, reliable secondary sources must be cited. -->

{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = Youtube logo Bill Wurtz 17 June 2018.svg
| image = Youtube logo Bill Wurtz 17 June 2018.svg
| image_size = 150px
| image_size = 149px
| caption = Wurtz's YouTube icon
| alt = A green umbrella on a black background
| name = Bill Wurtz
| caption = Wurtz's YouTube icon
| background = solo_singer
| name = Bill Wurtz
| instrument = {{flatlist|
| instrument = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* Vocals
* piano
* piano
* keyboards
* bass guitar
* bass guitar
* drums <!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
* drums<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
}}
}}
| genre = {{flatlist|
| genre = {{hlist|[[Jazz pop]]|[[lo-fi music|lo-fi]]}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* [[Indie pop]]
* Musician
* [[Jazz fusion|jazz-pop]]
* singer-songwriter
|origin = New York City
* [[video production|video producer]]
* animator
* [[internet personality]]
}}
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
| years_active = 2002–present
| website = {{URL|https://billwurtz.com}}
*Musician
| alias = Billy Wilds (2009-2010)<ref name="Bandcamp"/>
*singer-songwriter
| origin =
*composer
| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality
*[[YouTuber]]}}
| subbox = yes
| years_active = 2002–present
| website = {{URL|billwurtz.com}}
| origin = [[New York City]], U.S.<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=If I came to new york would I be in close proximity to where you spend a lot of your time? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201709141046 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=July 15, 2019 |date=September 14, 2017 |quote=yes}}</ref>
| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Bill Wurtz
| name = Bill Wurtz
| embed = yes
| embed = yes
| pseudonym =
| pseudonym =
| channel_name = billwurtz
| channel_name = billwurtz
| years_active = 2013–present
| years_active = 2013–present
| genre = {{flatlist|
| genre = {{flatlist|
* Music video
* [[Music video]]
* [[surreal humor]] }}
* documentary
| subscribers = 5.5&nbsp;million <!-- Look at https://www.youtube.com/user/billwurtz/about for channel stats instead of other sites. -->
* [[surreal comedy]]
| views = 766.3 million
}}
| subscribers = 4.15 million <!-- Look at https://www.youtube.com/user/billwurtz/about for channel stats instead of other sites. -->
| views = 475.461 million
| network =
| network =
| associated_acts =
| associated_acts =
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| gold_button = yes
| gold_button = yes
| gold_year = 2017
| gold_year = 2017
| diamond_year =
| diamond_year =
| ruby_year =
| ruby_year =
| stats_update = September 12, 2020
| stats_update = November 30, 2024
}}
}}
}}
}}
'''Bill Wurtz''' (stylized '''bill wurtz''') is an American [[singer-songwriter]], [[multi-instrumentalist]] and online video creator based in [[New York City]]. He is known for his distinctive musical and narrative style which includes [[deadpan]] delivery and singing paired with colorful [[Surrealism|surrealist]], [[Psychedelic art|psychedelic]], and [[Non sequitur (literary device)|non-sequitur]] graphics.
'''Bill Wurtz'''<!-- Do not alter unless supported by a reliable secondary source --> (often stylized in all [[lowercase]]) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, [[video producer]], animator, and [[internet personality]]. He is known for his distinctive style of music involving [[deadpan]] delivery and singing, as well as his animated music videos, which often include [[surrealist]] and [[Psychedelic art|psychedelic]] graphics.


Wurtz first published material on [[YouTube]] in 2013. He set up a website in 2014, presenting a catalog of music and videos he had created since 2002. Wurtz proceeded to upload edited versions of his videos on short-form [[Online video platform|video-sharing website]] [[Vine (service)|Vine]], where he enjoyed initial popularity. He experienced breakout success on YouTube with his [[Animated documentary|animated documentaries]], ''history of japan'' (2016), and ''history of the entire world, i guess'' (2017).
Wurtz has been actively publishing music and videos since 2002. He has uploaded videos on [[Vine (service)|Vine]], where he first gained popularity, and on [[YouTube]]. Two of his animated videos on YouTube, ''History of Japan'' (2016), and ''History of the Entire World, I Guess'' (2017), went [[viral video|viral]] and inspired [[internet memes]]. In 2016, Wurtz won the [[Shorty Award]] for Best in Weird.


== Career ==
Wurtz has been inactive on YouTube since March 2019. He states that he is currently working on videos, but is taking longer to create them since he is in the process of learning new video editing software.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=Why haven't you made a video for 5 months?|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201908181416|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 21, 2020|date=Aug 18, 2019|quote=[...]it occurred to me that now might actually be the most fine time to go ahead and do what is known as the 'finalcut transition', which long story short means i have to entirely abandon the primary video editing software i have used for the last 5 years. the reason for that is because it was discontinued in 2011. [...] i always used to say, 'there's never a good time to re-learn everything i know'[...]}}</ref>
=== Early work ===
Wurtz's first published composition was an instrumental named "Late Nite Lounge with Loud Lenny", which was recorded on June 17, 2002, and his first song with vocals, "stuck in a rut", was created in March 2005. Beginning in 2010, he released songs more frequently.<ref name=":2" />


== Notable projects and videos==
=== Vine videos ===
=== Vine videos ===
Wurtz was first known for his presence on the short-form [[Online video platform|video-sharing website]] [[Vine (service)|Vine]],<ref name="nymag"/><ref name="tubefilter"/> where he first gained a following in 2014.<ref name=":2"/> He began by taking short videos he had previously published to his website and re-editing them to fit Vine's six-second restriction.<ref name=":2"/> Before transitioning fully to YouTube, Wurtz was uploading a video to Vine nearly every day.<ref name="h3">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_fMuWm5vVA&t=23|people=[[Ethan Klein|Klein, Ethan]]; [[Hila Klein|Klein, Hila]]| date=December 1, 2018 | title=The H3 Podcast | medium=podcast | location=The United States | publisher=[[h3h3 productions]] |accessdate=August 22, 2019}}</ref> On April 11, 2016, Wurtz won the [[Shorty Award]] for "Tech & Innovation: Weird" at the [[8th Shorty Awards]]; during the awards ceremony attention was given to one of his Vine uploads ''i'm still a piece of garbage''.<ref name="hollywood">{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ashley |title=Shorty Awards: The Complete Nominations List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/shorty-awards-2016-nominations-full-871929 |accessdate=August 24, 2019|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911195821/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/shorty-awards-2016-nominations-full-871929 |archivedate=September 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> His acceptance speech for the award was notably curt, as he walked up to the mic, said "Thank you", and immediately walked off the stage.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIVq2upE028|people=[[Redfoo|Gordy, Stefan]]; Wurtz, Bill|title=Bill Wurtz accepts the Shorty Award for Best in Weird|medium=video|publisher=Shorty Awards|date=April 12, 2016|access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> He has stated in a video on his website that this was entirely intentional, having been directly inspired by an acceptance speech given by [[André 3000]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/reality/201604121847.mp4|title=201604121847.mp4|website=billwurtz.com|accessdate=November 25, 2018}}</ref>
Wurtz first became known on the short-form [[Online video platform|video-sharing]] website [[Vine (service)|Vine]],<ref name="nymag"/><ref name="tubefilter"/> where he gained a following in 2014.<ref name=":2"/> He took short videos he had previously published to his website and edited them to fit Vine's six-second restriction.<ref name=":2"/> Before moving to YouTube, Wurtz was uploading a video to Vine nearly every day.<ref name="h3">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_fMuWm5vVA&t=23|people=[[Ethan Klein|Klein, Ethan]]; [[Hila Klein|Klein, Hila]]| date=December 1, 2018 | title=The H3 Podcast | medium=podcast | location=The United States | publisher=[[h3h3 productions]] |access-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref> In 2015, he received attention for the short video "Shaving My Piano".<ref>{{cite web|last=Sheffer|first=Sam|title=Why can't I stop watching this video of a piano being shaved?|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/13/8952025/shaving-my-piano-youtube-gem|work=[[The Verge]]|date=July 13, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031043003/https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/13/8952025/shaving-my-piano-youtube-gem|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 11, 2016, Wurtz won the [[Shorty Award]] for "Tech & Innovation: Weird" at the [[8th Shorty Awards]].<ref name="hollywood">{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ashley |title=Shorty Awards: The Complete Nominations List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/shorty-awards-2016-nominations-full-871929 |access-date=August 24, 2019|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911195821/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/shorty-awards-2016-nominations-full-871929 |archive-date=September 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> At the awards ceremony, his acceptance speech solely consisted of the words "Thank you."<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Later that year, Wurtz withdrew from making Vines to focus on finishing ''History of Japan.''<ref group="r">{{Cite web |last=Wurtz |first=Bill |date=2016 |title=1.16.16 |url=https://billwurtz.com/reality/201601160115.mp4 |website=billwurtz.com |quote=made a serious decision to stop doing vines which i know seems like madness, but we’re doing it for a good reason: we’re finishing the long projects and then we’re finishing more projects after that. |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=November 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110215406/https://billwurtz.com/reality/201601160115.mp4 |url-status=live }}</ref>


===''history of japan''===
=== YouTube ===
Wurtz created his [[YouTube]] channel in September 2013.<ref name=":2" /> Despite disliking online streaming, he joined YouTube after a friend advised him to post content that was previously exclusive to his website.<ref name=":3" />
Alongside interest on Vine, Wurtz achieved wider popularity in 2016 with ''history of japan'', a nine-minute YouTube video that outlines [[History of Japan|Japan's history]].<ref name="inverse"/> The video covers key events of its history: "[[Buddhism]], internal conflict, alliances with Britain, World Wars I and II, the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|dropping of atomic bombs]] and its [[Japanese economic miracle|post-war economic miracle]]".<ref name="huffington">{{cite web|first=Lee|last=Moran|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/history-of-japan-video_us_56b85b2fe4b04f9b57da2fcc|title=WATCH: Trippy Video Teaches The Entire History Of Japan In Just 9 Minutes|date=February 8, 2016|website=[[HuffPost]]|accessdate=December 28, 2016}}</ref> It showcases Wurtz's quirky visual and comedic style through a mixture of fast-paced narration and animation, intercut with short musical jingles. The video was described as "an entertaining new approach to education".<ref name="mashable"/> It went [[Viral video|viral]] on social media after its release on February 2, 2016, and under a week later, received over four million views by February 8.<ref name="huffington"/> It particularly received considerable attention on [[Tumblr]]<ref name="nymag">{{cite web |last1=Feldman |first1=Brian |title=Bill Wurtz Returns to Teach the History of the Entire World, He Guesses |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/bill-wurtz-returns-to-teach-the-history-of-the-entire-world.html |website=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|accessdate=August 10, 2019 |date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> and [[Reddit]].<ref name="inverse">{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/31446-history-of-japan-youtube-bill-wurtz-how-bout-i-do-anyway|title=Viral 'History of Japan' Video Finally Has an Update on the Entire World|last=Gaudette|first=Emily|website=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]|access-date=August 14, 2019|date=May 10, 2017}}</ref> As of September 12, 2020, the video boasts over 60 million views. Writer German Lopez for the news website ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'' called it a "strange", "pretty good — and suprisingly funny" video. Nevertheless, Lopez noted the poor coverage of [[Japanese war crimes]] committed against Korea and China in the 20th century, particularly the [[Nanjing Massacre]] and the use of [[Comfort women|Korean sex slaves]], and attributed this omission to the video's short runtime.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lopez|first=German|title=The most bizarre, entertaining history of Japan you'll ever watch|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/2/3/10905274/japan-history-video|date=May 18, 2017|accessdate=September 9, 2020}}</ref> Wurtz has responded to these criticisms on his questions page, suggesting to viewers to look for other YouTube channels that cover these topics.<ref group="q">{{cite web|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|title=[...] Why have you glossed over the atrocities Japan has committed, which are major events in Japan's history? Examples include the Rape of Nanking, the South Korean Comfort Women, and the human testing conducted on Chinese civilians.[...]|quote=i think there are some other channels that have the type of video you are looking for|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/nanking-complaints.html|website=billwurtz.com|accessdate=September 10, 2020}}</ref>


===''history of the entire world, i guess''===
==== ''History of Japan''{{anchor|history of japan}} ====
{{external media
{{external media
| float = right
| float = right
| headerimage = [[File:"history of japan" thumbnail.jpg|alt=thumbnail of a blue terrain map of Japan, beside the text "history of japan"|frameless]]
| video1 = [https://billwurtz.com/history-of-japan.html history of japan], YouTube video or download
| video1 = {{YouTube|Mh5LY4Mz15o|history of japan}}
| video2 = [https://billwurtz.com/history-of-the-entire-world-i-guess.html history of the entire world, i guess], YouTube video or download
}}
}}
Wurtz is best known for ''history of the entire world, i guess'', a 20-minute follow-up to ''history of japan'' released on May 10, 2017.<ref>{{citation|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|title=history of the entire world, i guess|date=May 10, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuCn8ux2gbs|accessdate=May 14, 2017}}</ref> Expanding greatly on the subject matter — the video took over 11 months to produce, including almost 3 months of research<ref name="h3"/> — it briefly covers the topics of [[natural history]] and human [[civilization]] spanning from the [[Big Bang]] to the near future.<ref>{{cite web|title=The (almost) entire history of the world in under 20 hilarious minutes? This video is your answer|url=https://scroll.in/video/837921/the-almost-entire-history-of-the-world-in-under-20-hilarious-minutes-this-video-is-your-answer|work=[[Scroll.in]]|date=May 18, 2017|accessdate=September 10, 2020}}</ref> Like its predecessor, the video features short "jazzy" musical interludes, which were compared to [[Thundercat (musician)|Thundercat]]'s album ''[[Drunk (Thundercat album)|Drunk]]''.<ref name="lvweekly">{{cite web|last=Carter|first=Geoff|title=What to binge on YouTube, the original "quick bite" video service|work=[[Las Vegas Weekly]]|url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2020/apr/23/what-to-binge-on-youtube-the-original-quick-bite-v|date=April 23, 2020|accessdate=September 10, 2020}}</ref> Writer German Lopez for the news website [[Vox (website)|''Vox'']] praised the documentary for not heavily focusing on western and US history, and successfully covering other areas in world history which may be neglected in US schools, such as powers in China, Persia, and India.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=German |title=Watch this bizarre, hilarious history of the whole world |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/15/15641594/world-history-video-bill-wurtz |url-status=live|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|accessdate=August 25, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413161349/https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/15/15641594/world-history-video-bill-wurtz |archivedate=April 13, 2019 |date=May 7, 2018}}</ref> It was the top video on the YouTube trending page on the day of its release, receiving 3.2&nbsp;million views on its first day, and on [[Reddit]] it became the most upvoted YouTube link of all time.<ref name="tubefilter">{{cite web|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/05/11/bill-wurtz-history-of-the-entire-world/|title=Bill Wurtz's "History of the Entire World" Gets 3.2 Million YouTube Views in Its First Day|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|date=May 11, 2017|work=[[Tubefilter]]|accessdate=May 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/5/11/15623628/history-of-the-entire-world-i-guess-bill-wurtz-watch-this|title=History of the Entire World, I Guess could have been the best online video of 2005|last1=Gartenberg|first1=Chaim|date=May 11, 2017|work=[[The Verge]]|accessdate=June 24, 2017}}</ref> It was listed at eighth place on YouTube's list of the top 10 trending videos of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://youtube.googleblog.com/2017/12/its-time-for-youtuberewind-celebrating.html|title=It's time for #YouTubeRewind: Celebrating what you watched, shared, and created in 2017|last=Allocca|first=Kevin|date=December 6, 2017|work=Official YouTube Blog|accessdate=October 8, 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2020|September|11|df=US|post=,}} it has over 100 million views. It has been called a "must-see"<ref name="lvweekly"/> and is considered to be Wurtz's [[magnum opus]].<ref name=":2"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisisinsider.com/history-of-the-entire-world-video-bill-wurtz-meme-2017-5|title=This 20-minute animated video explains the entire history of the world – and the internet is obsessed with it|last=Shamsian|first=Jacob|website=[[Insider Inc.#Insider|Insider]]|access-date=July 20, 2019|date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, ''[[Thrillist]]'' ranked the video at number 40 on its list of best YouTube videos of all time.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 100 Greatest YouTube Videos of All Time, Ranked|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-youtube-videos-of-all-time|work=[[Thrillist]]|accessdate=September 7, 2020}}</ref>


In 2016, Wurtz released ''History of Japan'', a nine-minute YouTube video that outlines [[History of Japan|Japan's history]].<ref name="inverse" /> The video gave him wider popularity, following an increase in subscribers due to his Vine popularity.<ref name=":2" /> Wurtz has stated he chose the topic due to his lack of knowledge of it.<ref group="r">{{Cite web |last=Wurtz |first=Bill |date=2015 |title=2015-10-25 |url=https://billwurtz.com/reality/201510251225.mp4 |website=billwurtz.com |quote=I would like to try history of Japan, just because it’s random. I know nothing about it, it just seems like a sweet spot. |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616211831/https://billwurtz.com/reality/201510251225.mp4 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> According to Wurtz, it took fourteen weeks to make ''History of Japan''.<ref name=":3" /> The video covers key events of Japan's history, such as [[Yayoi period|the spread of rice farming]], [[Buddhism in Japan|the introduction of Buddhism]], [[Sengoku period|internal conflicts between rulers]], [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance|its alliance with Britain]], [[World War I]], [[World War II]], the [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]], and its [[Japanese economic miracle|post-war economic miracle]].<ref name="huffington">{{cite web|first=Lee|last=Moran|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/history-of-japan-video_us_56b85b2fe4b04f9b57da2fcc|title=WATCH: Trippy Video Teaches The Entire History Of Japan In Just 9 Minutes|date=February 8, 2016|website=[[HuffPost]]|access-date=December 28, 2016|archive-date=July 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706083956/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/history-of-japan-video_us_56b85b2fe4b04f9b57da2fcc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="vox" /> It showcases Wurtz's quirky visual and comedic style through fast-paced narration and animation, intercut with short musical jingles.<ref name="mashable" />
In February 2019, Wurtz uploaded "Wild Frolicking Adventures of Informational Education", a shorter video implicitly referencing his previous history documentaries.<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=Is "Wild Frolicking Adventures of Informational Education" related to "history of the entire world, i guess"? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=202008210147 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=August 22, 2020 |date=August 21, 2020 |quote=yes}}</ref> Wurtz haphazardly explains the capitals and iconography of countries before abruptly joking about the "vast spiritual emptiness of doing a video without a topic".<ref>{{citation|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|title=Wild Frolicking Adventures of Informational Education|date=Feb 12, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PDQ22sePmU|accessdate=January 14, 2020}}</ref>


''History of Japan'' went [[Viral video|viral]] on social media after its release on February 2, 2016, and received over four million views by February 8th.<ref name="huffington" /> It received considerable attention on [[Tumblr]] and [[Reddit]].<ref name="nymag">{{cite web |last1=Feldman |first1=Brian |title=Bill Wurtz Returns to Teach the History of the Entire World, He Guesses |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/bill-wurtz-returns-to-teach-the-history-of-the-entire-world.html |website=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |access-date=August 10, 2019 |date=May 11, 2017 |archive-date=August 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810101147/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/bill-wurtz-returns-to-teach-the-history-of-the-entire-world.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="inverse">{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/31446-history-of-japan-youtube-bill-wurtz-how-bout-i-do-anyway|title=Viral 'History of Japan' Video Finally Has an Update on the Entire World|last=Gaudette|first=Emily|website=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]|access-date=August 14, 2019|date=May 10, 2017|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814142706/https://www.inverse.com/article/31446-history-of-japan-youtube-bill-wurtz-how-bout-i-do-anyway|url-status=live}}</ref>, and became a lasting [[internet meme]], with people posting quotes and images from it while discussing subjects such as politics.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Burton |first=Julian |date=September 19, 2019 |title=Look at Us, We Have Anxiety: Youth, Memes, and the Power of Online Cultural Politics |url=https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/19171 |journal=Journal of Childhood Studies |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=3–17 |doi=10.18357/jcs00019171 |via=[[EBSCO Information Services]] |doi-access=free |access-date=June 5, 2024 |archive-date=June 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605020738/https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/19171 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2024|July}}, the video has over 82 million views.
=== Music videos ===
After finishing the history videos, music videos became a prominent part of Wurtz's creative output. Between August 21 and December 25, 2018, a total of nine songs with music videos were released. During this time period, Wurtz worked under a two-week schedule, releasing a new song and music video every two weeks.<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=I am humbly grateful for your uploads every two weeks, even surprising me ahead of schedule; honestly, I wasn't expecting long, long, long, journey until Thursday or Friday. This one has been my morning alarm and have given me wings each time I listen to it [...] |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201811031841 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=June 26, 2019 |date=November 3, 2018 |quote=i would probably call it the 2-week song schedule}}</ref> This was a breakthrough, since they previously could take up to 14 weeks to make.<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=why did you have to do fewer clips and takes. Just because of the 14-day schedule? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810190240 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=June 26, 2019 |date=October 19, 2018 |quote=yes. to put it in perspective, "la de da" was done in 14 weeks}}</ref> He described the schedule as a "training exercise to increase the quality in ways I never would have found otherwise".<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=it's ok if you don't finish the video by Tuesday [...] we (the fans) get brand new content from you bi-weekly, which feels great, remembering that it used to take 8–10 weeks to get a single music video. but what about you bill? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810141853 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=June 26, 2019 |date=October 14, 2018 |quote=that's not true [...] this is a training exercise to increase the quality in ways i never would have found otherwise [...] it's the biggest breakthrough i've had since the 5-day schedule in early 2014}}</ref> Wurtz is still actively making music videos and has opted to create a music video for every new song he releases, despite it slowing down his songwriting considerably.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=[...] keeping up with making the videos to go with the music is going to slow down the whole songwriting process, yes? [...]|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201906111537|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 26, 2019|date=June 11, 2019|quote=[...] ah but have you considered if you had the same passionate drive i do for videos}}</ref>


Adario Strange of ''[[Mashable]]'' described the video as "an entertaining new approach to education".<ref name="mashable" /> German Lopez of ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'' called it a "strange", "pretty good", and "surprisingly funny" video. Lopez noted the poor coverage of [[Japanese war crimes]] against Korea and China in the 20th century and attributed this omission to the video's short runtime.<ref name="vox">{{cite web|last=Lopez|first=German|title=The most bizarre, entertaining history of Japan you'll ever watch|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/2/3/10905274/japan-history-video|date=May 18, 2017|access-date=September 9, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808075503/https://www.vox.com/2016/2/3/10905274/japan-history-video|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' listed it in its list of top 25 "dumb internet videos".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Broderick |first1=Ryan |last2=Davis |first2=Sarah |last3=Kesvani |first3=Hussein |date=June 1, 2021 |title=The greatest achievements in Dumb Internet Video |url=https://www.polygon.com/22417321/viral-videos-flash-youtube-all-time |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>
== Style ==
{{Listen|filename=La de da - bill wurtz.wav|pos=right|title="La de da de da de da de day oh"|description=Wurtz's song "La de da de da de da de day oh" combines jazz and pop, juxtaposing comical, dramatic lyrics with an uplifting sound.}}
Wurtz's music has been classified as [[jazz]]-[[Pop music|pop]], incorporating elements of [[lo-fi music]], [[smooth jazz]], [[funk]] and [[easy listening]].<ref name=":2"/><ref name="pandora">{{cite web |last1=Ring |first1=Julian |title=These Viral Musicians Are Still Making Great Songs |url=http://blog.pandora.com/us/these-viral-musicians-are-still-making-great-songs/ |website=Pandora Blog |accessdate=August 14, 2019 |url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327091206/http://blog.pandora.com/us/these-viral-musicians-are-still-making-great-songs/ |archivedate=March 27, 2019}}</ref> Despite that, Wurtz tends to reject genre categorization.<ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=is there a genre of music you don't feel confident you could actually pull off [...], or do you think you could tackle pretty much anything? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201606141526 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=August 3, 2019 |date=June 14, 2016 |quote=i don't respect genre names [...]}}</ref><ref group="q">{{cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=do you think music genres help or hinder the art of music? |url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201812020425 |website=billwurtz.com |accessdate=September 9, 2020 |date=December 2, 2018 |quote=they are a fun and useful source of hopeless confusion and ambiguity}}</ref> Overall, his music evokes [[malaise]], [[self-deprecation]], and a "blurring of the lines between [[irony]], [[parody]] and honesty".<ref>{{Cite web|first=Walker|last=Manning|url=https://www.theodysseyonline.com/bill-wurtz-the-musician-our-generation-deserves|title=Bill Wurtz Is The Musician Our Generation Deserves|date=January 31, 2018|website=The Odyssey Online}}</ref> This is often paired comedically with dire circumstances or sobering undertones.<ref name="harbinger">{{cite news |last1=Vromen |first1=Ben |title=REVIEW: Although unorthodox, Wurtz creates captivating complex pieces |url=https://arhsharbinger.com/16850/ae/although-unorthodox-wurtz-creates-captivating-complex-pieces/ |accessdate=August 25, 2019|date=February 14, 2019|work=The Harbinger |publisher=[[Algonquin Regional High School]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807181349/https://arhsharbinger.com/16850/ae/although-unorthodox-wurtz-creates-captivating-complex-pieces/ |archivedate=August 7, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with [[Genius (website)|Genius]], Wurtz stated that "it's a good... songwriting technique to write about something bad with a good sounding melody, because if you can get people to feel good about something bad, then you're bulletproof in life."<ref>{{cite web|last=Reneau|first=Steven|title=Bill Wurtz Breaks Down The Meaning Of "Mount St. Helens Is About To Blow Up"|url=https://genius.com/videos/Bill-wurtz-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-mount-st-helens-is-about-to-blow-up|publisher=[[Genius (website)|Genius]]|date=January 11, 2019|accessdate=September 8, 2020}}</ref>{{rp|at=0:00:46|q=timestamp}} Wurtz's voice has been described as "silky [[tenor]] with range and energy".<ref name=":2"/> Some artists have expressed admiration for Wurtz's music, including indie musicians [[Daði Freyr]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Get To Know… Daði Freyr|url=https://diymag.com/2020/05/27/get-to-know-dadi-freyr|work=[[DIY (magazine)|DIY]]|date=May 27, 2020|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> and [[Sidney Gish]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Beriss|first=Ben|title=WBRS brings indie spirit to campus|url=http://brandeishoot.com/2019/01/25/wbrs-brings-indie-spirit-to-campus|work=[[The Brandeis Hoot]]|date=January 25, 2019|accessdate=September 8, 2020}}</ref> fellow YouTube musician [[Adam Neely]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Neely|first=Adam|title=MUSICA ANALYTICA 2 <nowiki>|</nowiki> Livestream with 12tone, Sideways and 8-bit Music Theory|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5150&v=MYhEDazNoBY&feature=emb_title|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=July 12, 2018|accessdate=September 8, 2020}}</ref>{{rp|at=1:25:50|q=timestamp}} DJ and producer [[Porter Robinson]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Bein|first=Kat|title=Porter Robinson Shouts-Out Mat Zo, Nina Las Vegas and More of His Favorite Artists to Celebrate His Birthday|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8465511/porter-robinson-favorite-artists-birthday-tweets|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=July 16, 2018|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> as well as Australian singer [[Sia (musician)|Sia]].<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1061166072647180288|user=Sia|last=Furler|first=Sia|authorlink=Sia (musician)|title=Get into this weirdness|publisher=[[Twitter]]|date=November 10, 2018|accessdate=September 8, 2020}}</ref>


==== ''History of the Entire World, I Guess'' ====
Wurtz is entirely self-taught as a musician, and has not admitted to any formal training. However, it is speculated that he attended classes at [[Berklee College of Music]];<ref name=":3"/> in his now-defunct Ask.fm page, he made multiple contradictory references to Berklee.<ref>{{Cite web|title=how long did you spend at berklee, if you don't mind me asking|quote=just long enough to become disillusioned by the academic system in general [...]|url=https://imgur.com/LCoctK3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Who were your favorite teachers at Berklee?|url=https://imgur.com/1OKbwdS|quote=john audrich, [[Livingston Taylor|livingston taylor]] and joe mullholand.{{sic}} that being said, i did not attend berklee}}</ref> Wurtz has also stated to have [[absolute pitch|perfect pitch]].<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=do you have perfect pitch? meaning you can name chords and notes instantly just by hearing them.|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201812270237|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=September 7, 2020|date=December 27, 2018|quote=yes except sometimes the very first one of the week might take up to 3 to 4 instants}}</ref><ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=do you think your composing process would be different if you didn't have perfect pitch?|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201701051923|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=September 7, 2020|date=January 5, 2017|quote=absolutely not}}</ref> He has professed a cautious approach to [[music theory]], insisting that the sound and feeling of music should be prioritized over attempts to conform to theory.<ref name="bass"/> A writer for the student newspaper ''[[Algonquin Regional High School#The Harbinger|The Harbinger]]'' identified the song "i wanna be a movie star" (or simply "movie star") as an example of Wurtz subverting typical approaches to composition, opting to use a mixture of [[Time signature#Complex time signatures|unusual time signatures]]{{efn|group=note|''The Harbinger'' displays the most prominent time signature in the song as {{music|time|18|8}}; Wurtz, however, considers it to be [[Mixed meter|alternating]] {{music|time|4|4}} and {{music|time|5|4}}.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201812241151|title=any examples/moments of 5/4 time signature in any of your released songs?|website=billwurtz.com|date=December 24, 2018|access-date=September 9, 2020|quote=the main lines of movie star, i consider to be alternating 4/4+5/4}}</ref>}} at the risk of sounding "either incomplete or too long". This is claimed as notable due to the song instead managing to "feel completely natural" and "pop-ish", despite most pop music conforming to [[common time]].<ref name="harbinger"/> Wurtz has used different programs to edit his music, including [[GarageBand]] from 2009 to 2010,<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=do you use garageband? [...]|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201903130808|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=September 12, 2020|date=March 13, 2019|quote=i used it during 2009 and 2010 only }}</ref> and discontinued [[Logic Express]] 9 until at least 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hale|first1=Kirby|last2=Wurtz|first2=Bill|title=What editing software do you use? I'm very new to your videos and I always ask that question as I'm into the editing field :}|url=https://ask.fm/billwurtz/answers/134445683977|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617143448/https://ask.fm/billwurtz/answers/134445683977|archive-date=June 17, 2016|date=February 2016|accessdate=September 12, 2020|website=[[Ask.fm]]|quote=[...] for the music i use logic express 9, which also doesn't exist anymore [...]}}</ref>
{{external media
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| video1 = {{YouTube|xuCn8ux2gbs|history of the entire world, i guess}}
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Wurtz released a 20-minute overview of [[Human history|world history]], ''History of the Entire World, I Guess'', on May 10, 2017.<ref name=":5" /> The video took over 11 months to produce, including almost three months of research.<ref name="h3" /> It briefly covers the topics of [[natural history]] and human [[civilization]] from the [[Big Bang]] to the near future.<ref>{{cite web|title=The (almost) entire history of the world in under 20 hilarious minutes? This video is your answer|url=https://scroll.in/video/837921/the-almost-entire-history-of-the-world-in-under-20-hilarious-minutes-this-video-is-your-answer|work=[[Scroll.in]]|date=May 18, 2017|access-date=September 10, 2020|archive-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424111628/https://scroll.in/video/837921/the-almost-entire-history-of-the-world-in-under-20-hilarious-minutes-this-video-is-your-answer|url-status=live}}</ref> The video marked the continued development of Wurtz's style, with fast-paced, [[absurdist humor]] and jazz-like musical interludes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 23, 2020 |title=What to binge on YouTube, the original "quick bite" video service |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2020/apr/23/what-to-binge-on-youtube-the-original-quick-bite-v/ |access-date=December 28, 2021 |website=[[Las Vegas Weekly]] |archive-date=January 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122063537/https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2020/apr/23/what-to-binge-on-youtube-the-original-quick-bite-v/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Wurtz's videos are typically in a [[Lo-fi photography|lo-fi]],<ref name=":3"/> neon<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/bill-wurtz-returns-to-teach-the-history-of-the-entire-world.html|title=Bill Wurtz Returns to Teach the History of the Entire World, He Guesses|first=Brian|last=Feldman|website=Intelligencer|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> aesthetic, and have been described as [[Surrealism|surreal]]<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.rt.com/news/331283-history-japan-video/|title=History lesson with a difference: Surreal 'History of Japan' video goes viral|access-date=December 28, 2016|date=February 4, 2016|newspaper=RT International}}</ref> and [[Psychedelic art|psychedelic]].<ref name="h3"/><ref name="mashable">{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2016/02/06/history-of-japan-youtube/|title=Psychedelic history of Japan turns learning into an acid trip|last1=Strange|first1=Adario|date=February 6, 2016|website=[[Mashable]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209013522/http://mashable.com/2016/02/06/history-of-japan-youtube|archivedate=February 9, 2016|accessdate=August 10, 2019}}</ref> They often involve [[deadpan]] humor, dancing stick figures, neon lyrics on-screen, and [[vaporwave]]-like transitions.<ref name=":2"/> Wurtz often follows similar patterns in his videos such as multi-layering,<ref name="h3"/> including screenshots of built-in [[macOS]] applications such as [[TextEdit]],<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=unboxing video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1bEWoblGZA|access-date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> along with [[clip art]] images,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|first=Lexi|last=Pandell|date=January 16, 2019|url=https://www.okwhatever.org/topics/wtf/bill-wurtz-videos|title=How Bill Wurtz's Videos Make the Internet a Better Place|website=OK Whatever|access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref> and showing himself playing "[[air drums]]", overlaying images where the [[drumhead]]s would be.<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=La de da de da de da de day oh|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0HCZ4YGqbw|access-date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> He has stated that this basic style arose out of a necessity to publish content regularly, and evolved naturally.<ref name="h3"/>{{rp|at=0:35:27|q=timestamp}} From his first video up until early 2019, Wurtz created his videos using [[Final Cut Express]] 4, a program that was discontinued as far back as in 2011.<ref name="h3"/> In 2019, he switched to the more modern software [[Final Cut Pro X]].<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201908181416|title=Why haven't you made a video for 5 months?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 19, 2019|date=August 18, 2019|quote=[...] it {{sic|occ|ured|hide=y}} to me that now might actually be the most fine time to go ahead and do what is known as the 'finalcut transition', which long story short means i have to entirely abandon the primary video editing software i have used for the last 5 years. [...]}}</ref><ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201901021039|title=Will you upgrade to final cut 10?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 19, 2019|date=January 2, 2018|quote=i wouldn't consider that an upgrade, that would be more like switching to something entirely new. but i am still probably going to do it}}</ref>


On the day of its release, ''History of the Entire World, I Guess'' was the top video on the YouTube trending page, receiving 3.2 million views.<ref name="tubefilter">{{cite web|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/05/11/bill-wurtz-history-of-the-entire-world/|title=Bill Wurtz's "History of the Entire World" Gets 3.2 Million YouTube Views in Its First Day|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|date=May 11, 2017|work=[[Tubefilter]]|access-date=May 12, 2017|archive-date=September 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904185443/https://www.tubefilter.com/2017/05/11/bill-wurtz-history-of-the-entire-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Reddit]], it became the most upvoted YouTube link.<ref name="Verge">{{cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/5/11/15623628/history-of-the-entire-world-i-guess-bill-wurtz-watch-this|title=History of the Entire World, I Guess could have been the best online video of 2005|last1=Gartenberg|first1=Chaim|date=May 11, 2017|work=[[The Verge]]|access-date=June 24, 2017|archive-date=May 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511211441/https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/5/11/15623628/history-of-the-entire-world-i-guess-bill-wurtz-watch-this|url-status=live}}</ref> It became an internet meme<ref>{{cite web|last=Hathaway|first=Jay|title=Viral 'History of the World' video turns into a meme bonanza|url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/history-of-world-memes|work=[[The Daily Dot]]|date=May 17, 2017|access-date=September 17, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806010803/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/history-of-world-memes/|url-status=live}}</ref> and was listed eighth on YouTube's list of the top 10 trending videos of the year.<ref>{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/youtube-2017-top-trending-videos-music-videos-1202631416|title=YouTube Reveals 2017 Top Viral and Music Videos|date=December 6, 2017|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=September 22, 2020|archive-date=July 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708145602/https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/youtube-2017-top-trending-videos-music-videos-1202631416/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2024|November}}, it has over 170 million views.<ref name=":0">{{citation |last=Wurtz |first=Bill |title=history of the entire world, i guess |date=May 10, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuCn8ux2gbs |access-date=May 14, 2017 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026192428/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuCn8ux2gbs |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Quote box

|text='<nowiki>[Music]</nowiki> theory' may be fun, but it's made of liquid and has a tendency to melt. The music comes first and then you figure out how to describe what happened, although fully describing it can never be done. One of the classical composers said 'We will never understand music, but music understands us readily and instantly'.
''Vox''{{'s}} German Lopez praised the video for not heavily focusing on Western history and successfully covering areas that may be neglected in American schools, such as powers in China, Persia, and India.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=German |title=Watch this bizarre, hilarious history of the whole world |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/15/15641594/world-history-video-bill-wurtz |url-status=live|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=August 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413161349/https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/15/15641594/world-history-video-bill-wurtz |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |date=May 7, 2018}}</ref> ''[[Las Vegas Weekly]]'' called it a "must-see",<ref name="lvweekly">{{cite web|last=Carter|first=Geoff|date=April 23, 2020|title=What to binge on YouTube, the original "quick bite" video service|url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2020/apr/23/what-to-binge-on-youtube-the-original-quick-bite-v|access-date=September 10, 2020|work=[[Las Vegas Weekly]]|archive-date=November 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103003250/https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2020/apr/23/what-to-binge-on-youtube-the-original-quick-bite-v/|url-status=live}}</ref> and it has been considered Wurtz's [[magnum opus]].<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisisinsider.com/history-of-the-entire-world-video-bill-wurtz-meme-2017-5|title=This 20-minute animated video explains the entire history of the world – and the internet is obsessed with it|last=Shamsian|first=Jacob|website=[[Insider Inc.#Insider|Insider]]|access-date=July 20, 2019|date=May 18, 2017|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625185345/http://www.thisisinsider.com/history-of-the-entire-world-video-bill-wurtz-meme-2017-5|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, ''[[Thrillist]]'' ranked the video at number 40 on its list of the 100 greatest YouTube videos.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 100 Greatest YouTube Videos of All Time, Ranked|work=[[Thrillist]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210826195308/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-youtube-videos-of-all-time|archive-date= August 26, 2021|url-status=dead|url= https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-youtube-videos-of-all-time}}</ref>
|width=25%

|align=left
==== 2017–present: Post-''History of the Entire World, I Guess'' career ====
|quoted=1
In 2017, Wurtz released "Hi, I'm Steve", an absurdist animation about a man named Steve, which trended on Reddit.<ref name="vice" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Haysom |first=Sam |date=July 7, 2017 |title=Gloriously random animation about a man named Steve is going viral |url=https://mashable.com/video/hi-im-steve-surreal-viral-animation |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=[[Mashable]]}}</ref> Other popular videos made by Wurtz include animated music videos, such as "Mount St. Helens is about to Blow Up" and "and the day goes on", as well as nonsensical shorts.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Piedra |first=Xavier |date=September 19, 2018 |title=This weirdly peppy anthem for end times will be stuck in your head for days |url=https://mashable.com/video/bill-wurtz-mount-st-helen-song-youtube |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=[[Mashable]]}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo" />
|author=Bill Wurtz

|source=Interview from ''[[Bass Guitar (magazine)|Bass Guitar]]'' magazine<ref name="bass">{{cite news |last1=McIver |first1=Joel |authorlink1=Joel McIver |title=WURTZ CASE: YouTube sensation Bill Wurtz has a secret weapon – bass – but not the way you'd expect. He reveals the method behind his three million subscribers |work=[[Bass Guitar (magazine)|Bass Guitar]] |issue=168 |date=April 2, 2019 |page=32 |issn=1476-5217}}</ref>
In 2018, Wurtz appeared on the ''[[H3 Podcast]]'', his first major interview<ref name="h3" /><ref name=":3"/>, and his song "I Just Did a Bad Thing" inspired a trend of [[TikTok]] videos of people [[lip-sync]]ing to the song and using it to accompany pranks and regrettable changes in personal appearances.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|last=Scheetz|first=Cameron|date=August 20, 2020|title=Follow the Old Town Road: 20 songs that got a boost from TikTok fame|url=https://www.avclub.com/follow-the-old-town-road-20-songs-that-got-a-boost-fro-1844701225|access-date=September 18, 2020|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919153920/https://music.avclub.com/follow-the-old-town-road-20-songs-that-got-a-boost-fro-1844701225|url-status=live}}</ref> Millions of videos used the audio, and #ididabadthing became the platform's top hashtag of March 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Dami|title=TikTok turns one: its first 12 months, as told through TikToks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/2/20748800/tiktok-1-year-anniversary-bytedance-most-popular-hashtags-monthl|work=[[The Verge]]|date=August 2, 2019|access-date=September 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Perrett |first=Connor |date=January 14, 2020 |title=21 of the most popular TikTok songs and sounds, and where they came from |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-tiktok-songs-sounds-origin-2020-1#i-just-did-a-bad-thing-a-soundcloud-song-becomes-a-hit-for-teens-with-instant-regret-18 |access-date=July 8, 2024 |work=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref>
}}

At [[VidCon|Vidcon 2018]], Wurtz answered a question about why his style is so different from other YouTube musicians. He explained that he does not watch any other creators on the platform. Instead, he simply does what he thinks is normal. "My secret is just live under a rock, and stay there," he said.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPyycggjrc&t=6m12s|first=Miranda|last=Winters| date=June 23, 2018 | title=MIRANDA SINGS & THE EXPO HALL | medium=video |accessdate=October 26, 2018}}</ref> He states on his website that one of his most important goals is to "go my own way and deliver things that challenge and defy… expectations".<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201604182329|title=Why not take requests for Patrons that pay more than $25? A custom song for those who want it, and it pays for the electricity|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=March 12, 2019|date=April 18, 2016|quote=one of the most important things i aim to do is go my own way, and deliver things that challenge and defy the expectations. if that is not what you are interested in, then you should not be supporting me}}</ref> Wurtz has struggled with [[Perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionism]], and is actively trying to overcome it by creating schedules and setting deadlines for himself.<ref name="h3"/> In response to a fan question he explained that in the process of overcoming perfectionism he has "been forced to become an expert on carelessness".<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810170919|title=i'm not sure if you're a perfectionist or a bit anything goes. which is it?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 26, 2019|date=October 17, 2018|quote=i have a deeply rooted and incapacitating perfection problem, and in the process of overcoming it i have been forced to become an expert on carelessness. [...]}}</ref>
== Style ==
Wurtz creates music and animation in an absurdist, surreal style.<ref name="vice">{{cite web|last=Shi|first=Diana|title=Watch This Absurd Animation Where a Little Man Climbs a Mountain to Avoid Taxes|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3knakb/watch-this-absurd-animation-where-a-little-man-climbs-a-mountain-to-avoid-taxes|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|date=July 9, 2017|access-date=September 17, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029222022/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3knakb/watch-this-absurd-animation-where-a-little-man-climbs-a-mountain-to-avoid-taxes|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo">{{cite web|last=Muncy|first=Julie|title=This Surreal Inspirational Cartoon Will Have You Ready To Face Anything|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/05/this-surreal-inspirational-cartoon-will-have-you-ready-to-face-anything|work=[[Gizmodo]]|date=May 1, 2018|access-date=September 17, 2020|archive-date=April 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407164944/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/05/this-surreal-inspirational-cartoon-will-have-you-ready-to-face-anything/|url-status=live}}</ref> Eddie Kim of ''[[MEL Magazine]]'' wrote that Wurtz "refuses to mimic anyone else's animation or musical style, but it's not weird for weirdness' sake alone", comparing him to [[Thundercat (musician)|Thundercat]] and [[Louis Cole]] and highlighting Wurtz's pretty pop melodies, unexpected chords, and multi-layered rhythms as commonalities.<ref name=":2"/> Geoff Carter of ''[[Las Vegas Weekly]]'' stated, "Merge [[Don Hertzfeldt]], [[Jenny Holzer]] and Thundercat and you might get someone a little bit like Bill Wurtz."<ref name="lvweekly"/>

=== Music ===
Wurtz's music has been classified as [[jazz pop]], incorporating elements of [[lo-fi music]], [[smooth jazz]], [[funk]], and [[easy listening]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name="pandora">{{cite web |last1=Ring |first1=Julian |title=These Viral Musicians Are Still Making Great Songs |url=http://blog.pandora.com/us/these-viral-musicians-are-still-making-great-songs/ |website=Pandora Blog |access-date=August 14, 2019 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327091206/http://blog.pandora.com/us/these-viral-musicians-are-still-making-great-songs/ |archive-date=March 27, 2019}}</ref> In an interview with [[Genius (website)|Genius]], Wurtz stated that "it's a good [...] songwriting technique to write about something bad with a good sounding melody, because if you can get people to feel good about something bad, then you're bulletproof in life."<ref>{{cite web |last=Reneau |first=Steven |date=January 11, 2019 |title=Bill Wurtz Breaks Down The Meaning Of 'Mount St. Helens Is About To Blow Up' |url=https://genius.com/videos/Bill-wurtz-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-mount-st-helens-is-about-to-blow-up |access-date=September 8, 2020 |publisher=[[Genius (website)|Genius]] |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024215310/https://genius.com/videos/Bill-wurtz-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-mount-st-helens-is-about-to-blow-up |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|at=0:00:46|q=timestamp}} Wurtz's voice has been described by ''[[MEL Magazine]]'' as a "silky [[tenor]] with range and energy".<ref name=":2" /> He plays instruments including the [[piano]], [[bass guitar]], and [[drums]].<ref name=":2" /> His songs feature prominent [[bassline]]s, which he records on a keyboard rather than a bass guitar.<ref name="bass" />


Wurtz started making music at a very early age.<ref group="q">{{Cite web|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|date=February 15, 2021|title=[...]Did people in your life have an influence on you developing this skill?|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=202102151334|access-date=February 16, 2021|website=billwurtz.com|quote=i was able to hear a lot of music on records[...]and I will confess I also had access to a piano/keyboard instrument, and a drum set.[...] Having an extremely early start, it was pretty natural to find me in many many personal and professional music relationships with peers (well at first it was usually people much older than me because I was so young to start)|archive-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216180701/https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=202102151334|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[Bass Guitar (magazine)|Bass Guitar]]'' magazine, he said he was "wholly self-taught" as a musician, and he downplayed the importance of [[music theory]] in songwriting and composition, saying, {{" '}}Theory' may be fun, but it's made of liquid and has a tendency to melt. The music comes first and then you figure out how to describe what happened, although fully describing it can never be done."<ref name="bass">{{cite news |last1=McIver |first1=Joel |author-link1=Joel McIver |title=WURTZ CASE: YouTube sensation Bill Wurtz has a secret weapon – bass – but not the way you'd expect. He reveals the method behind his three million subscribers |work=[[Bass Guitar (magazine)|Bass Guitar]] |issue=168 |date=April 2, 2019 |page=32 |issn=1476-5217}}</ref>
Furthermore, Wurtz is known for his unwillingness to run advertising on his content, or accept sponsorships, even though he admitted the pressure to do so is "enormous".<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":3"/> He has explained that advertisements make him "uncomfortable"<ref name="h3"/> and that he thinks they "suck".<ref name=":3"/> All of Wurtz's content is available for free on his website.<ref name=":4"/> Wurtz receives direct fan support, which include crowdfunding on [[Patreon]],<ref name="tubefilter"/> streams on [[Streaming media#Music streaming platforms|music streaming services]], and merchandise sales.<ref name=":3"/><ref name="h3"/>{{rp|at=0:44:15|q=timestamp}} However, he does not heavily promote any of these revenue streams.<ref name="h3"/>


Wurtz has mentioned pop singer-songwriter [[Paul McCartney]] and [[jazz fusion]] musicians [[Dave Weckl]] and [[Chick Corea]] as songwriting influences.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHHAZfpDdk |title=Bill Wurtz Discusses The Beatles {{!}} "Here, There, and Everywhere" Podcast, Ep. 44 |date=2023-03-15 |last=Lawless |first=Jack |access-date=2024-09-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>{{Rp|location=0:22:02|quote=timestamp}}<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw1clfiGOHk |title=history of the entire bill wurtz, i guess |date=2023-12-15 |last=Padilla |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Padilla |access-date=2024-09-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>{{Rp|location=0:10:16|quote=timestamp}} Artists who have expressed admiration for Wurtz's music include [[Independent music|indie]] musicians [[Daði Freyr]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Get To Know... Daði Freyr|url=https://diymag.com/2020/05/27/get-to-know-dadi-freyr|work=[[DIY (magazine)|DIY]]|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=June 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607175437/https://diymag.com/2020/05/27/get-to-know-dadi-freyr|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Sidney Gish]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Beriss|first=Ben|title=WBRS brings indie spirit to campus|url=http://brandeishoot.com/2019/01/25/wbrs-brings-indie-spirit-to-campus|work=[[The Brandeis Hoot]]|date=January 25, 2019|access-date=September 8, 2020|archive-date=March 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301035638/https://brandeishoot.com/2019/01/25/wbrs-brings-indie-spirit-to-campus/|url-status=live}}</ref>, as well as DJ and producer [[Porter Robinson]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bein|first=Kat|title=Porter Robinson Shouts-Out Mat Zo, Nina Las Vegas and More of His Favorite Artists to Celebrate His Birthday|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8465511/porter-robinson-favorite-artists-birthday-tweets|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=July 16, 2018|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024091856/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8465511/porter-robinson-favorite-artists-birthday-tweets|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Website ==
While Wurtz has a larger audience on external platforms like YouTube, he is still the most active on his own website, billwurtz.com.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/|title=billwurtz|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> It was launched in 2014 but has been described as looking like it was made in the late 1990s due to its simple design.<ref name=":3"/> Apart from containing all of his released songs and most of his videos dating back since 2002<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|first=Eddie|last=Kim|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/meet-bill-wurtz-the-internet-musical-genius-youve-never-heard-of|title=Meet Bill Wurtz, the Internet Musical Genius You've Never Heard Of|date=October 12, 2018|website=[[MEL Magazine]]|access-date=June 26, 2019}}</ref> the website also features many other types of content not available elsewhere. This includes a questions page, as well as an anagram page, where Wurtz allows fans to request words or phrases out of which he creates anagrams.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/anagrams/anagrams.html|title=scarmble|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> Additionally, Wurtz has posted audio clips of [[musical improvisation]] both with vocal and vocal with music usually being piano or keyboard,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/improv/|title=improv|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> [[jazz]] covers,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/jazz.html|title=billwurtz|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> original [[instrumental]] tracks,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/instrumentals.html|title=billwurtz|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> as well as [[vlog]]-style 'reality' videos depicting his creative process.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/reality/|title=reality|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":2"/>


=== Questions page ===
=== Videos ===
Wurtz's videos are typically set in a [[Lo-fi photography|lo-fi]],<ref name=":3"/> [[Neon lighting|neon]]<ref name="nymag"/> aesthetic and have been described as [[Surrealism|surreal]] and [[Psychedelic art|psychedelic]].<ref name="h3" /><ref name="mashable">{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2016/02/06/history-of-japan-youtube/|title=Psychedelic history of Japan turns learning into an acid trip|last1=Strange|first1=Adario|date=February 6, 2016|website=[[Mashable]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209013522/http://mashable.com/2016/02/06/history-of-japan-youtube|archive-date=February 9, 2016|access-date=August 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo"/> They often involve [[deadpan]] humor, [[clip art]] images, dancing [[stick figure]]s, [[vaporwave]]-like transitions, and neon, [[sans-serif]] text on-screen.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="vice" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|first=Lexi|last=Pandell|date=January 16, 2019|url=https://www.okwhatever.org/topics/wtf/bill-wurtz-videos|title=How Bill Wurtz's Videos Make the Internet a Better Place|website=OK Whatever|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-date=July 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720083209/https://www.okwhatever.org/topics/wtf/bill-wurtz-videos|url-status=live}}</ref> He said on the H3 Podcast that his aesthetic arose to "get the job done [...] the only way I can do it, really."<ref name="h3"/>{{rp|at=0:35:27|q=timestamp}} His aesthetic has been compared to that of the early internet.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="Verge" />
Bill Wurtz maintains a section on this website to answer anonymously submitted questions. His answers to questions is considered an aspect of Wurtz's creative output; the style of his answers have been described as "verging on the poetic"<ref name=":3"/> and "earnest, if somewhat loopy-sounding".<ref name=":2"/> The first question was posted on May 10, 2015,<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/questions-2016-05.html#bottom|title=where has the fun gone ''(at bottom of page)''|date=May 10, 2015|quote=i will check}}</ref> and has since been usually updated daily.<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201906302109|title=do you answer these questions as they come or is there enough that you have to divide them into answerable chunks?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 19, 2019|date=June 30, 2019|quote=usually 1 answer session per day}}</ref> Wurtz used to have an [[Ask.fm]] page,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-02-06|title=bill wurtz {{!}} ask.fm/billwurtz|url=http://archive.is/Bd1FX|access-date=2020-07-21|website=archive.is}}</ref> but he discontinued it and created his own questions page to allow for complete anonymous questions, and to avoid ads.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|title=why did you opt for your own question page (your own domain) rather than a site like ask.fm ??|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201701172129|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=July 24, 2020|date=Jan 17, 2017|quote=the reason i thought ask.fm was good was because you don't have to sign-up just to ask a question. so i used ask.fm, and it worked great. but then about a year later, someone finally told me that that's not true, you actually do have to sign up to ask a question. so i made my own. and as with most things on the site, i like this much better because i can make it exactly how i want and there's no ads}}</ref> One answer addresses a question concerning Wurtz's personality, which has been identified as an example interaction on the questions page:<ref name=":3"/>


Wurtz is against running advertising on or accepting sponsorships for his videos, despite feeling pressure to do so.<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":3"/> He has explained that advertisements make him "uncomfortable"<ref name="h3"/> and that he thinks "they suck".<ref name=":3"/> Wurtz receives direct fan support through [[crowdfunding]] on [[Patreon]],<ref name="tubefilter"/> streams on [[Streaming media#Music streaming platforms|music streaming services]], and merchandise sales, but he does not heavily promote these revenue streams.<ref name=":3"/><ref name="h3"/>{{rp|at=0:44:15|q=timestamp}}
{{Quote frame|align=center|text='''10.9.18{{in5|2}}7:48&nbsp;pm'''{{in5|3}}how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky


=== Public image ===
{{in5|5}}i'm just trying to be reasonable<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810091948|title= how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky
Wurtz has an online following, including a [[subreddit]].<ref name=":2" /> He is known as a private person; he infrequently does interviews and has not gone on tour.<ref name=":3"/> On the H3 Podcast, he said that he "doesn't have time to do anything but make music". He struggles with [[Perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionism]], making use of schedules and deadlines to overcome it.<ref name=":3"/><ref name="h3"/>
|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=September 5, 2019|date=October 9, 2018|quote=i'm just trying to be reasonable}}</ref>}}


=== Reality page===
== Online presence ==
{{Quote frame|'''10.9.18{{in5|2}}7:48&nbsp;pm''' how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky? <br>
Wurtz continuously keeps an audio journal, frequently recording himself explaining his thoughts, frustrations, and breakthroughs. About three to four years after the recording date he proceeds to go through the old recordings, taking the highlights and editing them into short clips, as well as adding video elements like text and screenshots.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} The clips are published under the 'reality' section on Wurtz's website.<ref name=":6"/> Wurtz started turning his audio recordings into reality videos after finishing his ''history of japan'' project in early 2016. He proceeded to take three months off all other work to edit audio entries recorded between 2010 and 2016, turning them into reality videos.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201903142007|title=have you been recording 'reality' material and are therefore three years behind?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 17, 2019|date=March 14, 2019|quote=it's been a part of my life for at least 8 years. none of it was ever edited/produced until 2016 when i took 3 months off of all other content to only produce reality content 2010–2016. since then, i have never been able to find a way to produce it in any sizeable quantity without it taking away devastating amounts of time from the production of other content (videos/songs, etc). in addition, i wouldn't want the production to be fully up to date, because one of the things that makes the reality section more compelling is the fact that it is edited years later when i know how the story is going to turn out. so i can make much stronger use of foreshadowing that way}}</ref> The earliest available reality video is based on an audio recording from November 16, 2010, and as of August 2019, a total of 251 reality videos have been released. Wurtz has confirmed that he is planning to create "1000s more" in the future.<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201908221320|title=Are you ever going to do more reality videos?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 23, 2019|date=August 22, 2019|quote=1000s more}}</ref> Wurtz has justified the reality project by stating that it is "a way of coaxing [himself] into success at a mountain-movingly hard project" and that it keeps him "calm and organized". He also expressed that "first hand documentary materials should surely be of very high value".<ref group="q">{{Cite web |first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201904072238|title=what made you want to start doing the audio journal reality things?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 17, 2019|date=April 7, 2019|quote=as a way of coaxing myself into success at a mountain-movingly hard project. in other words, if i do actually succeed in moving a mountain, the first hand documentary materials should surely be of very high value. [...]}}</ref>
{{spaces|5}}i'm just trying to be reasonable|source=A question and Wurtz's answer on his website<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810091948|title=how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=September 5, 2019|date=October 9, 2018|quote=i'm just trying to be reasonable|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727002134/https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810091948|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3"/>|align=right|width=20em}}


Wurtz launched his personal website, ''billwurtz.com'', in 2014.<ref name=":3" /> Its simple design has been compared to late-1990s websites.<ref name=":3"/> The website contains his released songs and most of his videos dating back to 2002, as well as short journal posts and [[vlog]]-style "reality" videos depicting his creative process.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|first=Eddie|last=Kim|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/meet-bill-wurtz-the-internet-musical-genius-youve-never-heard-of|title=Meet Bill Wurtz, the Internet Musical Genius You've Never Heard Of|date=October 12, 2018|website=[[MEL Magazine]]|access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=June 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605123209/https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/meet-bill-wurtz-the-internet-musical-genius-youve-never-heard-of|url-status=live}}</ref> Wurtz maintains a section on his website to answer anonymously submitted questions. He originally allowed people to send questions using [[Ask.fm]], but stopped using the website due to his distaste of people having to sign up to ask anonymously.<ref group="r">{{Cite web |last=Wurtz |first=Bill |date=2016 |title=3.26.16 |url=https://billwurtz.com/reality/201603261225.mp4 |website=billwurtz.com |access-date=August 26, 2024 |archive-date=December 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220201914/https://billwurtz.com/reality/201603261225.mp4 |url-status=live }}</ref> The style of his answers has been described by the website ''OK Whatever'' as "[verging] on the poetic"<ref name=":3" /> and by ''[[MEL Magazine]]'' as "earnest, if somewhat loopy-sounding".<ref name=":2" />
== Collaborations ==
Wurtz is known as a solo artist, usually playing all the instruments in his songs himself. In the past, Wurtz rarely publicly recorded with other musicians. However, he has expressed a desire to start collaborating more,<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201810170244|title=Hey Bill ever thought of collaborating on a song with someone else|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 26, 2019|date=October 17, 2018|quote=i never thought about it before but i am thinking about it now}}</ref> stating that he "has become insanely sick of himself" and that he is "desperate to collaborate with as many people as possible".<ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201903111705|title=Can we expect more collaborations like the one with scary pockets? Maybe opening up the door for the Bill Wurtz "real" big band?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=March 12, 2019|date=March 11, 2019|quote=suddenly within the past year i've become insanely sick of myself. and i am now desperate to collaborate with as many people as possible
}}</ref>


Wurtz is active on [[Instagram]] and [[Twitter]], with humorous tweets in the style of [[Weird Twitter]].<ref name=":2" />
On March 11, 2019, Wurtz appeared on drums in a video by the cover band [[Scary Pockets]] (a band of [[Jack Conte]] and Ryan Lerman). They performed a [[funk]] cover of the song "[[Don't You Want Me]]" by [[The Human League]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Scary Pockets|title=Don't You Want Me – Funk cover feat. Bruno Major & Bill Wurtz|date=March 11, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlPO5ugGWs&t=30|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref><ref group="q">{{Cite web|first=Bill|last=Wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.com/questions/q.php?date=201903112122|title=YOOOO that scary pockets arrangement was fuckin fire!!!!! i'll be trying to catch them on tour for sure. do you know which genius was responsible for it (the arrangement not the tour)?|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=August 23, 2020|date=March 11, 2019|quote= the arrangement happened amongst the group within a very short time frame (about 45 minutes for the arrangement and recording). it is supposed to be 90 minutes, but the previous song went overtime and i was unable to go overtime on the second song due to international plane flight departure}}</ref> On April 1, 2019, he played drums on another Scary Pockets cover, this time of the song "[[You Get What You Give (song)|You Get What You Give]]" by [[New Radicals]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Scary Pockets|title=You Get What You Give – New Radicals – funk cover ft. Laura Mace & Bill Wurtz|date=April 1, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN_YtmL1Ckg|access-date=April 1, 2019}}</ref>


== Awards ==
== Awards ==
Line 124: Line 133:
!Nominee
!Nominee
!Result
!Result
! {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
|-
|2016
|2016
Line 129: Line 139:
|Tech & Innovation: Best in Weird
|Tech & Innovation: Best in Weird
|Bill Wurtz
|Bill Wurtz
|{{won}}<ref name="hollywood"/>
|{{won}}
| align="center" |<ref name="hollywood"/>
|}
|}


== Discography ==
== Discography ==

=== Music videos ===
=== Music videos ===
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
Since May 2014 Wurtz has published numerous full-length music videos, following the same format of his shorter videos. He made them available on his YouTube channel:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of songs with a music video, showing year released.<br/>[View counts accurate as of September 2020]
! class="unsortable" | Year
! style="width: 25em" class="unsortable" | Name
! style="width: 5em" | Views <br/>(millions)
|-
|-
! Year
| rowspan="3"|2014
! style="width: 25em" | Name
|"new canaan"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=song: new canaan|date=May 6, 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2ukpvP5mL8|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
! style="width: 5em" | Views (millions){{Efn|Last updated: November 2024|name=|group=note}}
|0.6
|-
|-
| rowspan="14"|2014
|"i like"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=song: i like|date=June 25, 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwi3AmAJO5k|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>
|"I'm Sad"
|0.4
|-
|"I'm a Diamond"
|1.8
|-
|"Barf On Me"
|0.1
|-
|"Feel Okay"
|0.2
|-
|"Dance The"
|0.2
|-
|"Tape Deck"
|0.1
|-
|"New Canaan"
|0.8
|-
|"Still Silly"
|0.1
|-
|"I Like"
|0.3
|0.3
|-
|-
|"Tuesday"
|"hey jodie foster"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=music video: hey jodie foster|date=September 27, 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzwcCQL1W5w|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>
|0.3
|-
|"Icy James"
|0.1
|-
|"I'm Confused (I Love You)"
|1.1
|-
|"Blind (To no Avail)"
|0.2
|-
|"Hey Jodie Foster"
|0.1
|0.1
|-
|-
| rowspan="3"|2015
| rowspan="3"|2015
|"I'm Crazy / It's Raining"
|"i'm crazy / it's raining"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=song: "i'm crazy / it's raining"|date=May 8, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfyswlszyhg|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|1.2
|1.4
|-
|-
|"You're Free to Do Whatever You Want to"
|"you're free to do whatever you want to"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=song: "you're free to do whatever you want to"|date=June 5, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th56Xg6OE5s|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>
|1.6
|1.8
|-
|-
|"School"
|"i don't wanna go to school"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title="i don't wanna go to school" full song|date=August 10, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RffAHV3tcgM|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>
|8.3
|11.7
|-
|-
| 2016
| 2016
|"Alphabet Shuffle"
|"alphabet shuffle"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=alphabet shuffle|date=June 26, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g02WKrWjUgA|access-date=June 13, 2019}}</ref>
|6.5
|7.8
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|2017
| rowspan="2"|2017
|"I Wanna Be A Movie Star"
|"i wanna be a movie star"<ref>{{citation|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|title=i wanna be a movie star|date=August 3, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUs1Popfd8g|accessdate=August 3, 2017}}</ref>
|3.7
|4.1
|-
|-
|"Outside"
|"outside"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=outside|date=September 28, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MIK7bb69xk|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|5.3
|6.4
|-
|-
| rowspan="12"|2018
| rowspan="12"|2018
|"La De Da De Da De Da De Day Oh"
|"La de da de da de da de day oh"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=La de da de da de da de day oh|date=January 16, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0HCZ4YGqbw|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|10.8
|13.8
|-
|-
|"And the Day Goes On"
|"and the day goes on"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=and the day goes on|date=April 25, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHZr6P1csiY|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|6.3
|8.0
|-
|-
|"Hello Sexy Pants"
|"hello sexy pants"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=hello sexy pants|date=June 21, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldaQLGOoJW0|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|2.8
|3.4
|-
|-
|"Hallelujah"
|"hallelujah"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=hallelujah|date=August 21, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqxT6KOFRIo|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|1.6
|1.9
|-
|-
|"I'm Best Friends with my Own Front Door"
|"i'm Best Friends with my Own Front Door"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=i'm Best Friends with my Own Front Door|date=September 4, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCxJ4gAt2cs|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|2.3<br/>
|3.2
|-
|-
|"Mount St. Helens Is About to Blow Up"
|"Mount St. Helens is about to Blow Up"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=Mount St. Helens is about to Blow Up|date=September 18, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elizAugXVcI|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|6.2
|8.8
|-
|-
|"The Moon Is Made of Cheese (But I Can't Taste It)"
|"the Moon is made of Cheese (but i can't taste it)"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=the Moon is made of Cheese (but i can't taste it)|date=October 2, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpelFcu602A|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|2.6
|3.9
|-
|-
|"When I Get Older"
|"When I Get Older"<ref>{{citation|last=Wurtz|first=Bill|title=When I Get Older|date=October 16, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX-Qr8iNqm0|accessdate=October 18, 2018}}</ref>
|2<br/>
|2.7
|-
|-
|"Long Long Long Journey"
|"long long long journey"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=long long long journey|date=October 30, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jEm6owSKFU|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|2.2
|3.5
|-
|-
|"Slow Down"
|"Slow Down"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=Slow Down|date=November 13, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83w4FgVkjUE|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
|1.7
|2.5
|-
|-
|"Christmas Isn't Real"
|"christmas isn't real"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=christmas isn't real|date=November 27, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDYXgsMzwSI|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref>
|1.8
|2.3
|-
|-
|"Just Did a Bad Thing"
|"i just did a bad thing"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=i just did a bad thing|date=December 25, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2yPnnDfqpw|access-date=December 25, 2018}}</ref>
|6.5
|9.4
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|2019
| rowspan="2"|2019
|"At the Airport Terminal"
|"at the airport terminal"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=at the airport terminal|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-qqrGtlHkg|access-date=January 31, 2019}}</ref>
|3.2
|-
|"Might Quit"
|14.4
|-
| rowspan="4" |2021
|"Here Comes the Sun"
|9.8
|-
|"I'm a Princess"
|4.0
|-
|"Got Some Money"
|5.0
|-
|"More Than a Dream"
|2.1
|2.1
|-
|-
| rowspan="11" |2022
|"might quit"<ref>{{Citation|last=bill wurtz|title=might quit|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpkf_p71rKY|access-date=March 18, 2019}}</ref>
|"I'm Scared"
|8.4
|2.4
|-
|"Fly Around"
|1.2
|-
|"9 8 7"
|1.1
|-
|"At the Corner Store"
|1.3
|-
|"If the World Doesn't End"
|1.0
|-
|"I'm a Huge Gamer Most of the Time"
|1.5
|-
|"The Ground Plane"
|0.8
|-
|"Meet Me in September"
|0.6
|-
|"I Like to Wear Soft Clothing"
|0.8
|-
|"The Ending"
|1.2
|-
|"Where I've Been"
|1.8
|}


=== Bandcamp releases ===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible autocollapse"
|+ class="nowrap" | Albums<ref name="Bandcamp">{{Cite web|title=bill wurtz|url=https://billwurtz.bandcamp.com/|url-status=live|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=Bandcamp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206191352/http://billwurtz.bandcamp.com:80/ |archive-date=February 6, 2016 }}</ref>
|-
! Title !! Year
|-
| ''What the Fuck'' || rowspan="3"|2010
|-
| ''Church Sessions''
|-
| ''The Summertime''
|-
| ''Fun Music'' || 2011
|}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible autocollapse"
|+ class="nowrap" | EPs<ref name="Bandcamp" />
|-
! Title !! Year
|-
| ''Yikes'' || rowspan="3"|2009
|-
| ''The Song Song''
|-
| ''Guerilla Myspace Project''
|-
| ''Bach Garageband'' || rowspan="7"|2010
|-
| ''Burger King Spring''
|-
| ''April Flowers''
|-
| ''It's All About the Ladies''
|-
| ''Fly July''
|-
| ''Short Butt Suites''
|-
| ''Fall Sprawl''
|-
| ''Murder Your Demon'' || rowspan="5"|2011
|-
| ''When is it Time to Come Home Again?''
|-
| ''Soap Boat''
|-
| ''Love''
|-
| ''Pain''
|-
| ''Hi-Bye (New Shorts)'' || 2013
|-
| ''New School'' || rowspan="5"|2014
|-
| ''We Could Just Get Right''
|-
| ''Eat Dirt Shorts''
|-
| ''My Next Album''
|-
| ''High Enough''
|}
|}


=== Other songs ===
=== Other songs ===
Wurtz has published many other full-length songs not accompanied by music videos. They are all available on his website,<ref name="billwurtz">{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/songs.html|title=billwurtz|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref> and some are also available on [[streaming services]]. Songs include:
The following songs are available on Wurtz's website:<ref name="billwurtz">{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/songs.html|title=billwurtz|website=billwurtz.com|access-date=June 19, 2019|archive-date=September 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919224514/https://billwurtz.com/songs.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible autocollapse"

|-
'''2009'''
! Title !! Date
*"the song song" (released August 10, 2009)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/THE%20SONG%20SONG.mp3|title=the song song}}</ref>
|-
'''2010'''
|-
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
|"The Song Song" || {{Date table sorting|August 10, 2009}}
*"dance the" (July 12, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/dance%20the.mp3|title=dance the}}</ref>
|-
*"2010" (September 7, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/2010.mp3|title=2010}}</ref>
|"15 Minutes" || {{Date table sorting|November 28, 2009}}
*"eat bread (feel sure)" (September 13, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/feel%20sure%20(eat%20bread).mp3|title=eat bread (feel sure)}}</ref>
|-
*"the trees" (October 14, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/the%20trees%20(okay,%20alright).mp3|title=the trees}}</ref>
|"Be Free and Don't Sell Records" || {{Date table sorting|July 8, 2010}}
*"i'm about to graduate from school" (November 7, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/im%20about%20to%20graduate%20from%20school.mp3|title=i'm about to graduate from school}}</ref>
|-
*"fever" (November 11, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/fever%20(is%20what%20makes%20you%20sick).mp3|title=fever}}</ref>
|"Desk and Chair" || {{Date table sorting|July 15, 2010}}
*"dream of evil" (November 24, 2010)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/dream%20of%20evil.mp3|title=dream of evil}}</ref>
|-
}}
|"Song 41" || {{Date table sorting|August 26, 2010}}
'''2011'''
|-
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
|"2010" || {{Date table sorting|September 7, 2010}}
*"murder your demon" (January 14, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/murder%20your%20demon.mp3|title=murder your demon}}</ref>
|-
*"how am i spost" (May 22, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/how%20am%20i%20spost.mp3|title=how am i spost}}</ref>
|"Eat Bread (Feel Sure)" || {{Date table sorting|September 13, 2010}}
*"Home Again" (May 23, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Home%20Again.mp3|title=Home Again}}</ref>
|-
*"no place like home" (June 16, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/No%20Place%20Like%20Home.mp3|title=no place like home}}</ref>
|"The Trees" || {{Date table sorting|October 14, 2010}}
*"do the thing" (June 20, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Do%20The%20Thing.mp3|title=do the thing}}</ref>
|-
*"i love you" (June 20, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/I%20Love%20You.mp3|title=i love you}}</ref>
|"I'm About to Graduate from School" || {{Date table sorting|November 7, 2010}}
*"go to the store" (June 24, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Go%20to%20the%20Store.mp3|title=go to the store}}</ref>
|-
*"(what) Love Is" (July 11, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/(What)%20Love%20Is.mp3|title=(what) love is}}</ref>
|"Fever" || {{Date table sorting|November 11, 2010}}
*"Do What You Want To Do" (July 15, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Do%20What%20You%20Want%20To%20Do.mp3|title=do what you want to do}}</ref>
|-
*"All U Need Is Love" (August 2, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/All%20U%20Need%20Is%20Love.mp3|title=all u need is love}}</ref>
|"Dream of Evil" || {{Date table sorting|November 24, 2010}}
*"the world" (September 2, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/The%20World's%20Got%20a%20Problem.mp3|title=the world}}</ref>
|-
*"Home" (September 9, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Home_1.mp3|title=home}}</ref>
|"Murder Your Demon" || {{Date table sorting|January 14, 2011}}
*"I Guess I've Got to Listen to Bob Marley" (September 23, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/I%20Guess%20I've%20Got%20To%20Listen%20To%20Bob%20Marley.mp3|title=bob marley}}</ref>
|-
*"Stupid Song" (September 26, 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/Stupid%20Song.mp3|title=stupid song}}</ref>
|"Dumpies" || {{Date table sorting|January 25, 2011}}
}}
|-
'''2014'''
|"Blue Boy" || {{Date table sorting|May 22, 2011}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
|-
*"textin on my iphone" (February 12, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/textinonmyiphone.mp3|title=textin on my iphone}}</ref>
|"How Am I Spost" || {{Date table sorting|May 22, 2011}}
*"rabbit snakes" (February 26, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/rabbitsnakes.mp3|title=rabbit snakes}}</ref>
|-
*"the future song" (March 5, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/thefuturesong.mp3|title=the future song}}</ref>
|"Home Again" || {{Date table sorting|May 23, 2011}}
*"icy james" (March 12, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/icyjames.mp3|title=icy james}}</ref>
|-
*"we could just get high" (March 19, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/wecouldjustgethigh.mp3|title=we could just get high}}</ref>
|"The Stupid Song" || {{Date table sorting|June 1, 2011}}
*"i'm in bryant park" (March 26, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/bryantpark.mp3|title=bryant park}}</ref>
|-
*"tuesday" (April 2, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/tuesday.mp3|title=tuesday}}</ref>
|"No Place like Home" || {{Date table sorting|June 16, 2011}}
*"It's Gonna Be Alright" (April 23, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/itsgonnabealright.mp3|title=it's gonna be alright}}</ref>
|-
*"write a song on the count of 3" (May 28, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/write-a-song-on-the-count-of-3.mp3|title=write a song on the count of 3}}</ref>
|"Do the Thing" || {{Date table sorting|June 20, 2011}}
*"i'm confused (i love you)" (June 4, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/imconfused.mp3|title=i'm confused}}</ref>
|-
*"this is a song for my next album" (June 11, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/this-is-a-song-for-my-next-album.mp3|title=this is a song for my next album}}</ref>
|"I Love You" || {{Date table sorting|June 20, 2011}}
*"goo soup" (July 9, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/goo-soup.mp3|title=goo soup}}</ref>
|-
*"i wanna sail you away" (July 23, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/i-wanna-sail-you-away.mp3|title=i wanna sail you away}}</ref>
|"Go to the Store" || {{Date table sorting|June 24, 2011}}
*"i can play" (September 3, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/i-can-play.mp3|title=i can play}}</ref>
|-
*"the road" (September 17, 2014)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/the-road.mp3|title=the road}}</ref>
|"(What) Love Is" || {{Date table sorting|July 11, 2011}}

|-
}}
|"Do What You Want to Do" || {{Date table sorting|July 15, 2011}}
'''2017'''
|-
*"in california" (May 30, 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/in-california.mp3|title=in california}}</ref>
|"All U Need Is Love" || {{Date table sorting|August 2, 2011}}
*"i love you" (June 6, 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/i-love-you.mp3|title=i love you (2017 version)}}</ref>
|-
*"got to know what's going on" (June 20, 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billwurtz.com/got-to-know-whats-going-on.mp3|title=got to know what's going on}}</ref>
|"The World" || {{Date table sorting|September 2, 2011}}
Furthermore, Wurtz has published a myriad of shorter songs (or jingles) on his website ranging from a couple of seconds to up to a minute in length.<ref name="billwurtz"/>
|-
|"Home" || {{Date table sorting|September 9, 2011}}
|-
|"I Guess I've Got to Listen to Bob Marley" || {{Date table sorting|September 23, 2011}}
|-
|"Stupid Song" || {{Date table sorting|September 26, 2011}}
|-
|"Textin on my iPhone" || {{Date table sorting|February 12, 2014}}
|-
|"Rabbit Snakes" || {{Date table sorting|February 26, 2014}}
|-
|"The Future Song" || {{Date table sorting|March 5, 2014}}
|-
|"We Could Just Get High" || {{Date table sorting|March 19, 2014}}
|-
|"I'm in Bryant Park" || {{Date table sorting|March 26, 2014}}
|-
|"It's Gonna Be Alright" || {{Date table sorting|April 23, 2014}}
|-
|"Write a Song on the Count of 3" || {{Date table sorting|May 28, 2014}}
|-
|"This Is a Song for my Next Album" || {{Date table sorting|June 11, 2014}}
|-
|"Goo Soup" || {{Date table sorting|July 9, 2014}}
|-
|"I Wanna Sail You Away" || {{Date table sorting|July 23, 2014}}
|-
|"I Can Play" || {{Date table sorting|September 3, 2014}}
|-
|"The Road" || {{Date table sorting|September 17, 2014}}
|-
|"In California" || {{Date table sorting|May 30, 2017}}
|-
|"I Love You" || {{Date table sorting|June 6, 2017}}
|-
|"Got to Know What's Going On" || {{Date table sorting|June 20, 2017}}
|}


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
Line 282: Line 470:
=== Bill Wurtz's questions page ===
=== Bill Wurtz's questions page ===
{{Reflist|group=q|35em}}
{{Reflist|group=q|35em}}

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[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
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[[Category:American multi-instrumentalists]]
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[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
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[[Category:Surreal comedy]]
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[[Category:Video bloggers]]
[[Category:Vine celebrities]]
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[[Category:YouTube animators]]
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[[Category:YouTube channels launched in 2012]]
[[Category:YouTube channels launched in 2012]]
[[Category:YouTube Silver Play Button recipients]]
[[Category:YouTube Gold Play Button recipients]]
[[Category:Shorty Award winners]]

Latest revision as of 11:08, 24 December 2024

Not to be confused with Bill Wertz or Bill Wirtz.
This article is about the musician. For the sculptor, see B. Wurtz.

Bill Wurtz
A green umbrella on a black background
Wurtz's YouTube icon
Background information
Also known asBilly Wilds (2009-2010)[1]
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • bass guitar
  • drums
Years active2002–present
Websitebillwurtz.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subscribers5.5 million[2]
Total views766.3 million[2]
100,000 subscribers2016
1,000,000 subscribers2017
Last updated: November 30, 2024

Bill Wurtz (often stylized in all lowercase) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, video producer, animator, and internet personality. He is known for his distinctive style of music involving deadpan delivery and singing, as well as his animated music videos, which often include surrealist and psychedelic graphics.

Wurtz has been actively publishing music and videos since 2002. He has uploaded videos on Vine, where he first gained popularity, and on YouTube. Two of his animated videos on YouTube, History of Japan (2016), and History of the Entire World, I Guess (2017), went viral and inspired internet memes. In 2016, Wurtz won the Shorty Award for Best in Weird.

Career

[edit]

Early work

[edit]

Wurtz's first published composition was an instrumental named "Late Nite Lounge with Loud Lenny", which was recorded on June 17, 2002, and his first song with vocals, "stuck in a rut", was created in March 2005. Beginning in 2010, he released songs more frequently.[3]

Vine videos

[edit]

Wurtz first became known on the short-form video-sharing website Vine,[4][5] where he gained a following in 2014.[3] He took short videos he had previously published to his website and edited them to fit Vine's six-second restriction.[3] Before moving to YouTube, Wurtz was uploading a video to Vine nearly every day.[6] In 2015, he received attention for the short video "Shaving My Piano".[7] On April 11, 2016, Wurtz won the Shorty Award for "Tech & Innovation: Weird" at the 8th Shorty Awards.[8] At the awards ceremony, his acceptance speech solely consisted of the words "Thank you."[3][9] Later that year, Wurtz withdrew from making Vines to focus on finishing History of Japan.[r 1]

YouTube

[edit]

Wurtz created his YouTube channel in September 2013.[3] Despite disliking online streaming, he joined YouTube after a friend advised him to post content that was previously exclusive to his website.[9]

History of Japan

[edit]
External videos
thumbnail of a blue terrain map of Japan, beside the text "history of japan"
video icon history of japan on YouTube

In 2016, Wurtz released History of Japan, a nine-minute YouTube video that outlines Japan's history.[10] The video gave him wider popularity, following an increase in subscribers due to his Vine popularity.[3] Wurtz has stated he chose the topic due to his lack of knowledge of it.[r 2][3] According to Wurtz, it took fourteen weeks to make History of Japan.[9] The video covers key events of Japan's history, such as the spread of rice farming, the introduction of Buddhism, internal conflicts between rulers, its alliance with Britain, World War I, World War II, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and its post-war economic miracle.[11][12] It showcases Wurtz's quirky visual and comedic style through fast-paced narration and animation, intercut with short musical jingles.[13]

History of Japan went viral on social media after its release on February 2, 2016, and received over four million views by February 8th.[11] It received considerable attention on Tumblr and Reddit.[4][10], and became a lasting internet meme, with people posting quotes and images from it while discussing subjects such as politics.[14] As of July 2024, the video has over 82 million views.

Adario Strange of Mashable described the video as "an entertaining new approach to education".[13] German Lopez of Vox called it a "strange", "pretty good", and "surprisingly funny" video. Lopez noted the poor coverage of Japanese war crimes against Korea and China in the 20th century and attributed this omission to the video's short runtime.[12] In 2021, Polygon listed it in its list of top 25 "dumb internet videos".[15]

History of the Entire World, I Guess

[edit]
External videos
thumbnail of a simplified Earth consisting of a blue circle with a green squiggle, beside the text "history of the world, i guess"
video icon history of the entire world, i guess on YouTube

Wurtz released a 20-minute overview of world history, History of the Entire World, I Guess, on May 10, 2017.[16] The video took over 11 months to produce, including almost three months of research.[6] It briefly covers the topics of natural history and human civilization from the Big Bang to the near future.[17] The video marked the continued development of Wurtz's style, with fast-paced, absurdist humor and jazz-like musical interludes.[18]

On the day of its release, History of the Entire World, I Guess was the top video on the YouTube trending page, receiving 3.2 million views.[5] On Reddit, it became the most upvoted YouTube link.[19] It became an internet meme[20] and was listed eighth on YouTube's list of the top 10 trending videos of the year.[21] As of November 2024, it has over 170 million views.[22]

Vox's German Lopez praised the video for not heavily focusing on Western history and successfully covering areas that may be neglected in American schools, such as powers in China, Persia, and India.[23] Las Vegas Weekly called it a "must-see",[24] and it has been considered Wurtz's magnum opus.[3][16] In 2020, Thrillist ranked the video at number 40 on its list of the 100 greatest YouTube videos.[25]

2017–present: Post-History of the Entire World, I Guess career

[edit]

In 2017, Wurtz released "Hi, I'm Steve", an absurdist animation about a man named Steve, which trended on Reddit.[26][27] Other popular videos made by Wurtz include animated music videos, such as "Mount St. Helens is about to Blow Up" and "and the day goes on", as well as nonsensical shorts.[9][28][29]

In 2018, Wurtz appeared on the H3 Podcast, his first major interview[6][9], and his song "I Just Did a Bad Thing" inspired a trend of TikTok videos of people lip-syncing to the song and using it to accompany pranks and regrettable changes in personal appearances.[30] Millions of videos used the audio, and #ididabadthing became the platform's top hashtag of March 2019.[31][32]

Style

[edit]

Wurtz creates music and animation in an absurdist, surreal style.[26][29] Eddie Kim of MEL Magazine wrote that Wurtz "refuses to mimic anyone else's animation or musical style, but it's not weird for weirdness' sake alone", comparing him to Thundercat and Louis Cole and highlighting Wurtz's pretty pop melodies, unexpected chords, and multi-layered rhythms as commonalities.[3] Geoff Carter of Las Vegas Weekly stated, "Merge Don Hertzfeldt, Jenny Holzer and Thundercat and you might get someone a little bit like Bill Wurtz."[24]

Music

[edit]

Wurtz's music has been classified as jazz pop, incorporating elements of lo-fi music, smooth jazz, funk, and easy listening.[3][33] In an interview with Genius, Wurtz stated that "it's a good [...] songwriting technique to write about something bad with a good sounding melody, because if you can get people to feel good about something bad, then you're bulletproof in life."[34]: 0:00:46  Wurtz's voice has been described by MEL Magazine as a "silky tenor with range and energy".[3] He plays instruments including the piano, bass guitar, and drums.[3] His songs feature prominent basslines, which he records on a keyboard rather than a bass guitar.[35]

Wurtz started making music at a very early age.[q 1] In an interview with Bass Guitar magazine, he said he was "wholly self-taught" as a musician, and he downplayed the importance of music theory in songwriting and composition, saying, "'Theory' may be fun, but it's made of liquid and has a tendency to melt. The music comes first and then you figure out how to describe what happened, although fully describing it can never be done."[35]

Wurtz has mentioned pop singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and jazz fusion musicians Dave Weckl and Chick Corea as songwriting influences.[36]: 0:22:02 [37]: 0:10:16  Artists who have expressed admiration for Wurtz's music include indie musicians Daði Freyr[38] and Sidney Gish[39], as well as DJ and producer Porter Robinson.[40]

Videos

[edit]

Wurtz's videos are typically set in a lo-fi,[9] neon[4] aesthetic and have been described as surreal and psychedelic.[6][13][29] They often involve deadpan humor, clip art images, dancing stick figures, vaporwave-like transitions, and neon, sans-serif text on-screen.[3][26][9] He said on the H3 Podcast that his aesthetic arose to "get the job done [...] the only way I can do it, really."[6]: 0:35:27  His aesthetic has been compared to that of the early internet.[9][19]

Wurtz is against running advertising on or accepting sponsorships for his videos, despite feeling pressure to do so.[3][9] He has explained that advertisements make him "uncomfortable"[6] and that he thinks "they suck".[9] Wurtz receives direct fan support through crowdfunding on Patreon,[5] streams on music streaming services, and merchandise sales, but he does not heavily promote these revenue streams.[9][6]: 0:44:15 

Public image

[edit]

Wurtz has an online following, including a subreddit.[3] He is known as a private person; he infrequently does interviews and has not gone on tour.[9] On the H3 Podcast, he said that he "doesn't have time to do anything but make music". He struggles with perfectionism, making use of schedules and deadlines to overcome it.[9][6]

Online presence

[edit]
10.9.18  7:48 pm how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky?
     i'm just trying to be reasonable
— A question and Wurtz's answer on his website[q 2][9]

Wurtz launched his personal website, billwurtz.com, in 2014.[9] Its simple design has been compared to late-1990s websites.[9] The website contains his released songs and most of his videos dating back to 2002, as well as short journal posts and vlog-style "reality" videos depicting his creative process.[3] Wurtz maintains a section on his website to answer anonymously submitted questions. He originally allowed people to send questions using Ask.fm, but stopped using the website due to his distaste of people having to sign up to ask anonymously.[r 3] The style of his answers has been described by the website OK Whatever as "[verging] on the poetic"[9] and by MEL Magazine as "earnest, if somewhat loopy-sounding".[3]

Wurtz is active on Instagram and Twitter, with humorous tweets in the style of Weird Twitter.[3]

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2016 Shorty Awards Tech & Innovation: Best in Weird Bill Wurtz Won [8]

Discography

[edit]

Music videos

[edit]
Year Name Views (millions)[note 1]
2014 "I'm Sad" 0.4
"I'm a Diamond" 1.8
"Barf On Me" 0.1
"Feel Okay" 0.2
"Dance The" 0.2
"Tape Deck" 0.1
"New Canaan" 0.8
"Still Silly" 0.1
"I Like" 0.3
"Tuesday" 0.3
"Icy James" 0.1
"I'm Confused (I Love You)" 1.1
"Blind (To no Avail)" 0.2
"Hey Jodie Foster" 0.1
2015 "I'm Crazy / It's Raining" 1.4
"You're Free to Do Whatever You Want to" 1.8
"School" 11.7
2016 "Alphabet Shuffle" 7.8
2017 "I Wanna Be A Movie Star" 4.1
"Outside" 6.4
2018 "La De Da De Da De Da De Day Oh" 13.8
"And the Day Goes On" 8.0
"Hello Sexy Pants" 3.4
"Hallelujah" 1.9
"I'm Best Friends with my Own Front Door" 3.2
"Mount St. Helens Is About to Blow Up" 8.8
"The Moon Is Made of Cheese (But I Can't Taste It)" 3.9
"When I Get Older" 2.7
"Long Long Long Journey" 3.5
"Slow Down" 2.5
"Christmas Isn't Real" 2.3
"Just Did a Bad Thing" 9.4
2019 "At the Airport Terminal" 3.2
"Might Quit" 14.4
2021 "Here Comes the Sun" 9.8
"I'm a Princess" 4.0
"Got Some Money" 5.0
"More Than a Dream" 2.1
2022 "I'm Scared" 2.4
"Fly Around" 1.2
"9 8 7" 1.1
"At the Corner Store" 1.3
"If the World Doesn't End" 1.0
"I'm a Huge Gamer Most of the Time" 1.5
"The Ground Plane" 0.8
"Meet Me in September" 0.6
"I Like to Wear Soft Clothing" 0.8
"The Ending" 1.2
"Where I've Been" 1.8

Bandcamp releases

[edit]
Albums[1]
Title Year
What the Fuck 2010
Church Sessions
The Summertime
Fun Music 2011
EPs[1]
Title Year
Yikes 2009
The Song Song
Guerilla Myspace Project
Bach Garageband 2010
Burger King Spring
April Flowers
It's All About the Ladies
Fly July
Short Butt Suites
Fall Sprawl
Murder Your Demon 2011
When is it Time to Come Home Again?
Soap Boat
Love
Pain
Hi-Bye (New Shorts) 2013
New School 2014
We Could Just Get Right
Eat Dirt Shorts
My Next Album
High Enough

Other songs

[edit]

The following songs are available on Wurtz's website:[41]

Title Date
"The Song Song" August 10, 2009
"15 Minutes" November 28, 2009
"Be Free and Don't Sell Records" July 8, 2010
"Desk and Chair" July 15, 2010
"Song 41" August 26, 2010
"2010" September 7, 2010
"Eat Bread (Feel Sure)" September 13, 2010
"The Trees" October 14, 2010
"I'm About to Graduate from School" November 7, 2010
"Fever" November 11, 2010
"Dream of Evil" November 24, 2010
"Murder Your Demon" January 14, 2011
"Dumpies" January 25, 2011
"Blue Boy" May 22, 2011
"How Am I Spost" May 22, 2011
"Home Again" May 23, 2011
"The Stupid Song" June 1, 2011
"No Place like Home" June 16, 2011
"Do the Thing" June 20, 2011
"I Love You" June 20, 2011
"Go to the Store" June 24, 2011
"(What) Love Is" July 11, 2011
"Do What You Want to Do" July 15, 2011
"All U Need Is Love" August 2, 2011
"The World" September 2, 2011
"Home" September 9, 2011
"I Guess I've Got to Listen to Bob Marley" September 23, 2011
"Stupid Song" September 26, 2011
"Textin on my iPhone" February 12, 2014
"Rabbit Snakes" February 26, 2014
"The Future Song" March 5, 2014
"We Could Just Get High" March 19, 2014
"I'm in Bryant Park" March 26, 2014
"It's Gonna Be Alright" April 23, 2014
"Write a Song on the Count of 3" May 28, 2014
"This Is a Song for my Next Album" June 11, 2014
"Goo Soup" July 9, 2014
"I Wanna Sail You Away" July 23, 2014
"I Can Play" September 3, 2014
"The Road" September 17, 2014
"In California" May 30, 2017
"I Love You" June 6, 2017
"Got to Know What's Going On" June 20, 2017

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Last updated: November 2024

References

[edit]

Bill Wurtz's questions page

[edit]
  1. ^ Wurtz, Bill (February 15, 2021). "[...]Did people in your life have an influence on you developing this skill?". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021. i was able to hear a lot of music on records[...]and I will confess I also had access to a piano/keyboard instrument, and a drum set.[...] Having an extremely early start, it was pretty natural to find me in many many personal and professional music relationships with peers (well at first it was usually people much older than me because I was so young to start)
  2. ^ Wurtz, Bill (October 9, 2018). "how the heck are you so gosh darn wacky". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2019. i'm just trying to be reasonable

Bill Wurtz's reality page

[edit]
  1. ^ Wurtz, Bill (2016). "1.16.16". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023. made a serious decision to stop doing vines which i know seems like madness, but we're doing it for a good reason: we're finishing the long projects and then we're finishing more projects after that.
  2. ^ Wurtz, Bill (2015). "2015-10-25". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023. I would like to try history of Japan, just because it's random. I know nothing about it, it just seems like a sweet spot.
  3. ^ Wurtz, Bill (2016). "3.26.16". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.

Other sources

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "bill wurtz". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "About billwurtz". YouTube.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kim, Eddie (October 12, 2018). "Meet Bill Wurtz, the Internet Musical Genius You've Never Heard Of". MEL Magazine. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Feldman, Brian (May 11, 2017). "Bill Wurtz Returns to Teach the History of the Entire World, He Guesses". New York. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Gutelle, Sam (May 11, 2017). "Bill Wurtz's "History of the Entire World" Gets 3.2 Million YouTube Views in Its First Day". Tubefilter. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Klein, Ethan; Klein, Hila (December 1, 2018). The H3 Podcast (podcast). The United States: h3h3 productions. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  7. ^ Sheffer, Sam (July 13, 2015). "Why can't I stop watching this video of a piano being shaved?". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Lee, Ashley. "Shorty Awards: The Complete Nominations List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Pandell, Lexi (January 16, 2019). "How Bill Wurtz's Videos Make the Internet a Better Place". OK Whatever. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Gaudette, Emily (May 10, 2017). "Viral 'History of Japan' Video Finally Has an Update on the Entire World". Inverse. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Moran, Lee (February 8, 2016). "WATCH: Trippy Video Teaches The Entire History Of Japan In Just 9 Minutes". HuffPost. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  12. ^ a b Lopez, German (May 18, 2017). "The most bizarre, entertaining history of Japan you'll ever watch". Vox. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c Strange, Adario (February 6, 2016). "Psychedelic history of Japan turns learning into an acid trip". Mashable. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Burton, Julian (September 19, 2019). "Look at Us, We Have Anxiety: Youth, Memes, and the Power of Online Cultural Politics". Journal of Childhood Studies. 44 (3): 3–17. doi:10.18357/jcs00019171. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via EBSCO Information Services.
  15. ^ Broderick, Ryan; Davis, Sarah; Kesvani, Hussein (June 1, 2021). "The greatest achievements in Dumb Internet Video". Polygon. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Shamsian, Jacob (May 18, 2017). "This 20-minute animated video explains the entire history of the world – and the internet is obsessed with it". Insider. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  17. ^ "The (almost) entire history of the world in under 20 hilarious minutes? This video is your answer". Scroll.in. May 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  18. ^ "What to binge on YouTube, the original "quick bite" video service". Las Vegas Weekly. April 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Gartenberg, Chaim (May 11, 2017). "History of the Entire World, I Guess could have been the best online video of 2005". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  20. ^ Hathaway, Jay (May 17, 2017). "Viral 'History of the World' video turns into a meme bonanza". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Spangler, Todd (December 6, 2017). "YouTube Reveals 2017 Top Viral and Music Videos". Variety. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  22. ^ Wurtz, Bill (May 10, 2017), history of the entire world, i guess, archived from the original on October 26, 2023, retrieved May 14, 2017
  23. ^ Lopez, German (May 7, 2018). "Watch this bizarre, hilarious history of the whole world". Vox. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  24. ^ a b Carter, Geoff (April 23, 2020). "What to binge on YouTube, the original "quick bite" video service". Las Vegas Weekly. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  25. ^ "The 100 Greatest YouTube Videos of All Time, Ranked". Thrillist. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021.
  26. ^ a b c Shi, Diana (July 9, 2017). "Watch This Absurd Animation Where a Little Man Climbs a Mountain to Avoid Taxes". Vice. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  27. ^ Haysom, Sam (July 7, 2017). "Gloriously random animation about a man named Steve is going viral". Mashable. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  28. ^ Piedra, Xavier (September 19, 2018). "This weirdly peppy anthem for end times will be stuck in your head for days". Mashable. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c Muncy, Julie (May 1, 2018). "This Surreal Inspirational Cartoon Will Have You Ready To Face Anything". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  30. ^ Scheetz, Cameron (August 20, 2020). "Follow the Old Town Road: 20 songs that got a boost from TikTok fame". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  31. ^ Lee, Dami (August 2, 2019). "TikTok turns one: its first 12 months, as told through TikToks". The Verge. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  32. ^ Perrett, Connor (January 14, 2020). "21 of the most popular TikTok songs and sounds, and where they came from". Business Insider. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  33. ^ Ring, Julian. "These Viral Musicians Are Still Making Great Songs". Pandora Blog. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  34. ^ Reneau, Steven (January 11, 2019). "Bill Wurtz Breaks Down The Meaning Of 'Mount St. Helens Is About To Blow Up'". Genius. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  35. ^ a b McIver, Joel (April 2, 2019). "WURTZ CASE: YouTube sensation Bill Wurtz has a secret weapon – bass – but not the way you'd expect. He reveals the method behind his three million subscribers". Bass Guitar. No. 168. p. 32. ISSN 1476-5217.
  36. ^ Lawless, Jack (March 15, 2023). Bill Wurtz Discusses The Beatles | "Here, There, and Everywhere" Podcast, Ep. 44. Retrieved September 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ Padilla, Anthony (December 15, 2023). history of the entire bill wurtz, i guess. Retrieved September 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
  38. ^ "Get To Know... Daði Freyr". DIY. May 27, 2020. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  39. ^ Beriss, Ben (January 25, 2019). "WBRS brings indie spirit to campus". The Brandeis Hoot. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  40. ^ Bein, Kat (July 16, 2018). "Porter Robinson Shouts-Out Mat Zo, Nina Las Vegas and More of His Favorite Artists to Celebrate His Birthday". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  41. ^ "billwurtz". billwurtz.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
[edit]
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