The arrangement opens with the bombast of Crazy in Love, establishing the brass personality of the group and falsely preparing the audience for a by-the-numbers high-energy Beyoncé cover. Instead, when the chorus enters, the song halts, proceeding cautiously with minor harmonies that establish a haunting mood. By suddenly shifting tone and breaking expectations, audience members are surprised and their attention is focused, trying to make sense of what has occurred. The intention is for audiences to identify this as the thesis – “Got me looking so crazy right now, you’re love’s got me looking so crazy right now.” It is the love of the audience, or perceived love, that gets performers acting crazy, as was seen in the opening fanfare. Stripping the arrangement down to vocals and beatbox suggests awareness and vulnerability. For audience members who aren’t paying attention, they’ve hopefully enjoyed thus far a nice reinterpretation of a great pop hit. For those actively listening, they’ve watched the performers essentially break the fourth wall.
After the hook to Crazy in Love, a soloist steps forward, distancing himself from the group to perform sections from the Gnarls Barkley hit Crazy. Distancing one member from the pack is crucial to the meaning of the arrangement. The soloist serves as the conscience of the group, questioning whether or not the behavior of vying for the attention and love of the audience is healthy and condonable or if it makes him crazy. The first verse, in this context, tells the story of falling in love with the feeling of performing and acting ridiculous on stage (I remember when I lost my mind//there was something so pleasant about that place//even your emotions have an echo in so much space) and the worry that this might not be acceptable behavior (And when you’re out there without care, yeah, I was out of touch…does that make me crazy?).
As the song continues, the lead horn line and “uh-oh uh-oh uh-oh oh no no,” line from Crazy in Love seep in as motifs for the temptation of allowing yourself to be immersed in the love of the audience. Eventually, the bridge from Crazy in Love takes over with full-steam-ahead energy and spot-on lyrics about acting out. The most telling moment is the lyric, “I’ve been playing myself but baby I don’t care cause your love’s got the best of me.” as the song tonally shifts back to major, suggesting this behavior isn’t a bad thing and can be embraced.
The song climaxes in conflict as the hooks to Crazy and Crazy in Love are sung over each other, the former by an isolated and aware soloist, the latter by members of the chorus of idiots. Neither the ideology of Crazy nor Crazy in Love win out. Instead, in a final verse, in which the mood shifts back to major, the soloist addresses the audience, singing, “And I hope that you are having the time of your life, but think twice, that’s my only advice.” telling the audience to enjoy the performance but to also recognize their responsibility to the performer and how their applause and attention stirs in the performers a struggle. The song ends hauntingly on the Crazy in Love motif to emphasize the implications of the concluding lyrics.
What I created was an experience for two groups. For the performers, I arranged a song that was fun and original, allowing them to act goofy if they want to. For the audience, I provided them with a mashup of two songs they likely enjoy. As an audience member, I always wanted to feel like the performers were singing a song for a reason greater than it was a song they liked and wanted to perform. For the audience members who are also looking for a message from the group in their song selection, I hope they found it in this song.