“It meant something else in the beginning “: Mashle: Magic and Muscles’ Viral Opening Song ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ Was Originally Wildly Different
Quirky, goofy, and zany, few anime songs have managed to achieve success as swiftly in the mainstream as Mashle‘s opening theme song, ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’. The second season of Mashle gives us a sensational hit from Creepy Nuts that broke through 100 million streams in record time and topped charts across Billboard, Apple Music, and Oricon.
The viral song has also blown up on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, X, and Instagram ever since its release on 7th January 2024. Meanwhile, Mash’s iconic moves in the opening theme only contributed to the song’s success, with a massive population participating in recreating the moves on TikTok and Instagram.
How did Creepy Nuts get involved with Mashle?
Mashle: Magic and Muscles is based on a popular comedy manga set in a magical world where the protagonist, Mash Burnedead, has no magical powers whatsoever. Mash is consistently training his body to become a “Divine Visionary”, the most elite ranking one can achieve in this world.
Creepy Nuts, the Japanese hip-hop duo, were fans of the anime series even before they recorded the banger of a song. In an interview with NME, they said:
“We think the charm of this anime is that it starts with a fun beginning and gradually becomes exciting.“
Fans of Mashle certainly find the show interesting due to the significant character development, worldbuilding, and relatable themes.
Who are Creepy Nuts?
Creepy Nuts is a Japanese hip-hop duo formed in 2013 that consists of members R-Shitei (Kyōhei Nogami) and DJ Matsunaga (Kunihiko Matsunaga). Both members achieved great success individually. R-Shitei won Japan’s ULTIMATE MC BATTLE freestyle rap competition five times in a row, while DJ Matsunaga took home the coveted DMC World DJ Championship in 2019.
Although each has had successful solo albums and singles, their greatest recognition came from their work together as a hip-hop team. Apart from Mashle, the anime Call of the Night has featured their songs “Daten” and “Yofukashi no Uta.”
What does ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ mean?
When asked in an interview with Crunchyroll about the meaning of the phrase ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’, Creepy Nuts replied that it actually meant something else in the beginning. The catchy hook of ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ goes: “Who’s the best? / I’m the best! / Oh yeah”, and it seems to be related to how Creepy Nuts relate to Mash’s triumph over the haters and naysayers.
However, they decided that using no words at all would be the most effective approach to convey the emotion more viscerally. To their credit, the infectious phrase has seemingly cast a spell on the audience, transcending the anime realm to become a global sensation.
