Of interest is Klosterman’s ability to trace past historical trends and apply them to a modern context. In this way, Klosterman develops provoking insight on today’s society, the society of the past and the way we interpret recorded history. Throughout the work he argues that the way we understand our contemporary society will change radically in the distant future. In his latest book, “But What if We Were Wrong,” Klosterman aims to reimagine our society through the perspective of a far-off future.

“I’m a f-– black Beatle, cream seats in the Regal / Rockin John Lennon lenses” Sremm’s Swae Lee boasts on the track - testament to The Beatles special legacy within the music world.Īuthor Chuck Klosterman is interested in special legacies.

Pitchfork, Billboard, and Rolling Stone all named Black Beatles one of the top songs of 2016.In Rae Sremmurd’s recently released sophomore effort, “Sremmlife 2,” one track, “Black Beatles,” features a thought-provoking pastiche: Forty-six years since the release of their final album, The Beatles still manage to infiltrate pop culture. That month, Black Beatles jumped from #9 (an appropriately Beatles-y spot) on the Billboard charts to #1, where it mostly remained into January, 2017. Its success was widely attributed to the viral mannequin challenge. Love those Black Beatles #MannequinChallenge /aAu9umHKI7 In November, 2016, an original White Beatle, Paul McCartney, posted his own mannequin challenge video on Twitter. Swae Lee called McCartney’s acknowledgement “the ultimate co-sign.” In November, the duo recorded their own mannequin challenge video on stage, prompting future mannequin challenge videos to use Black Beatles as their soundtrack. But, Rae Sremmund’s record label hatched a plan to capitalize on the trend. Early mannequin challenge videos-credited to Florida high-school students in October, 2016-featured no music. In the song, they portray themselves as black counterparts to rock icons The Beatles and reference John Lennon’s signature round eyeglasses.īlack Beatles was fairly popular right away, but rose to greater heights on the back of a massively viral video craze, the mannequin challenge, in which a camera tracks around people frozen in various poses like mannequins. Rapper Gucci Mane takes a verse on it, too.

Black Beatles was released in September, 2016 by the duo Rae Sremmurd, made up of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi.

Black beatles in the city just music