Given the critical praise for Bo Burnham's experimental comedy special Inside, it didn't come as much of a shock that Inside was nominated for six Emmy awards this year. In a surprising upset, Burnham lost the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special to Hamilton, a pre-recorded performance with the original cast that was released on Disney+ last year. Inside, however, did pick up three Emmy awards for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction and Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special at Sunday's Creative Arts ceremony.
To celebrate Burnham's recent Emmy awards, I've ranked all of the songs on Inside, (keeping in mind that this is an unskippable record/special —and yes, nearly impossible to rank).
20. Any Day Now
A pleasant melody decorated with a splash of nihilism, the special's closing number "Any Day Now" is a fitting end to Inside. The mantra "It'll stop any day now" is a familiar one after nearly two years of Covid-19, but what is particularly meaningful here is the repetition. The song only has one line, and its repetition echoes our fruitless attempts to convince ourselves that our world could ever go back to how it was. Did I mention that this is a comedy special?
Memorable line: This one is easy, seeing as how the song only consists of one line: "It'll stop any day now (Any day now, any day now)."
19. Bezos II
There isn't a bad song or performance on Inside — even "Bezos II," which is just Bo inexplicably dressed in a ghillie suit while repeatedly singing Jeffrey Bezos' name. Sure, it isn't "Bezos I," but it's still catchy in its mockery of the Amazon founder billionaire, especially when punctuated with Burnham's sarcastic "Congratulations!"
Memorable line: "You did it!"
18. All Time Low
Ranked lower due to it being the shortest song on Inside, "All Time Low" is a perfect representation of the contradictory nature of Inside. It's an unnervingly funny ode to panic attacks. This song works better if you're watching the special, as Bo sits in his sweatpants, nervously shaking his leg in restlessness and anxiety — only to burst into song with a huge smile and dead eyes as colorful strobe lights spin in the background.
Memorable line: "(Describe it!) / Alright!"
17. Sexting
"Sexting" is good, but it is 100 times better when watching Burnham text amongst a background of eggplant emojis in his underwear. In the midst of a pandemic when physical contact is not an option, sexting is - as Burnham says - the next best thing. Better yet, why bother with words when there seems to be an unlimited way to express your desires using abstract emojis? One admission ticket, please.
Memorable line: "I chicken out and send a picture of my face instead / Because my dick looks like the baby from Eraserhead."
16. How the World Works
If there is one thing Burnham is good at, it's socio-political commentary served with a smile. Socko is the sock puppet that destroys every child's dreams as it delivers the cold truth, while Burnham is every major corporation and political entity that glamorizes our "amazing" world where everything and everyone "works together."
Memorable line: "Why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every socio-political conflict through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization? This isn't about you!"
15. Don't Wanna Know
"Don't Wanna Know" is an appropriate opening song for Inside's second act. As always, Burnham wants to make sure we are enjoying ourselves (see: Burnham's 2016 special Make Happy). "Don't Wanna Know" captures the weirdness of performing comedy to an invisible audience, as well as Burnham's inner struggle to please us. The main reason this is ranked lower is because it is more effective as a performance than as a stand-alone song.
Memorable line: "Is there anyone out there?/ Or am I all alone?"
14. Problematic
Not all of Burnham's material has aged well, but that's no secret to Burnham. "Problematic" is a self aware number that acknowledges some of Burnham's offensive comedy from his early days as a performer, but it also is a subtle satire on the black and white nature of cancel culture.
Memorable line: "And I've been totally awful / My closet is chock-full of stuff that is vaguely shitty."
13. Unpaid Intern
"Unpaid Intern" is a portrait of how truly awful it is to be an unpaid intern in a cruel, capitalist society. Also, it's a bop. It is made that much better when watching as Burnham mercilessly and creatively mocks the ever popular trend of "reaction" videos. His layer upon layer of commentary is hilarious but not without Burnham's characteristic wink of social critique.
Memorable line: "Wa-da-da-wap-wa-da!"
12. FaceTime with My Mom (Tonight)
"FaceTime with My Mom (Tonight)" is one of the few songs on Inside that doesn't leave quite as scathing of commentary, though it is (like "Sexting) certainly a nod to the eye-rolling habits of a digital world. It captures something that many know far too well — watching our moms awkwardly navigate their iPhone. It's made even better when watching the performance as we see Burnham mouth over and over "Okay, I'm sorry" after yelling in annoyance at his mother, who is, predictably, "covering her camera with her thumb."
Memorable line: "He says how you doin' bud, i say i'm not so bad, and that's the deepest talk we've ever had."
11. Content
"Content" is arguably the best opener to any Burnham special. It's clear right away that Inside is not going to be like anything Burnham has done before as he somberly sits in a small, poorly lit room with a flashlight strapped to his forehead. "Content" is a reminder of how long it has been since we've seen Burnham ("I'm sorry I've been gone"), and an entryway into the world following the Covid-19 outbreak. ("If you'd have told me, a year ago, that i'd be locked inside of my home").
Memorable line: "But look I made you some content / Daddy made you your favorite / Open wide."
10. White Woman's Instagram
"White Woman's Instagram" is a perfect satire on its own, but the visuals make it even better as Burnham takes on the role of a stereotypical white woman on instagram, complete with a flower crown and a "casual" off the shoulder flannel. There is also that purposely weird bridge as Burnham, as a white woman, sings about her mother and father who presumably have died...only to then abruptly swing back into "a goat cheese salad!" Classic Bo.
Memorable line: "Some random quote from Lord of the Rings / Incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther King / Is this heaven?"
9. Bezos I
It's little wonder why this one became a TikTok trend. I overheard my 11-year-old listening to it in his bedroom one day and I had to pause and back up a few steps. "Bezos I" is an unbelievably catchy, biting satire of Jeffrey Bezos that will live rent-free in our heads for the unforeseeable future. Come on, Bo — get 'em!
Memorable line: "Amateurs can fuckin' suck it / Fuck their wives, drink their blood / Come on, Jeff, get 'em!"
8. Look Who's Inside Again
"Look Who's Inside Again" subtly captures the vulnerability of Burnham's entryway back into comedy as well as the universality of staying inside during the pandemic. It's just too bad that the "I took a big fucking breath" in the performance didn't make it on to the album.
Memorable line: "Well, well / Look who's inside again / Went out to look for a reason to hide again."
7. Goodbye
"Goodbye" is a great almost-closing number. It ties in previous lyrics from “Welcome to the Internet,” “Comedy," and “Look Who’s Inside Again,” bringing the special full circle. In a poignant montage of Burnham's behind-the-scenes work, Burnham says goodbye after an unexpectedly emotional comedy special.
Memorable line: "Am I going crazy? / Would I еven know? / Am I right back where I startеd fourteen years ago?"
6. Comedy
Burnham's never been one to shy away from calling attention to his own privilege (see: "Straight White Male" from Make Happy). "Comedy" is another great example of that. Burnham is "hwhite" and here to save the day, and shutting the fuck up is simply not an option. "Comedy" is also the ultimate self-aware "Should I be joking right now?" anthem in the midst of an earth-shattering pandemic.
Memorable line: "I don't wanna do that / There's got to be another way (Yes) / For me to help out without standing on the sidelines (Never!)"
5. All Eyes On Me
"All Eyes on Me" is reminiscent of "Can't Handle This (Kanye Rant)" from Burnham's 2016 special Make Happy, so much so that it feels like a direct continuation. It is instantly unsettling, with Burnham's deep autotune and prerecorded cheering from a nonexistent audience as he reflects on the state of his career, of returning, only for "something funny" to happen.
Memorable line: "You say the whole world's ending, honey, it already did."
4. That Funny Feeling
"That Funny Feeling" sounds like it is taken right out of Phoebe Bridgers' melancholy discography, so it makes sense why, in a rare onstage appearance, Burnham joined Bridgers in a cover of the acoustic song. "That Funny Feeling" is one of the few songs on Inside that isn't funny — it's poignant and deeply sad. It follows the same list-like format as "Welcome to the Internet," but without the cheekiness.
Memorable line: "The quiet comprehending of the ending of it all."
3. 30
Admittedly, there is some real bias in this ranking given the fact that I myself am turning 30 this year. Regardless of age, however, "30" is an undeniable hit and reminds us of just how long Burnham has been with us. It is painfully relatable for those of us who grew up with Bo and are entering into that new stage of adulthood where all of our "stupid friends are having stupid children." God damnit.
Memorable Line: "When he was 27, my granddad fought in Vietnam / When I was 27, I built a birdhouse with my mom / Oh, fuck, how am I 30?"
2. Shit
"Shit" bursts right out of the gate with one of the most painfully relatable and hilarious opening lines: "Haha yeah, I am not feeling good!" Burnham looks disheveled as he swivels his hips and hollers out to a crowd that's not there ("Ladies, do you feel like shit?"). It's one of the most direct, in-your-face "I am so miserable" anthems in the special, which also makes it one of the funniest.
Memorable line: "Big ol' motherfuckin' duffel bag of shit."
1. Welcome to the Internet
It is hard to compete with "Welcome to the Internet," which may just be one of Burnham's most brilliant songs yet. It's superb on its own, but the performance is even better as the camera slowly zooms in on Burnham, who eerily stares at us through dark lenses and cackles like a madman as a projector of green lights swirl around his dimly lit room. "Welcome to the Internet" captures the weird and nonsensical things you can find on the internet, from healthy breakfast options to "a bunch of colored-pencil drawings of all the different characters in Harry Potter fucking each other." It captures the never-ending black hole that at this point, we are sucked in too deep to ever get out. (You are reading this on the internet, aren't you?)
Memorable line: "Here's a healthy breakfast option, you should kill your mom."