The one-hit wonder, “One Pound Fish,” has entered the UK Top 40, so break your faces on the desk and cry in a bathtub filled with Spice Girls songs. Muhammad Shahid Nazir became famous after a video of him selling fish went viral on YouTube. In the video, he says, “Come on ladies/Come on ladies/One pound fish.” Literally overnight, Nazir became a bona fide pop star.
That’s how the music industry’s novelty songs work – just ask Psy; the man behind the Gangnam Style phenomenon. The video, made in Bollywood hell, shows Nazir dancing like LeAnn Rimes while he belts out his familiar tune. (It’s super catchy, but also super terrifying at the same time.) The lyrics are impossible to understand, but Nazir pulls it off in some macabre way and delivers a performance that is as endearing as it is absurd.
The singer’s publicist, Samir Ahmed, said in a statement today, “’One Pound Fish’ enters the official UK Top 40 today at no. 29! Amazing achievement. Many congrats to Shahid and thanks to Reggie Yates for having us on Radio 1 for the chart show.” William Hill gave the track odds of 33/1 to become Christmas number one, but unfortunately it failed in that department.
On Saturday, Nazir also performed the single at West Ham’s Upton Park stadium. His publicist announced, “’One Pound Fish’ at half time at West Ham vs Everton! 35, 000 people! Hammers fans love him… local celeb!”. The single received 6.9 million hits on video networking site YouTube in less than two weeks, and not only changed the face of the Christmas charts, but also changed the face of our ear drums.
You may watch “One Pound Fish” below, but do so at your own discretion. It’s horrific and catchy, so prepare your eyes and ears in advance. Also, let us know in the comments below what you think of this Bollywood-inspired terror!
