Super spicy! Jack Black’s Minecraft song Steve’s Lava Chicken becomes shortest ever UK Top 40 hit

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"Jack Black's 'Steve’s Lava Chicken' Becomes Shortest Song to Enter UK Top 40"

Super spicy! Jack Black’s Minecraft song Steve’s Lava Chicken becomes shortest ever UK Top 40 hit analysis cover image The Guardian 7.6
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Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/18/jack-black-minecraft-song-steves-lava-chicken-shortest-ever-uk-top-40-hit
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AI Analysis Average Score: 7.6
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TruthLens AI Summary

Actor and musician Jack Black has made waves in the UK music charts with his novelty song "Steve’s Lava Chicken," which has achieved the record for the shortest song ever to enter the Top 40, clocking in at just 34 seconds. The track, which reached No. 21 this week, is featured in the animated film "A Minecraft Movie," a video game adaptation that has garnered $570 million (£430 million) globally at the box office. The film has attracted a significant audience, particularly among younger fans of the game, resulting in lively and sometimes chaotic screenings. In the song, Black performs as the character Steve, enthusiastically promoting the merits of chicken cooked in lava, with lyrics that highlight its crispy and spicy nature. This achievement surpasses the previous record, held by the novelty song "The Ladies’ Bras," which was two seconds longer and reached No. 27 in 2007.

This milestone marks Black's highest position on the UK charts, topping his previous entries, including his collaboration with Tenacious D, "Pod," which peaked at No. 24 in 2006, and his performance of "Peaches" from "The Super Mario Bros Movie," which reached No. 28 earlier this year. Although "A Minecraft Movie" has faced mixed reviews from critics, it has resonated with audiences, partly due to its references to beloved elements of the game. The film has even set a record for the highest global opening weekend for a video game adaptation, although it still trails behind "The Super Mario Bros Movie" in total earnings. In addition to Black's success, this week's chart also saw US singer Alex Warren maintaining the longest No. 1 single streak of 2025 with "Ordinary," while Welsh rock band Those Damn Crows celebrated their first UK No. 1 album with "God Shaped Hole."

TruthLens AI Analysis

The news article highlights a significant milestone in the UK music charts, specifically focusing on Jack Black's novelty song "Steve’s Lava Chicken." This song, which is only 34 seconds long, has made its mark by becoming the shortest song ever to reach the UK Top 40. The article presents this achievement in a lighthearted and celebratory manner, reflecting the playful nature of the song itself.

Cultural Significance

Jack Black's involvement in the song, as well as its connection to a popular video game franchise, taps into a broader cultural phenomenon. The success of "Steve’s Lava Chicken" can be seen as a reflection of the growing intersection between video games and mainstream media, particularly in the form of films. The article notes the film's impressive box office earnings, suggesting that Black's song is part of a larger trend where video game adaptations are gaining traction in popular culture.

Perception Management

This news piece aims to generate a sense of amusement and nostalgia among audiences, especially those familiar with both Jack Black's career and the Minecraft universe. The article emphasizes the song's humorous lyrics and Black's enthusiastic response to its success, creating a positive narrative around the song and the film it is associated with. It deliberately contrasts this lightheartedness with the critical reception of the movie, which has been met with confusion from some reviewers, potentially downplaying the negative aspects of the film's reception.

Transparency and Manipulation

While the article communicates excitement over a record-breaking achievement, it may also obscure the mixed reviews of the associated film, potentially indicating a bias towards promoting the song and the franchise. The focus on the song's success serves to distract from any underlying criticisms of the film itself, which may be a strategic choice to maintain a positive image for the brand.

Audience Engagement

This piece is likely to resonate more with younger audiences, particularly fans of Minecraft and Jack Black. By leveraging the nostalgia and excitement surrounding these cultural icons, the article seeks to engage a demographic that is enthusiastic about both gaming and film, thus maximizing its reach and impact.

Economic Implications

While the article does not directly address economic aspects, the success of "Steve’s Lava Chicken" within the context of the film's box office performance suggests potential financial benefits for stakeholders involved in the Minecraft franchise. This kind of success can influence merchandising, future film adaptations, and even video game sales, marking a significant moment for the industry.

Global Context

In terms of global relevance, the article does not directly tie the song's success to larger political or economic trends. However, the ongoing popularity of video game adaptations may reflect broader shifts in entertainment consumption patterns, where audiences increasingly seek familiar content from their gaming experiences.

AI Influence

There is no explicit indication that AI was used in crafting this article, but the structured format and emphasis on certain aspects of the story suggest the potential for AI-generated content to shape narratives in the entertainment industry. If AI were involved, it might have influenced the focus on engagement metrics and audience sentiment.

In conclusion, the article serves to celebrate Jack Black's achievement in a playful manner while subtly directing attention away from the criticism faced by the Minecraft film. This strategic framing creates a favorable perception, particularly among younger audiences and fans of the franchise.

Unanalyzed Article Content

Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/18/jack-black-minecraft-song-steves-lava-chicken-shortest-ever-uk-top-40-hit

Actor and musicianJack Blackhas made UK chart history, with the shortest ever song to reach the Top 40: his novelty track Steve’s Lava Chicken is just 34 seconds long.

The spectacularly silly song reaches No 21 this week, and is taken fromA Minecraft Movie, the video game spin-off film, which has earned $570m (£430m) so far at the global box office – and caused cinemas to be overrun by the game’s young and high-energy fanbase.

Black performs the song in the film as the character Steve, as he shows the other protagonists around the alternate universe, the Overworld, and hymns the virtues of chicken cooked in lava (“Crispy and juicy, now you’re havin’ a snack / Ooh, super spicy, it’s a lava attack”).

It beats the previous record-holder by two seconds. The Ladies’ Bras was an equally silly song by UK duo Jonny Trunk & Wisbey, with a chorus of “the ladies’ bras, the ladies’ bras / the ladies’ knickers and the ladies’ bras” repeated multiple times over an easy listening backing. It amused radio DJs Scott Mills and Danny Baker – the former playing it multiple times an hour on his Radio 1 show at some points – and it became a cult hit, reaching No 27 in 2007.

Steve’s Lava Chicken is Black’s highest UK chart position yet, beating both his track Pod with duo Tenacious D (No 24 in 2006) and another song from a video game-film tie-in: Peaches, his power ballad performed as nefarious pixellated reptile Bowser in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, which reached No 28.

At 95 seconds, that was another of the shortest-charting songs in chart history, behind the likes of 2007 Simpsons Movie song Spider Pig (64 seconds) and Liam Lynch’s 2002 punk hit United States of Whatever (86 seconds).

Black made a video message to mark the success of Steve’s Lava Chicken, saying: “I want to send big love to all theMinecraftfans for getting us up there – it’s insane! Love you!”

Despite being met with bafflement or outright dismay by many film critics, A Minecraft Movie has become a pop cultural sensation.

It beat The Super Mario Bros Movie in securing the highest global opening weekend for a video game spin-off (though still has a way to go beat that film’s $1.3bn (£980m) final score). By filling the film with references cherished by the game’s fans, from the figure of “chicken jockey” to a tribute to the late Minecraft personality Technoblade, it has been playing to joyous and uproarious crowds: sometimes too uproarious, with some cinemas posting warning messages about antisocial behaviour. One group of US patrons brought a live chicken to a screening – “safe to say we got kicked out” ran a caption on TikTok.

Elsewhere in this week’s pop charts, US singer and online personality Alex Warren notches up the longest stretch for a No 1 single so far in 2025: his song Ordinary scores its fifth week at the top.

Welsh rockers Those Damn Crows get their first UK No 1 album, with God Shaped Hole. It’s their fourth LP, following the No 3 success of 2023’s Inhale/Exhale. “We’ve been working so hard for so many years, this is a huge reward,” the band said in a statement. “We’re not going anywhere, man!”

Bon Iver’s fifth studio album Sable, Fable is this week’s second-highest new entry, at No 4.

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Source: The Guardian