Funk do Mortal Kombat
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Leonardo Peixoto, Gibran Sirena |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz do Sul , Brazil |
| Products | Music tracks, remixes |
Funk do Mortal Kombat represents a remix of the track "Techno Syndrome" transformed into the funk carioca genre by the collective Funk You Bit. After its release on YouTube in 2011, the video quickly went viral within just a few weeks.
Creation and release
The group Funk You Bit was established by Leonardo Peixoto, who was studying psychology, and Gibran Sirena, an audiovisual student at Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul. Their main goal was to increase the subscriber count on Sirena's YouTube channel. The song reimagines "Techno Syndrome" with a funk carioca twist, despite both creators having a stronger affinity for rock and metal genres. Peixoto was responsible for writing the lyrics, while the accompanying video—filmed using Sirena’s mother’s camera—required close to a year to complete. The track was uploaded on 30 March 2011 via the GibranST channel on YouTube and swiftly attracted attention.
Due to copyright concerns, monetization was initially withheld. Nevertheless, the video gathered between 3 and 5 million views, leading the creators to enable monetization for the song itself but not for the video content.
Lyrics
The song’s lyrics depict Peixoto and Sirena playfully selecting their favorite fighters from Mortal Kombat II, emphasizing each character’s distinctive qualities. The refrain centers on Sub-Zero, who is Peixoto’s favored character. Some parts of the lyrics have been interpreted as containing sexist elements.
Reception
Coinciding with the release of Mortal Kombat 9, the original video surpassed one million views within its first month online. Its swift rise in popularity earned Funk You Bit invitations to appear on the television program Eliana as well as at the YouPIX Festival, in addition to featuring in a commercial for Skinny potato chips. By 2021, total views had exceeded 21 million.
Riding this wave of success, there was considerable expectation for a follow-up track. Funk You Bit started working on "Funk do Dragon Ball" but discontinued production due to inconsistent information within that franchise.
Furthermore, a metal rendition of "Funk do Mortal Kombat" was created by the YouTube channel O Metaleiro.