10 Years Later: The Bizarre True Story Behind Ylvis' "The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)" And Where The Brothers Are Now In 2025

The question is eternal: "What does the fox say?" And over a decade later, the song that launched this bizarre query into the global pop culture stratosphere remains one of the internet's most enduring and accidental viral hits. As of today, December 12, 2025, the novelty track by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis continues to baffle and delight new generations, proving that sometimes, the most ridiculous ideas are the most successful.

Released in September 2013, "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" was never meant to be a serious chart-topper. It was conceived as a mere promotional "teaser" for the third season of the brothers' Norwegian late-night talk show, *I kveld med Ylvis*. The song’s massive, unexpected success—becoming the top trending video of 2013 on YouTube—is a fascinating case study in how a low-stakes comedy bit can accidentally become a global, multi-platinum electronic dance phenomenon.

The Architects of Chaos: Ylvis's Biography and Profile

The duo behind the infectious earworm is Ylvis, consisting of brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. They are not primarily musicians, but professional variety artists and comedians who have dominated Norwegian television and stage for years.

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• Names: Vegard Ylvisåker and Bård Ylvisåker
• Origin: Bergen, Norway (Raised in Bergen and Africa/Asia due to their father's engineering work)
• Debut: Debuted as professional variety artists in 2000 in Norway.
• Primary Work: Comedy concerts, stage shows, television shows, and radio shows.
• Notable TV Shows: *I kveld med Ylvis* (Tonight with Ylvis), *Stories from Norway* (a musical TV-series), and *Ylvis på holmen* (Ylvis on the Islet).
• The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) Release: September 3, 2013.
• Current Status (2025): They remain active in the Norwegian media landscape, focusing on new comedy and musical projects, proving they are far more than just "one-hit wonders."

The Accidental History of a Viral Sensation

The true origin of "The Fox" is perhaps the most compelling part of its story. The brothers, Vegard and Bård, had commissioned Stargate, a renowned Norwegian production team responsible for hits for artists like Beyoncé and Rihanna, to produce a song for their TV show.

The idea was simple: create a song that was intentionally bad or ridiculous, simply to fill time on the show. They tossed around concepts, one of which was the question of what sound a fox makes, an animal whose vocalization is notably absent from the classic children's song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

From TV Teaser to Billboard Hot 100

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The resulting track was a high-production electronic dance music (EDM) song combined with absurd, almost philosophical lyrics about the sounds of various animals (moo, quack, oink) leading up to the central mystery of the fox. The accompanying music video, featuring the brothers in bizarre animal costumes dancing in a forest, was uploaded to YouTube as a simple teaser for the show.

No one, least of all Ylvis, anticipated the reaction. Within weeks, the video had hundreds of millions of views. It was a genuine pop culture phenomenon, peaking at number six on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 chart and charting in over a dozen countries, including the UK, Germany, and Australia.

The song’s success was a paradox: a high-quality, professionally produced track that was simultaneously a self-aware "gimmick song." This duality—the serious production meeting the absurd concept—is what made it a viral goldmine and a topic of intense media scrutiny.

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The Enduring Legacy and Ylvis's 2025 Projects

While "The Fox" remains their undisputed global calling card, the Ylvis brothers have consistently worked to maintain a career focused on comedy, music, and television in their home country of Norway. They successfully navigated the tricky post-viral landscape, proving they were not merely "one-hit wonders" but established entertainers.

More Than Just a Fox: New Music and TV Series

The brothers have released other musical comedy videos, though none have matched the global reach of "The Fox." Their subsequent notable works include "Stonehenge," "Trucker's Hitch," and "Massachusetts." These tracks, though less internationally famous, solidified their unique brand of musical comedy.

In the years following their viral peak, Ylvis transitioned their focus back to television, which is their true passion. Their work includes the musical TV-series *Stories from Norway*, which blends documentary and musical theater elements, showcasing their versatility and commitment to high-concept comedy.

The 2024–2025 Update

To the delight of fans, Ylvis released the album *Ylvis: Volume I* in 2024. This compilation served as a retrospective of their musical comedy hits, reminding the world of their extensive catalog beyond the famous fox. This release, coupled with their continued production of new content in Norway, confirms their status as a major force in Scandinavian entertainment.

Furthermore, the song's legacy was cemented with its 10-year anniversary in September 2023, which sparked a fresh wave of media coverage and renewed interest in the track, highlighting its lasting cultural impact. The song has also been adapted into a successful children's book, further extending its reach beyond the digital sphere and into educational entertainment.

Topical Authority: The True Answer to the Fox's Sound

For all the song's absurdity, the question it poses is biologically valid. What does the fox actually say? The song’s various suggestions—"Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!" and "Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!"—are obviously fictional, but the real answer is complex.

The common red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has a surprisingly wide vocal range, which includes:

• Screams: A loud, chilling, and high-pitched scream used for communication over long distances.
• Barks: Short, sharp barks often used as an alarm call.
• Gekkers: A throaty, chattering sound, often heard during mating season or aggressive encounters.
• Howls: Similar to a dog, though less common.

The "gekkering" sound, in particular, is often described as a rapid, almost hysterical chattering that comes closest to the song's frantic energy. Ultimately, Ylvis’s "novelty song" forced a genuine scientific and cultural discussion about the sounds of nature, solidifying its place not just as a piece of viral content, but as a unique cultural artifact of the early 2010s.