Written by: Liam Smith
If you’re a participant in online music forums (as I am) you’ve undoubtedly encountered Nardwuar the Human Serviette; the only celebrity journalist who’s interviewed every musician from Chappell Roan to Nirvana. With a unique blend of off-kilter comedy and unparalleled music knowledge, he’s attracted millions of fans to his YouTube channel. As a longtime viewer, I’d love to share my experience with his content and why I find him so captivating.
My first encounter with Nardwuar was his interview with Tyler, the Creator in 2019. I had spent six months tirelessly listening to Tyler’s new album Igor, and Nardwuar’s video with him quickly appeared on my YouTube feed. Nardwuar’s first selling point was his eccentric thumbnail,; which depicted him standing next to Tyler on his tiptoes, wearing mixed-patterned neon clothes and a traditional Scottish tuque on his head. His erratic fashion sense hooked me; I felt an immediate need to see him in action. After all, what kind of questions could a man dressed like THAT have for Tyler?
This brings us to an important aspect of Nardwuar’s interviews, his shocking amount of knowledge about every guest. Nardwuar’s questions bring his guests back to obscure memories; asking about long-lost friends, childhood favorite songs, or niche hobbies. A good example of this is when Nardwuar name-drops one of Lil Uzi Vert’s private friends, and Uzi runs out, saying “He know too much.”. To Uzi’s point, Nardwuar seems to know suspicious amounts of personal information about his interviewees
Perhaps Nardwuar’s most impressive skill is his ability to provide comedy no matter the artist he meets. Being a talented journalist is important to his brand, but his personality pushes the entertainment to the next level. His bits have sitcom-like timing, so you always know the jokes are coming but they still land. When a musician asks how he knows so much about them, he replies, “You are (insert their name here), we have to know!” which feels fresh every time. At the end of each interview he freezes and makes a ridiculous face, leaving his guests dumbfounded. Despite the parallels to sitcom humor, Nardwuar’s demeanor maintains a genuine (if slightly awkward) feel. No matter the guest, he remains upbeat, he smiles, and he speaks as if he’s oblivious to his own awkwardness.
Nardwuar has one question he’s asked every artist on his show; why should people care about you? I hope his eccentric persona and vast knowledge has convinced you to seek out his content, and doot doo-dooloot-doo! Well, once you see his videos, you’ll know what to do.