In 1993, the San Francisco band 4 Non Blondes released the single “What’s Up?” Written by vocalist Linda Perry, the laid-back alternative rock tune is about trying to make sense of our often-bewildering world — a timeless sentiment that continues to feel relevant today.
Three decades later, the song appeared in the second season of Showtime's thriller series “Yellowjackets” during an equally disorienting scene. Adult Van (Lauren Ambrose) is preparing her video store to open for the day, making a bagel and throwing out bills, when someone from her past suddenly walks through the door: a sickly Taissa (Tawny Cypress), who is plagued with sleepwalking.
It’s not the single’s only recent high-profile pop culture appearance. In 2022, Billboard included it on their list of 100 greatest karaoke songs of all time. The following year, Perry strapped on an acoustic guitar and recorded a twangy duet of “What’s Up?” with Dolly Parton for the country icon’s “Rockstar” album. Parton’s vocal approach was gritty but conspiratorial, as if she was determined to answer the question posed by the song’s title.
That same year, both the original version of “What’s Up?” and a goofy re-recorded version of the song appeared in the chaotic chase scene of the movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
The absurdity is an irreverent internet meme, appearing in a video titled “Fabulous Secret Powers” (and an edit of this, the more popular “HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA”). The company SLACKCiRCUS re-recorded a silly version of the song and then synced it to scenes from the 1980s cartoon “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” (Director Jeff Rowe later noted that producer Seth Rogen suggested this cover for “Mutant Mayhem.”)
The characters are in various situations as they hear the song: taking a shower, singing karaoke, having a romantic moment, riding a bus, sitting deep in contemplation. But “What’s Up?” brings them together, bridging any personality or geographical differences. Everybody involved finds solace and common ground in the song’s howling vocals and bewildered lyrics.
That we’re-in-this-together vibe is one reason for the enduring popularity of “What’s Up?” In fact, in November 2024, “What’s Up?” passed one billion streams on Spotify, while today the music video is closing in on a staggering two billion views.
“We live in a world where ‘What the f**k is going on?’ is a constant concern and a frequent question we all find ourselves asking,” Perry said in a 2024 press release about the Spotify milestone. “We voice it in conversation amongst friends and with random people we meet that share the same frustrations. It will be heard under our breath or late nights when you can’t sleep from the political anxiety we are all facing.”
Perry initially wrote the song in the early 1990s, “based out of frustration with what was going on in the world,” she told Tape Op. “I had no money. Everything seemed hard, and desperate, and challenging. I wrote this song that seemed to fit the mood, not only for myself but for the world.”
Perry bristled at the version that was recorded — among other things, she disliked her vocal tone — and decided to take matters into her own hands: She booked the band a session at another studio, so they could re-record the song to her specifications.
Then a studio novice, Perry worked with the engineer to cut a new version of “What’s Up?” the way she heard it — and the song was sent out to be mastered the very next day. Her creative vision paid off. “What’s Up?” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 in multiple countries around the world. Several dance-oriented covers of the song also appeared, led by a high-energy version by the Italian artist DJ Miko that enjoyed modest club success in the U.S. (Fittingly, in Season 2 of “Sense8,” a booming house music remix of “What’s Up?” by Gabriel Mounsey appears during a rave scene.)
Musically, the song emphasizes simplicity. Slipshod electric guitars spin like a lazy kite around strident acoustic guitars and a buoyant rhythm section. Lyrically, Perry also doesn’t overcomplicate things. “What’s Up?” starts with a lament that’s relevant to anyone feeling stuck: “Twenty-five years and my life is still/Tryin' to get up that great big hill of hope.”
The line has a double meaning: It could be from the perspective of a 25-year-old trying to navigate adulthood — or it could be someone older realizing they’ve spent a quarter-century trying (but failing) to get ahead.
“What’s Up?” then obliquely points out the structural forces at play within this struggle: “I realized quickly when I knew I should/That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man/For whatever that means.” Call it a protective boy’s club — or garden-variety sexism — but this power imbalance impedes the narrator’s goals.
As the song progresses, Perry’s performance grows more urgent and expressive. Her voice breaks and cracks with weariness on lines such as “Oh my God, do I try/I try all the time/In this institution,” as if the oppression might break her. But she immediately picks herself up and doesn’t give in to defeat; instead, she positively roars “I pray every single day/For revolution.”
And then from there, momentum propels the song toward the end, as Perry is galvanized by the thought of finding a better way going forward. She does her best Janis Joplin, belting out lyrics about waking up each morning and greeting the day — perhaps by getting high, perhaps by cathartic yells — and tries to find equilibrium. In the end, she doesn’t come to any conclusions, but resilience and determination have clearly defeated inertia or indifference.
“Honestly, it’s the right time in my head. It’s the right time in my heart,” she said. “I’ve been kind of putting that energy out, because I want 2025 to be my year. I want to own this year because I feel like I’ve been planting seeds all over the place and I’m watching my little trees grow.”
The ongoing popularity of “What’s Up?” certainly fits this description. After all, not every musician writes a song that continues to bear fruit and thrive so many years later. But “What’s Up?” clearly touched a nerve then and now for good reasons. During bleak times, it’s comforting to hear a song that validates you feeling overwhelmed and hopeless — and emphasizes that you aren’t alone in wanting to throw up your hands at the world. So the next time you mimic those lung-busting wails at karaoke or hear “What’s Up?” used in a movie or on TV show, you can marvel at the song’s timeless solace.
