Spoopy

Sharon Needles in 2017

Sharon Needles' Spoopy features six cover versions of songs with a Halloween theme. She has described the EP as "a Halloween gift to the fans who've stood by me for the last seven years",[1] and said, "As a writer, one truly never trusts their own truth. But in covers one can find themself lost in the words of others."[2]

Sharon Needles said of the EP's title: "If you've never heard the word 'spoopy,' you must be living under a rock, or you’re over the age of 40. The kids rely on misspellings of words. I think [this one] comes from a misspelling of a Halloween decoration that was at Target, where instead of a K, they put a P, and it became 'spoopy,' like 'creppy.' There are these buzzwords in pop culture, and I think they’re completely stupid."[3] Furthermore, she said:

Spoopy makes me laugh so much. It's a word that connects me with this newfangled thing called social media. The new medium of celebrity and exposure is in these kids' cell phones, so I thought, why not meet them halfway? I'm a compromise queen. I went from representing the future of drag to some washed-up queen from season 4. But, if you look it up on Urban Dictionary, Spoopy means to be funny and scary at the same time, and if that doesn't sum up someone like me, I don't know what does.[3]

Bobby Pickett's novelty song "Monster Mash" (1962) serves as the EP's opening track. Sharon Needles has said of the song, "'The 'Monster Mash' is not only an iconic, nostalgic, and classic halloween rock n' roll jam, but it speaks to the child in everyone that loved knocking on a door or hitting a doorbell and saying the sweet words of 'trick or treat."[2] Following are covers of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", written by Bon Scott, Angus Young, and Malcolm Young in 1979, and the Classics IV song "Spooky" (1967). The novelty song "Purple People Eater" (1958) was written and originally performed by Sheb Wooley. "Devil with the Blue Dress On" (1964) was written by Shorty Long and William "Mickey" Stevenson, and later recorded by Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels in 1966. "Somebody's Watching Me" was written and originally recorded by Rockwell in 1984. The EP is approximately 15 minutes, 45 seconds in length.[4]

The "Monster Mash" music video features Sharon Needles' ex-partner and drag performer Alaska Thunderfuck.

In the video, Sharon Needles recreates Pamela Anderson's (pictured in 2003) slow motion running made famous as C. J. Parker on Baywatch.

Spoopy was released digitally by the record label Producer Entertainment Group on October 11, 2019.[5][6][7] The music video for "Monster Mash" was directed by Brad Hammer, with Aurora Sexton serving as art director.[8] It features Sharon Needles' ex-partner and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Alaska Thunderfuck.[3][8] In the video, which was filmed "in a retro and classic pinup style" according to Instinct's Michael Cook,[8] Sharon Needles "hosts her own psycho beach party complete with goth partygoers [and] classic monster masks".[1] She has said of the video:

"Monster Mash" is one of those great, throwback Halloween songs. In the '50s and '60s, even Hollywood revived the 1930s Universal monsters, like Creature from the Black Lagoon, werewolves, Dracula, and Frankenstein, so I wanted to merge that resurgence and nostalgic feeling of Universal monsters with a juxtaposition of an Annette Funicello/Rock Hudson, G-rated, feel-good beach movie. Those concepts melded together. All of my 13-year-old fans are really going to connect with an Annette Funicello reference. But, it's all about three things: rock & roll, nostalgia, and Halloween. "Monster Mash" blends those things together![3]

Furthermore, Sharon Needles said of Alaska's involvement:

The night before, we went to see Judy, and we had one or 10 cocktails afterward... I got this great idea since she played Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? for an All-Stars 2 challenge. I knew I was doing a beach-themed video, and I'm all about putting Easter eggs in my videos. If you remember, at the end of Baby Jane, Bette Davis drags Joan Crawford to the beach and orders two strawberry ice creams. So, I have the scene of me walking over Alaska with the two strawberry ice cream cones. To make it hammy, we stepped away from the visuals of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? And went full-on Mommie Dearest.[3]

Entertainment Weekly's Joey Nolfi said the video has an "odd (yet satisfying) mix of old Hollywood aesthetics (from crafting an Annette Funicello-themed beach fantasy to dressing hunky bodies with classic Universal monster masks)". He called Alaska's appearance "hilarious".[3] Mike Wass of Idolator said the video "finds Sharon doing her ghoulish thing at the beach. She flirts with ripped, speedo-wearing monsters and then recreates Pamela Anderson's iconic Baywatch slow motion, boob-heaving run." He opined, "In other words, it's an absolute must-see."[9] NewNowNext's Christopher Rudolph called the video "down right 'spoopy!'"[1]

Michael Cook of Instinct wrote, "On her latest album... Needles has taken some of our favorite classic Halloween tracks and redone them in her own unique style, putting an even spookier take on tracks that are patented Sharon Needles, along with some that are completely unexpected gems." He said the artist "slinks into [the opening track] seamlessly" and called the rest of the EP a "perfect melding of our favorite Queen of all things spooky along with Halloween classics", including "some interesting and definitely on brand tracks".[8] Cook said Sharon Needles "completely shreds" "Highway to Hell", calling her performance "a strong and welcome departure for this always daring artist". He said "Devil with the Blue Dress On" "would make original artist Mitch Ryder proud". Of "Somebody's Watching Me", he said the artist "[turned] the pop anthem into a Halloween anthem for the next generation".[8] Pride.com's Taylor Henderson described the EP as "eerie" and "spooky".[2]

Track listing adapted from AllMusic,[10] the Apple Store,[11] and Spotify[4]

1. "Monster Mash" – 2:51
2. "Highway to Hell" – 3:06
3. "Spooky" – 2:35
4. "Purple People Eater" – 2:23
5. "Devil with the Blue Dress On" – 1:58
6. "Somebody's Watching Me" – 2:50

• Sharon Needles 'Spoopy' Teaser on YouTube
• Sharon Needles – Monster Mash (Official Music Video) on YouTube
• Sharon Needles – Dracula (Official) on YouTube
• d'Souza, Shaad (October 17, 2019). "Current Mood: Sharon Needles picks the spookiest Halloween songs". The Fader.