gaz11's latest single, "Happy Holidays (In August)," is the proof that creativity has a fantastically absurd sense of humor. What began as a surprise punch of holiday cheer from ChatGPT-5, a block of text in a kind of ASCII art wishing the artist a happy holiday, in the middle of August, soon evolved into a full-fledged song, one that was unapologetically silly and catchy.
Those opening notes let you know that gaz11 is going to embrace the absurdity of the concept coolly. The song bounces along with a lo-fi, slightly glitchy feel, matching the randomness of getting holiday greetings in a heatwave month. It's there, in the melodies, a glee beneath the veneer of culture, a feeling not that this song was worked over and over until it sounded like everything else, but that it was put together quickly and without the taint of trying too hard. To listen to it is to be handed a novelty musical postcard from somebody who's just realized that the calendar is optional.
The production strikes a balance between navel-gazing memories and modern indie. There's a festive undertone, and the glitchy textures introduce just a slight element of unpredictability to keep your ears from zoning out. It's more than just a gimmick for novelty's sake. gaz11's ability to engage in a call-and-response with the uncanny, looping the weird into something musically comprehensible, speaks to a particular sort of creativity and agility.
gaz11 didn't restrict it to audio. The song comes with a visual companion, which is perfectly lo-fi, capturing the whimsical charm that we hear in the track. The music itself already has a catchy quality, but the video adds an extra twist of narrative, the surreal delight of receiving cheer at this time of year.