February 14, 2009

"Saturday Night Live" principals Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone became the unofficial poster boys of the YouTube generation with the "Narnia"-themed rap video "Lazy Sunday" and the Emmy Award-winning "Dick in a Box" with Justin Timberlake. The trio's debut CD/ DVD includes these and other familiar viral video juggernauts, but the 19 audio and eight video tracks expose the group's deft handle on musical parody, a genre that has been thin on new superstars. The genius of the songs is in pairing in-your-face lyrical humor with a faithful musical tribute: First single "Jizz in My Pants" is crafted to every Pet Shop Boys spec, while "I'm on a Boat," featuring T-Pain, takes hip-hop boasting to its most absurd extreme ("Believe me when I say I fucked a mermaid"). Not every track is equally gut-busting, and a few, like the poseur reggae tune "Ras Trent," are made much funnier by the included video. But the Lonely Island has certainly found its bearings.—Evie Nagy

Subscribe to Billboard magazine today!