In August 2017, Wainwright performed the song as a duet as a large concert in Montreal in conjunction with "Montreal 375". Footage of the concert subsequently aired in September on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during a one-hour special called Montreal in Symphony. Music video The music video for "April Fools", directed by Sophie Muller, was the first promoting Wainwright's debut album. It features the singer in Los Angeles "amidst a clique of classic opera characters" such as Madame Butterfly, attempting to prevent each of them from committing suicide. However, in each instance he arrives too late. No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, a friend of Muller's, and Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, a high school acquaintance and former roommate of Wainwright's, make cameo appearances. Part of the video was filmed in Stefani's house. Wainwright said of their involvement: Reception Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic described "April Fools" as "the most accessible song and recording" on the album, and "possibly one of the catchiest and most hook-filled choruses in contemporary pop memory". He wrote: "As with many of [Wainwright's] songs, the wordplay here keeps the listener's attention, making this one of the most unique singles of the modern pop era." Larry Flick, an editor for Billboard, selected the song as a "Critic's Choice", signifying a work that is "highly recommend[ed] because of their musical merit". He called it "sophisticated without being pretentious" and contrasted it with the "tight and tediously formulaic playlists" of the time. The song is included in Bruce Pollock's book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era (2014). References External links 1998 songs Music videos directed by Sophie Muller Rufus Wainwright songs Song recordings produced by Jon Brion Songs written by Rufus Wainwright