Science Says There's A Reason Why The Baby Shark Song is So Popular

If you have kids or know someone who does, you’ve likely heard of the popular Baby Shark song. I mean, it’s like the one song you cannot get away from. With that being said, there is reason Why The Baby Shark Song is So Popular and ultimately so easy to get stuck inside your head, Here’s Why…

The ‘Baby Shark’ Song has become an internet sensation and truthfully, one of the ways I can calm my 10-month-old daughter down when she’s fussy or upset.

The reason why the ‘Baby Shark’ song is so popular is because it is a catchy, easy to memorize song with repetitive lyrics and it’s upbeat tune can turn a frown upside down.

This is a super popular nursery rhyme that is about an entire shark family. From Mama shark, baby shark, to daddy, grandpa, and grandma shark! I don’t think I know an animal song as popular as this song.

While that is the basic reason as to why the song is so good, it really has a scientific reason that makes one of the most viral songs in history and one you and your kids want to listen to it over and over.

To date, the Baby Shark song has been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube (from the original upload in 2016) so it has been worth taking note as to why… Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo

Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooBaby shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooBaby shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooBaby shark!

Mommy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooMommy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooMommy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooMommy shark!

Daddy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooDaddy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooDaddy shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooDaddy shark!

Grandma shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandma shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandma shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandma shark!

Grandpa shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandpa shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandpa shark, doo doo doo doo doo dooGrandpa shark!

Let’s go hunt, doo doo doo doo doo dooLet’s go hunt, doo doo doo doo doo dooLet’s go hunt, doo doo doo doo doo dooLet’s go hunt!

Run away, doo doo doo doo doo dooRun away, doo doo doo doo doo dooRun away, doo doo doo doo doo dooRun away!

Safe at last, doo doo doo doo doo dooSafe at last, doo doo doo doo doo dooSafe at last, doo doo doo doo doo dooSafe at last!

It’s the end, doo doo doo doo doo dooIt’s the end, doo doo doo doo doo dooIt’s the end, doo doo doo doo doo dooIt’s the end!

These are the lyrics, from Azlyrics. I keep seeing so many new videos, but this one is my favorite and teaches you the Baby Shark dance moves. These baby shark dance moments are fun, but could they have to do with Baby Shark’s big show popularity? I don’t think so.

I think it is a viral hit purely on the music, though, the short videos and dance moves are entertaining.

At one point I jokingly told my husband there probably was some hidden message inside the song that makes us all want to listen to it. HA. But in reality, it’s more complex than that! There HAS to be something that is making this song a global phenomenon that is taking over social media beyond just a catchy rhythm.

But that doesn’t really explain the scientific reason behind why it’s constantly stuck inside your head and a viral sensation. According to research, studies have shown that “earworms” are the reason some songs just stick to us like glue.

An “earworm” is basically a part of a song that our brain sings. It’s basically our brain singing a song. In fact, in a study published in Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition proved just how much people experience these earworms:

Study conducted among 12,420 Finnish Internet users showed that 91.7 % of people reported experiencing this phenomenon (earworms) at least once a week.

Repetitive music or songs such as Baby Shark can breed earworms causing us to repeat snippets of the songs inside our heads often. Then we seek out wanting to listen to the song again and again.

Music cognition research suggests that earworms could have something to do with how music affects the brain’s motor cortex, according to Margulis. When people listen to music, “there’s a lot of activity in the motor planning regions,” she says. “People are often imaginatively participating even while they’re sitting still.” (Source)

So, I guess that my opinions on why the baby shark song is so popular, seem to make sense scientifically. We listen to the song, create earworms, and then want to listen to it again all because it’s catchy and easy to memorize. Mind blowing, right?

Do you like the Baby Shark song? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!