The BBC reports that in South Korea, Apt. by Rose and Bruno Mars is considered such an dangerous earworm by many South Korean students studying for the Suneung university placement exams that many are taking it off their playlists. One student is quoted as saying the following:
“I’m worried that the song will play in my head even during the exam.” Adults might laugh and say, ‘Why stress over something like that?’ But for us, with such an important test ahead, it can feel unsettling.”
I have to agree that is an incredibly catchy song, and at times, it has gotten stuck in my head!
You might wonder why it is a such an earworm. It’s likely because it uses catchy melodies and beats that recall familiar songs. When I first heard that song, I thought of Mickey by Toni Basil (showing my age), and it turns out that this song was sampled in Apt.. Other people have pointed out sections sound like Lady Gaga songs and others.
It’s pretty amazing to me that Asians and Asian Americans as pop music performers and song writers are becoming normalized now, especially a song about something so Asian as a Korean drinking game. Let’s hope that continues to be the case. As of now when I am writing this post, Apt. is number one on the Billboard Global Charts that include and exclude the US. It has gotten as high as 8 on Billboard’s hot 100.
