Like the rest of the nation (and some would say, the world), I have been asking myself over and over again why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di. And in addition to that I have been asking myself why the heck does this happen to us in the first place. Now if you are not aware of what an earworm is, then take a look at the Wikipedian definition:

Earworm, a loan translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a portion of a song or other music that repeats compulsively within one’s mind, put colloquially as “music being stuck in one’s head.”

Use of the English translation was popularized by James Kellaris, a marketing researcher at the University of Cincinnati, and American cognitive psychologist Daniel Levitin. Kellaris’ studies demonstrated that different people have varying susceptibilities to earworms, but that almost everybody has been afflicted with one at some time or another.

And in case you have been living under a rock or buried under mountains of MCQs, then, this is the latest viral video on YouTube, an awesome earworm-ey number by Dhanush, called why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di. Take a listen:

Now that you have been enlightened about the comings and goings that set this post off, it is time to muse on the matter of earworms. While you are reading this, I highly recommend turning Kolaveri Di on, because, admit it, it will be playing in your head anyways. You might as well take it one step closer to beat that Bieber chick.

Continue reading “Earworms: Kolaveri Di and the Pathogenesis of a Musical Malaise”