ANN/THE STAR – Transitioning from radio waves directly to your auditory senses, this year’s standout anthem for Hari Raya undoubtedly belongs to DeFam with Alamak Raya Lagi. This infectious tune has not only gained immense popularity locally but has also gone viral across borders, prompting many individuals, sometimes unknowingly, to hum along to its irresistible melody.
Inspired by the “unexpected” Hari Raya of 2022, the song was supposed to be released in 2023 but was shelved due to other commitments.
“Thank God, the song has reached international audiences, something we never expected and we thank all our supporters,” said DeFam in an interview with AstroAwani.
The music video for the song has garnered 10 million views on YouTube so far and has been trending on TikTok. It also caught the attention of South Korean girl group TRI.BE. However, not everyone is happy to be humming along to the tune.
Public Health Malaysia (PHM), a social media group, labelled Alamak Raya Lagi an “unwelcome earworm”.
Earworms are songs that stick in your head which you repeatedly “hear” – even if it is not playing in the background. “Most people don’t think it is a problem but it can disrupt one’s focus,” said the group, according to Malay online portal mStar.
Fear not, PHM went on to list out four “tips” one can do to distract ourselves from the persistent tune.
“Firstly, listen to the whole song which can help lessen a situation where part of the lyrics are stuck in your head.
“Secondly, listen to songs which you like more than this song – even the national anthem. Meditation also helps.
“Thirdly, one could just ignore the earworm altogether and let it be forgotten naturally,” it said.
The last tip, added PHM, is to make yourself busy and thereby shift your mind to other things. – R Sekaran
