Alamak! Four ways to get rid of the latest Raya earworm

PETALING JAYA: From the airwaves straight into your ears – the trending anthem for Hari Raya this year is undoubtedly DeFam's "Alamak Raya Lagi".

The song, which has gone viral locally and abroad, has had many people – sometimes without realising it – singing along to its catchy 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.

PHM said most earworm "cases" are not serious and could just be the result of a creative mind.

"However it is advised to get advice from a medical specialist if the situation persists for more than 24 hours," it added.

You know what they say about earworms: "It's never gonna give you up..."