What’s The Millennial Whoop & Why Is It In Almost Every Song?

You've probably heard a certain phenomenon so much that you stopped noticing it. But Patrick Metzger, writing for The Patterning, called out the weird commonality perfectly: the Millennial Whoop. So what is this phenomenon, which you will now never be able to unhear? Metzger writes: "I like to call this melodic snippet the 'Millennial Whoop.' It’s a sequence of notes that alternates between the fifth and third notes of a major scale, typically starting on the fifth. The rhythm is usually straight 8th-notes, but it may start on the downbeat or on the upbeat in different songs. A singer usually belts these notes with an 'Oh' phoneme, often in a 'Wa-oh-wa-oh' pattern. And it is in so many pop songs it’s criminal." Confused? Don't be. It's all over this Katy Perry song, starting at 0:51, then at 1:05 and multiple times throughout the chorus.

The whoop has even started a lawsuit, as Ally Burnett sued Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City for using it in the start of their song "Good Times," which she said was overly similar to her track, "Ah, It's a Love Song." The song was ruled an original work, possibly because the sound has become completely ubiquitous, though Jepsen settled out of court. Now that you know about the sound, you'll start hearing it everywhere. Here are some additional tracks that contain the Millennial Whoop, as compiled by Metzger and his readers. Read more about the phenomenon here.

Frank Ocean – “Ivy” (2016, Millennial Whoop at 2:53)

Demi Lovato – “I Really Don’t Care” (2013, Millennial Whoop at 1:00)

BOY – “Little Numbers” (2011, Millennial Whoop at 1:04)

Fifth Harmony – “Anything Is Possible” (2014, Millennial Whoop at 0:20)

CHVRCHES – “The Mother We Share” (2013, fragmented Millennial Whoop at 0:00, standard Millennial Whoop at 0:33)

One Direction – “Live While We’re Young” (2012, Millennial Whoop at 0:53)

Justin Bieber – “Baby (featuring Ludacris)” (2010, Millennial Whoop at 0:46)