Why are Cardi B fans getting ‘tingly, tingly, tingly’ over her new whispery video?
Cardi B just dropped a new video, but you’re going to have to lean in close to hear it because she never raises her voice above a whisper in it, and that’s on purpose.
In an interview with W magazine, the “Bodak Yellow” singer reveals that she, like millions of people, is a fan of ASMR videos.
ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, a nonclinical term that describes the tingly sensation some people get while listening to quiet, hushed, repetitive noises.
When you weren’t listening, ASMR videos created to incite this neurological phenomenon became a full-blown Internet craze.
“It resided at the outer edge of respectability, a growing collection of YouTube videos featuring people doing quiet, methodical activities like whispering, turning magazine pages and tapping their fingers,” Smithsonian magazine described last year.
“Some viewers reported that these videos could elicit the most pleasurable sensations: a tingling feeling at the scalp and spine, coupled with euphoria and an almost trance-like relaxation ...
“As researcher Craig Richard puts it: ‘Why are millions of people watching someone fold a napkin?’”
According to the BBC, there are more than 13 million of these videos on YouTube alone.
Add one more from Cardi B.
“The 13-minute video sees the star talking about her own experiences of ASMR as well as describing what motherhood is like following the birth of her daughter earlier this year,” the British music website NME writes.
“As well as whispering, Cardi B can also be seen stroking a fuzzy rug and playing with a children’s toy, all of which are meant to add to the overall sensory experience of ASMR.”
She begins the video by making an odd, purring noise into the microphones that sounds like “Okurrrr.”
“Hello. My name is Cardi B,” she whispers. “and I’m going to talk a little bit about myself, ASMR style. I just finished doing a photo shoot for W magazine. Now, I’m going to play with some toys while I speak about myself.
“I love ASMR. My husband thinks it’s very strange and weird that I watch ASMR every single day to go to bed. But it gives me a very tingly, tingly, tingly, tingy, tingly, sensation. Sensation. Sensation.
“Bodak. Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow. Bodak yellow yellow yellow yellow ...”
And on she goes.
If her fans had a say, this video, released Monday, would be nominated for an MTV Award.
A Cardi B ASMR channel, please, her followers are yelling — er, whispering.