{"id":170531,"date":"2020-10-30T01:29:45","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T23:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/how-viral-song-jerusalema-joined-the-ranks-of-south-africas-greatest-hits\/"},"modified":"2020-10-30T01:29:45","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T23:29:45","slug":"how-viral-song-jerusalema-joined-the-ranks-of-south-africas-greatest-hits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/how-viral-song-jerusalema-joined-the-ranks-of-south-africas-greatest-hits\/","title":{"rendered":"How viral song Jerusalema joined the ranks of South Africa’s greatest hits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There\u2019s something seemingly novel about a song from South Africa going viral to the extent that the 2019 house music song Jerusalema<\/a><\/em> has done in 2020. The song is performed by musician and producer Master KG<\/a> and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apart from the song\u2019s omnipresence on the sound systems of a cross-section of socio-economic neighbourhoods across South Africa, it has become a viral dance phenomenon<\/a>, drawing in a diverse global audience. Internationally, politicians, sports stars, priests, nuns and monks, shop attendants, healthcare workers and infinite other global citizens have posted countless videos of themselves participating in group dancing, accepting the Jerusalema<\/em> dance challenge. <\/p>\n

As much as the song has captured global attention<\/a>, it has also inspired curiosity among those already familiar with the repetitive, slower, four-to-a-bar beat of South African house<\/a> music. Many are trying to figure out what makes Jerusalema<\/em> so exceptional in its popularity. A frequent question in my social circles is, why this song? <\/p>\n

Why, when there have been so many other similar uplifting local dance hits, does this song have such a potent viral capacity that\u2019s broken download records<\/a> and received over 200 million clicks on the official music video to date?<\/p>\n