Play

After brandishing her Swagi Wali Topi and the more vapid Daaru Dhinchak Pooja is back, this time more cringeworthy and painful than ever before, with Selfie Maine Leli Aaj.

Cringe-pop can be thought of as music, accompanied by a video, that is so utterly dreadful that it becomes a hit simply because people have to watch the video to see for themselves just how bad it is.

Play

The internet’s beloved, and often hated, trend of cringe-pop started in 2011 with Rebecca Black’s Friday. Since then, it has culminated in a few icons of its own. Pakistan’s Taher Shah has made himself a winner in the field, with his Angel Eyes and Eye 2 Eye.

Yet Dhinchak Pooja has taken the trend a step further, and one step closer to causing some serious ear and brain damage. Her videos are notorious for having immensely uninspired lyrics and out-of-sync beats and vocals. These mind-numbing videos appear to have been shot around Delhi, featuring Dhinchak Pooja and her “gang”.

The new song also features a barrage of selfies, whilse Dhinchak Pooja sings:

“Selfie maine leli aaj, selfie maine le li aaj, 
sar pe mere rehta taj, selfie maine le li aaj...
...Selfie lena mera kaam, na interest kisi baat mei, 
chal re side hoja re uncle...”

(I’ve taken a selfie today, with a crown on my head...taking selfies is my job, I’m not interested in anything else, step aside, uncle...)

She sings “selfie maine leli aaj” at least 15 times in the video, in the space of about two minutes. Maybe viewers are counting for themselves, considering her new video has already received more than two million views since its release on May 14.

Kind critics may argue that the cringe-pop factor is deliberately introduced. Perhaps listeners can figure that out as the songs play themselves on a loop in their heads.

Play