When you think of “good music to study to,” what comes to mind? For most people, the answer is probably calm, gentle instrumental tracks – such as those frequently found on YouTube under labels such as “lo-fi study beats”. It is generally believed that slow, calming music helps people concentrate when studying or doing homework.
However, the latest trend among students seems to embrace the exact opposite philosophy: choosing high-intensity music to ramp up the pressure and motivate them further.
In particular, the fast-paced tracklist of choice among TikTok and Twitter users is none other than the soundtrack to Nintendo’s popular racing series Mario Kart.
The trend first took off earlier this month, when a TikTok user by the name of @daniellev98 uploaded a video to the app which showed her writing an essay while listening to “Super Star,” a track which is heard when a player gains an Invincibility Star power-up in Mario Kart. The user indicated that she had forgotten about a 5-page essay which was due the next day, but was able to successfully complete it with the help of the stress-inducing music.
Since then, a number of people have taken to Twitter and TikTok to announce that they experienced similarly productive study sessions while listening to Mario Kart music. One student, @AniyaArnold4, indicated that she was able to study for two hours straight due to her choice of music.
https://twitter.com/AniyaArnold4/status/1320540635540107264
Another, @pinball_wizard, reported that he wrote 600 words in 30 minutes with the aid of the Mario Kart soundtrack.
y’all wanna try something wild?
if you have a paper or project you need to do for school or whatever else, listen to Mario Kart music while you do it. i’m dead serious
I just wrote 600 words out of my 1000 essay in half an hour, this shit really works
— parkermit (@pinball_wizard) October 21, 2020
As a result of this viral trend, Mario Kart music has gained increasing popularity, with Google Trends showing a spike in searches. Some fans have even reached out to Nintendo via social media, asking if a “study playlist” version of the Mario Kart soundtrack could possibly see release in the future.
What is your favorite video game music to study to? Let us know!