This is not an article on wine and light snacks. Nor on whether we are served well by music or food trucks. I am mainly fascinated by the power of viralability in our lives today, shaping decisions and choices in food, music and beyond.

I am still grappling with the winning of this year's Malta's Eurovision entry. Hardly because she uses sexually offensive language but more for its image and impact. The music industry is quite synonymous with sexually explicit material, in many times putting women and their sexualised bodies at the focus of the gaze. What comes to mind is Beyoncé, Madonna and turning back time to 1989 with Cher in a cat suit singing to sailors. What is known as 'the male gaze' in popular cultural studies, is just about that - viewing women's body in a sexualised manner, while being able to perform for the pleasure of the audience, usually males. The transformation of the gaze in contemporary popular culture, particularly in the context of events like the Eurovision Song Contest, reflects a shift beyond the traditional heteronormative male gaze to embrace diverse genders and sexual orientations.

While woman may feel empowered to present sexualised display, younger audiences may be negatively influenced, especially the younger adolescent girls who are still making sense of their bodies and how to move it to fit in.   While it may have been charming to watch young girls singing and dancing to Eurovision songs in the past years, I doubt this year's song will be perceived equally delightful when sang in school yards.

The viralability of this song is built on its sexual content. The whole performativity, in the lyrics, choice of clothing and choreography implies just that.  This was to an extent that, following critique, it felt necessary to dress it up in modest feminist talk. In music history, we have seen various girl groups and solo singers marching on the feminist movement and waving the flag of girl power throughout the years.  I am all for that. But the misappropriation of such discourse to justify use of vulgar and offensive language is equally offensive.  It is not just reference to the female genitalia as we fly the Maltese flag that is worrying, but the derogatory nature of using this word towards women which I find nerve-wracking.

The intention in serving shock value here is to push the boundaries on the use of language and in the process vying attention across numerous platforms.  This shock factor in using sexually explicit lyrics in pop music is not new of course.  Artists have long used shock value through lyrics, pushing boundaries with controversial display and lyrics. For example, early rap music often featured raw, unfiltered language about violence, drugs, and societal issues, which shocked mainstream audiences. Similarly, punk rock lyrics often tackled political corruption, anarchy, and anti-establishment sentiments in ways that felt jarring to conventional listeners. Songs like "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring T.I. and Pharrell, sparked significant controversy due to its lyrics interpreted as promoting sexual consent ambiguity. Almost six decades ago, in 1967, less sexually explicit but equally controversial was the song by The Rolling Stones "Let's Spend the Night Together". It was banned on radio stations for its suggestion of casual, physical intimacy, which was a bit more daring during the 1960s, especially as the sexual revolution started to gain momentum.

While audiences are harder to shock nowadays, however the message is communicated faster. Social media creates a democratic platform to comment and share such content. Days before the final night, the winning song had already gone viral in reels.  Reels, capitalize on this and offer content consumption in loops based on algorithms generated from personal interests. As these trends have a huge number of people recreating them, it produces an echo chamber where the same content is recycled repeatedly. This effects the way we make sense of the world. It also effects habits in leisure activities and the consumption of goods and foods.

'Away away' from music now.  Another latest reel phenomenon is the selling of a toast at the price of €9.90. It is neither the food, nor the price that is driving people up the cliffs to queue for toast. It is the sensation pedalled by reels, making the protagonist an online personality. The algorithmic design of these platforms plays a key role in fostering connections among users who share similar interests or engage with related content. By doing so, reels contribute to a sense of familiarity. The toast is means here for 'being in the know' with what is now and trending rather than simply an expensive snack.  Toast acquired a cool factor overnight. It has nothing to do with the content but with the sensation it creates.

As I write this article, I am quite aware that I am contributing further to the viral sensation phenomenon. I am certain that those readers who have not heard the songs mentioned here will be googling them while waiting to be served some expensive toast on Dingli Cliffs.

Prof. Valerie Visanich is an Associate Professor in Sociology