Imogen Heap’s ‘The Happy Song’ celebrates ten years of scientific infant soothing

The song ‘The Happy Song’, composed by Grammy-winning musician Imogen Heap, is marking ten years since its release. Developed through a collaboration between musicians, parents, and scientists, the two-and-a-half-minute track was designed to soothe infants and trigger positive emotional responses.

The project began in 2016 when the British baby food company Cow & Gate commissioned a musical composition to help parents manage crying, particularly during car travel. To achieve this, music psychologist Lauren Stewart and developmental psychologist Caspar Addyman worked with Heap to identify specific musical traits, such as the use of major scales and repetitive rhythms, that appeal to babies.

The song has achieved significant commercial success, accumulating over 470 million streams on Spotify. Additionally, a ten-hour continuous playback video of the song on YouTube has garnered 14 million views.