As the coronavirus outbreak continues to be an international problem, various entities have been sharing advice for people looking to limit their susceptibility to illness. None of those efforts, however, are as catchy as the one from Vietnam’s National Institute Of Occupational And Environmental Health (NIOEH). They recently shared a song, “Ghen Cô Vy,” and it is far catchier than a song created for an animated health PSA has any right to be.
The song came to the attention of most of the English-speaking world after John Oliver mentioned it during last night’s episode of Last Week Tonight. He played a snippet of the clip, and when the shot cut back to him, he was enthusiastically dancing and celebrating the track. Oliver was correct when he said the song “absolutely slaps,” and he also noted that the tune became a TikTok dance challenge due to how instantly appealing it is.
“Ghen Cô Vy” certainly wouldn’t sound out of place on modern pop radio, and that’s because it’s based on a song that was recently a pop hit. The song is a new version of “Ghen” — a 2017 single by Vietnamese artists Min, Erik, and Khắc Hưng — with altered lyrics. “Ghen” was an award-winning hit in Vietnam, and the song’s video currently has over 114 million views on YouTube. NIOEH partnered with the three artists to rework the song and encourage people to take precautionary hygiene measures. At the very least, the song is generating a lot of attention, which is definitely a win.
Watch the “Ghen Cô Vy” video above, and check out the original version of “Ghen” below.
