Newborn Won't Stop Crying, Then Dad Discovers One Thing That Works

Newsweek

10-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Becoming a parent is often a journey of learning on the go—getting to know your baby; figuring out what they like and dislike; and discovering what soothes them or winds them up. Every baby is unique, and, sometimes, their preferences are as surprising as they are specific.
One dad recently shared his 1-month-old daughter's unusual quirk: she will settle down only when he sings the R&B hit "Nokia" by Drake.
Jeraun Richards posted this hilarious routine on Instagram (@jrichofficial), where it quickly went viral, racking up more than 885,000 views and over 91,000 likes. In the video, Richards is seen cradling his crying daughter, Zyla, with his two brothers behind him. They try singing Baby Shark first—but it doesn't work. "She doesn't like any children's songs as of yet," Richards told Newsweek.
Richards and his brothers trying to soothe Zyla while singing "Baby Shark" (left); and the dad shows the camera his calm daughter.
Richards and his brothers trying to soothe Zyla while singing "Baby Shark" (left); and the dad shows the camera his calm daughter.
Instagram/@jrichofficial
Richards added that "Nokia" has been her favorite since she was just 1 week old.
Some people might say it's actually a good thing Zyla doesn't like "Baby Shark," the famously polarizing children's song by South Korean company Pinkfong, which is adored by kids but dreaded by many adults.
BonusInsider says that "Baby Shark" is the first YouTube video to surpass 10 billion views—a record it still holds. Created in 2016, it went viral in 2017 and eventually overtook "Despacito" after four years to become the platform's most-viewed video.
It is estimated that "Baby Shark" has earned around $22 million purely from YouTube views and ad clicks. Motivated by its success, BonusInsider analyzed the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos (as of November 20, 2022) to see how much revenue they have generated and to understand better what types of content attract the most views.
One commenter posted: "Momma was definitely listening to good music the whole pregnancy!!"
Richards told Newsweek: "Well, I played this song in the car a lot while she was pregnant so that is true."
Indeed, research suggests that playing music for babies before they are born can have lasting effects on their developing brains. One study found that prenatal music exposure boosted babies' brain responses to that same music months after birth. Another study showed that, when babies heard certain speech sounds in the womb, their brains were better prepared to recognize them later on.
So far, the clip captioned, "I think my baby just wants to be at a concert every day," has almost 2,000 comments.
As one viewer put it: "I mean she did stop crying so I guess he's right."
"She was just bored and needed to be entertained!" another commenter wrote.