Why do babies love Beyoncé?

Lyrics like “If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it” aren’t the stuff of Sesame Street, and the stark white background and synchronized moves of Beyoncé and two other dancers, all in black leotards and heels, seem about as far from The Wiggles as one gets, which is why some parents […]

Lyrics like “If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it” aren’t the stuff of Sesame Street, and the stark white background and synchronized moves of Beyoncé and two other dancers, all in black leotards and heels, seem about as far from The Wiggles as one gets, which is why some parents have been taken aback by how popular “Single Ladies” is with their children.

“I don’t know what’s so catchy about the song,” writes Jenny Isenman on iVillage in a post called “Diaper Divas,” “but let’s be honest: it’s addictive. And it’s really addictive with the playdate set.” Isenman’s 4-year-old daughter makes her scour the radio for it.

But experts in music and child development aren’t surprised that “Single Ladies” won Best Song at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards or that an army of little kids have mastered Beyoncé’s saucy, ring-on-it hand flip.

Like some rogue Baby Einstein offering, the black-and-white “Single Ladies” video provides visual and aural stimulation well suited for the under-2 crowd. Babies love high-contrast colors, steady beats and smiling women’s faces. “Single Ladies” has all of these things. It’s almost as if Beyoncé designed it for children. And, in a way, she did.

JaQuel Knight, who choreographed the “Single Ladies” video along with Frank Gatson Jr., says the “Single Ladies” team always had children in mind. “We often went back to our childhood days, when our parents would ask us to dance for all the relatives at the family cookout,” he says. “They weren’t the best steps on the planet, but the feeling, emotion and passion of the steps in that moment were incredible.”

Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the “Single Babies” phenomenon. “What putting babies in front of this video does is deprive them of hands-on creative play, which is the foundation of learning,” says Dr. Susan Linn, director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and author of The Case for Make Believe. “Babies aren’t asking to be put in front of these videos. They’re not congregating in front of the watercooler to talk about Beyoncé. They don’t get anything from the video that they couldn’t gain from parents who play music around the house.” The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends no screen time for children under age 2, whether that’s on TV or a computer.

But parents find it hard to argue with a three-minute diversion that both they and their children can enjoy dancing along to. Knight says he is thrilled about babies’ reaction to the video. “It is absolutely heart-warming and most definitely places a smile on my face,” he says, “to see our piece of art touching those at such a young age, even those who can’t walk.”

Time.com