Written and performed by nearly-four-year-old English girl Fenn Rosenthal, the song is about dinosaurs having a party, falling in love, and then dying.

It was shared on Twitter by her proud father Tom earlier this week and by Friday, it had amassed more than 5 million views while American talk show host Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots performed a remix.

“Aside from the cute factor, this song taps into something much deeper,” said Toowoomba-based musician and educator Courtney Feldman, who is completing a PhD on improvisation in music.

“We’re hearing a song about love with a tragic ending and a whole spectrum of human emotion in between.”

Dinosaurs having a party

Like 2019’s ‘Baby Shark’, the simple and catchy melody of ‘Dinosaurs in Love’ has helped make it a viral hit, but Feldman believes it is technically a much better song than ‘Baby Shark’.

“There’s something about the rhythm and the way the melody is shaped and progresses that draws us in to hear more,” she said.

“It’s a really effective compositional technique.”

The song is light and fun and the kind of song you would expect from a little girl singing about a dinosaur party.

“It has a catchy chorus using very happy major chords,” Feldman explained.

“We’re talking about being in love, having a party. It’s simple.”

But it does not take long for things to get complicated.

“In the bridge we have a soft story with minor chords which makes us think a bit differently about the music,” Feldman said.

“The voice gets softer and we learn there’s more to the story, and it cap

tures the listener to pay attention and think about what the broader concepts are.”

Power of music to connect

What could easily have been dismissed as a childish song has now been played all over the world, on radio stations and on television.

“For me, that’s the power of music. Music provides a place of connection and resonance for us,” Feldman said.

“In my research, I’m looking at jazz improvisation, and one of the markers of elite improvisation is the ability to spontaneously invent music ideas in the moment in communication with the musicians you’re working with.

“In this song, you can hear Fenn and her dad Tom communicating at certain parts in the song and playing off each other, listening to each other, and I think that’s a really special thing to hear.”

I’m not crying, you’re crying

Many comments about the song focus on the tragic end that befalls the lovestruck dinosaurs.

Feldman said sad songs could be popular because they were relatable and cathartic.

“There’s something healing in expressing your emotions,” she said.

“To sing a sad lyric can be profoundly freeing for us to be who we are and let the feelings come out.”

What next for emerging artists?

If we know anything about the internet, the song will burn bright, and may inspire many cover versions.

“To think generations ago you had to make the big time in order to be heard, but now with platforms like YouTube and Twitter you can be an instant hit,” Feldman said.

“This technology is amazing for the emerging artist. I’d love to hear a jazz cover.

“I think there’d be some scatting in the middle, and I think everyone in the band would have a say over the form.”

– ABC / Peter Gunders