Singing along to your favorite songs is something most of us do on a daily basis with varying success. Even if you aren’t the next Adele, it is fun to turn up your music and sing. So many people enjoy doing this, a whole culture was created around it. This phenomenon that has been around for several years, since the 1960s to be exact, is called Karaoke.

Like many great things, such as Nintendo and sushi, the first karaoke machine originated in Japan and it soon caught on in other countries as well. It has gotten so popular that the global karaoke market is said to be worth $10 billion.

Thus, after hearing some of my classmates telling me about their escapades in a nearby karaoke bar, I also wanted to give it a try.

Due to the fact that I do have a once of self-consciousness in my body, I did not go to a “public” karaoke bar, but my friends and I discovered a karaoke bar, the Melody Bar, with separate private rooms.

When we first arrived, we were a bit nervous about what to expect. None of us have ever gone to a karaoke bar and so, unsurprisingly, we were taken aback when the entrance of the Melody Bar was in a garage.

Nevertheless, we persisted – after all, we had come there to sing horribly to “YMCA” and “Formation” and nothing would stand in our way.

Once inside, the initial worry wore off when the friendly staff welcomed us and explained the complicated science of operating a karaoke machine. Then, when we were left to our own devices in the comfortable and dark private room, there was a certain hesitation. Singing is something intimate and even if it is merely for fun, it can be scary to choose a song and then perform it. This is why easing into karaoke with a private room is something I would recommend.

After we got started, which happened slowly but surely, we couldn’t be stopped. Song after song was played and I discovered that a surprisingly high amount of my friends could moonwalk. Sadly, I can’t, but that didn’t stop me from having a great time. It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing, as most of your companions can’t either, but instead, it is about the atmosphere and the feeling of simply singing at the top of your lungs.

Singing, more like screaming, after such a stressful period of exams, is almost something cathartic and going to a karaoke bar is an activity I would definitely recommend.