Matthew Anthony Ludwig

(He/him/his)

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Bad Bunny’s characteristic reggaeton rhythms are derived from “the tresillo,” a distinctive pattern created by two groups of three beats followed by a group of two beats. Bad Bunny at the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo, in February 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

How ‘catchy’ music is driven by rhythmic patterns

Aidan McGartland, McGill University; Linglan Zhu, McGill University, and Matthew Anthony Ludwig, Boston University

Catchy rhythms like the tresillo are examples of how our musical perception and preference negotiate between simplicity and complexity.

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