--- title: "Microsoft Software Engineer Says Specific Janet Jackson Song Was Crashing Hard Drives" description: "Janet Jackson's hip-shaking 1989 hit \"Rhythm Nation\" was known to crash some Windows XP-era laptops — and as per an official CVE ID, it's absolutely true." date: "2022-08-20" modified: "2022-08-20" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/microsoft-janet-jackson-hard-drives" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "hard drives" - "microsoft" - "the digest" --- # Microsoft Software Engineer Says Specific Janet Jackson Song Was Crashing Hard Drives ![Janet Jackson's hip-shaking 1989 hit "Rhythm Nation" was known to crash some Windows XP-era laptops — and as per an official CVE ID, it's absolutely true.]() *LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 15: Janet Jackson presents the Icon Award onstage during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson's vocal power knows no bounds. According [to a delightful Tuesday blog post]() by longtime Microsoft software engineer Raymond Chen, Janet Jackson's hip-shaking 1989 hit "Rhythm Nation" has the strength to completely crash some Windows XP-era laptops — and as per an [official entry in a database of known vulnerabilities](), the wacky-sounding claim is absolutely true. "A certain 5400 RPM OEM hard drive, as shipped with laptop PCs in approximately 2005," reads the CVE warning, "allows physically proximate attackers to cause a denial of service (device malfunction and system crash) via a resonant-frequency attack with the audio signal from the Rhythm Nation music video." In other words, "Rhythm Nation" possesses the natural resonant frequencies for a specific laptop hard drive. Thus, like an opera singer's falsetto might shatter a wine glass, Jackson's poppy vocal chops can rock these particular computers into malfunction. Icon! ## Storage Wars In his blog post — marvelously titled "Janet Jackson had the power to crash laptop computers" — Chen explained that the "Rhythm Nation" phenomenon was discovered by engineers at an unnamed "major computer manufacturer," who realized that playing Jackson's hit not only crashed the computer that the music video was being streamed on — it crashed many computers in the vicinity, too. "I would not have wanted to be in the laboratory that they must have set up to investigate this problem," Chen mused, perhaps to say that he wouldn't want to listen to "Rhythm Nation" on repeat for hours on end. However, he did thoughtfully add: "Not an artistic judgement." Chen further explained that the manufacturer skirted the issue by "adding a custom filter in the audio pipeline," which worked to detect and remove the crash-causing frequencies. But [as *Ars Technica* points out](), this isn't a perfect solution — while it might allow anyone with these laptops to safely listen to Janet Jackson on their own devices, their computer could still crash if in proximity to someone else playing the song. On one point we can all agree: some things, like Janet Jackson's discography, are simply worth taking risks. **READ MORE:** [*Old laptop hard drives will allegedly crash when exposed to Janet Jackson music*]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on silly hard drives:** [*The James Webb's Hard Drive Is Hilariously Tiny*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()