How Kids Yelling 'Poop' at Alexa Turned Silly Songs Into Streaming Gold

Compiled by the editorial desk with reference to BuzzFeed's reporting and public statements from the artists involved.

When children shout “poop” at Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, a surprising thing happens: a silly song starts playing, and the artist behind it gets paid. New reporting from BuzzFeed has uncovered how a niche genre of potty-humor music has become a quiet moneymaker on Amazon Music, fueled by the antics of kids and the quirks of voice-activated search.

Among those benefiting is Dan Helpish, an Oregon music teacher who performs under the name Dandyland. His song “Poopy Stupid Butt” was written with his partner Kristen Muir and students at their music school, including special needs students. The track began as a classroom exercise: students were asked to come up with a five-syllable phrase, and one girl shouted “poopy stupid butt!” The group then riffed on the theme, with Helpish transcribing their ideas into a full song.

Helpish uploaded the track to Amazon Music and largely forgot about it until the COVID-19 lockdowns, when children stuck at home with their parents and smart speakers began discovering it. The song, which once earned about $100 a month in streaming revenue, suddenly took off. Over time, it accumulated more than 10 million streams and generated over $10,000 in royalties for the couple.

Why Alexa Plays These Songs

BuzzFeed reporter Katie Notopoulos, drawing on what she called “lived experience,” noted that kids love yelling “poop” at Alexa devices, and when they do, songs like “Poopy Stupid Butt” often play. The reason appears to be tied to how Amazon Music’s search algorithm matches voice queries with song titles and lyrics, making these oddly named tracks a perfect match for a common childhood impulse.

Another artist profiled in the report is Matt Farley, a musician and SEO expert who has released numerous goofy songs about poop under stage names like “The Toilet Bowl Cleaners” and “The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop, Puke, and Pee.” Farley told BuzzFeed that Amazon Music now accounts for at least 30% of his income, and he believes the streams come largely from Alexa users. “Amazon is at least 30% of my income, and the others go down from there,” he said. “It’s gotta be from Alexa. Amazon Music isn’t something big music fans use.”

Amazon did not respond to BuzzFeed’s request for comment, so the exact role of Alexa in these streaming spikes remains unconfirmed. But the pattern is hard to ignore: children’s love of bathroom humor, combined with the hands-free nature of smart speakers, appears to be driving a steady stream of plays—and royalties—for artists who cater to that taste.

For musicians like Helpish and Farley, the trend has turned a playful niche into a viable revenue stream. While the financial windfall may not rival mainstream hits, it shows how unconventional content can find an audience in the age of voice-activated technology. As smart speakers become more common in households, the intersection of child behavior and algorithm-driven search is likely to keep producing surprises for both artists and listeners.