You’d have a hard job pitching karaoke today, if it didn’t already exist. Considered in isolation, the idea of performing in front of other people—especially strangers—is mortifying for most people. It’s like public speaking, but worse: No one will really notice if you make an error in a presentation at work, but they will definitely spot it if you fluff the high notes on “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”

Despite this, karaoke-centered bars, video games and even wedding receptions abound. And there’s James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke for those who prefer their karaoke secondhand (with over three billion views on YouTube, it seems many do).

Strangely enough, lists of the most popular karaoke songs regularly feature tracks that would seem the most intimidating to untrained vocalists, either because they are musically complex, like Whitney Houston’s hit, or because they are earnest and emotional, like Billboard magazine’s most popular karaoke song, “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. You might think that booze is behind all this—and it is hard to imagine karaoke being quite so popular without alcohol—but there’s more to it.

According to Kevin Brown, author of Karaoke Idols: Popular Music and the Performance of Identity, karaoke is the ultimate leveler. “It allows all members of society equal access to a cultural space that is usually not available to the members of all classes,” Brown explains. 

It can, of course, be liberating to assume a persona, especially one that allows us to go outside our comfort zone, or experience a different way of moving through the world. But for many, karaoke is also about performing the act of performing, something between performance and play, tribute and mockery. We create these caricatures of stardom to insulate ourselves against embarrassment, and to make a safe, fun space for everyone, regardless of ability or confidence: Nobody expects greatness here. Above all, karaoke is a way to be comfortable with falling short of perfection—with a little help from our friends.