Why The Song In Kia's Robo Dog Super Bowl 2022 Commercial Sounds Familiar

Super Bowl 2022 is almost upon us, and for those who had to double-check who was even playing — it's the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals FYI, per NBC Sports — the plethora of star-studded commercials that have been released in the meantime are more than enough to keep us invested. Featuring big-name celebrities including Lindsay Lohan, Zendaya, and comedy duo Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan, this selection of ads are among the most entertaining and hilarious yet. 

It costs a lot of dough to have a commercial during this year's Super Bowl, so we shouldn't be too surprised at the level of quality on show. Despite the fact Kia doesn't feature any notable celebrities in their short teaser, titled "Robo Dog" (via iSpot), they've arguably outdone everyone else for sheer cuteness. The 15-second clip showcases a top-of-the-line robotic pet with huge puppy-dog eyes, who's being ignored by shoppers but whose attention is piqued by something offscreen towards the end. 

We'll have to wait and see which car Kia expects us to get equally excited for, when the ad eventually debuts in full at Super Bowl 2022, but according to AdWeek, the spot highlights the brand's commitment to charitable causes going forward. It's part of their Accelerate the Good initiative, in partnership with Petfinder Foundation. The swoon-worthy track scoring the commercial, meanwhile, all but guarantees viewers will be reaching for the tissues.

The familiar track featured in Kia's "Robo Dog" Super Bowl 2022 commercial is the Bonnie Tyler classic "Total Eclipse of the Heart." As People notes, the track was easily the biggest of the Welsh singer's career, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and holding the position for four weeks straight. Songwriter Jim Steinman told the outlet he envisioned "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as "a showpiece for [Tyler's] voice." 

It's long been rumored the song was meant for Steinman's long-time collaborator Meat Loaf, but Tyler clarified in a 2021 interview with an Australian radio show, "It was supposed to be being written for Meat Loaf, right, but he lost his voice, he also fell out with Jim Steinman at that time — they got back together in the end, but at that time they fell out." The track was offered to her in 1981, once Steinman had finished writing, and released in 1983, kick-starting Tyler's career. 

According to the singer, Meat Loaf was "gutted" she got to do it instead of him, consistently telling Tyler that it should've been him. Rock Cellar magazine reports the song has racked up more than 400 million streams on Spotify, as well as featuring in a huge variety of movies and TV shows. Thankfully, Tyler still loves it, telling the outlet, "It is an incredible song. I never get tired of singing it. Every time I sing it is like the first time."