What's with all the 'V.I.P.' treatment?

The V.I.P. room must be getting really crowded.

This summer, three "V.I.P."-themed songs will compete to be the soundtrack to the club-going elite's high-end experiences. Bronx native Adam Barta's "V.I.P."

(EsNation) takes a voyeuristic, up-tempo dance approach, while Manhattan's Killian Wells is poppier on his area code-filled "V.I.P." (Inferno). Newcomer Bei Maejor offers a more R&B-oriented vibe on "Kisses in the V.I.P." (Jive).

So why is the V.I.P. on everybody's mind? Is everyone trying to party like it's 1999, when Pamela Anderson was starring in "V.I.P." and tales of the V.I.P. room were still flooding the airwaves from rappers inspired by the late Notorious B.I.G.?

Barta has a theory.

"When I did the song, it was almost like a social commentary about going out and partying in this lifestyle, watching celebrities out overindulging, bottle-popping, diamond-clashing," Barta says. "I think I wanted the song to say, 'This isn't what life is really about, but it's OK to try to escape for a little while.' "

The sudden "V.I.P." glut is a reflection of our times, he says. "This is a time when people want to escape," he says. "People don't have any jobs. It's depressing to hear about the oil spill. There's earthquakes and this sad thing and that. People just kind of want to forget about it. I think musicians are tapping into that."

Barta says that while most people aren't seeking out bottle service in the areas inside the velvet ropes, they can dream.