Like nearly every Gen Z cusp member at the beginning of 2020, I rolled my eyes when TikTok was rapidly becoming the #1 social media app in the world. Of course, I eventually hopped on the trend. Now, here we are in 2021 where nearly people of nearly every generation, culture, and people group have started creating content too!
With the New Year comes new Tiktok trends. In just one month, TikTok has had dozens of trends go viral across the world. Here are the ten most popular trends from January 2021, ranked from the very best to...well...worst.
1. #seashanty
Where do I begin? If rewatching Pirates of The Caribbean every weekend is your source of serotonin, you probably already know of the #seashanty trend. The most talented vocalists, violinists, and flutists of TikTok banded together to produce incredible sea shanties beautiful enough to imagine yourself as a siren or a plundering pirate while listening to it.
2. #groupchat
The #groupchat trend, where an automated voice and emoji faces reenact hilarious group chat conversations, had us all ROLLING. Whether it's the weekend-drunk friends speaking barely coherent sentences or stepkids roasting their parents, this trend is probably the most relatable and it never gets old.
3. #bussit
While I'm not one to go crazy over the dance trends, #bussit takes the cake. This transformation trend is all about body positivity and embracing your femininity. Also, the cosplayers and fashionistas are killing it. Go off queens!
4. #isthisavailable
When @lubalin on TikTok composed a dramatization of a Facebook Marketplace convo, it managed to get 33 million views, blowing up into probably the most popular trend of 2021. Now, it's getting a little old, but this will continue to be one of my favorite sounds to see creators use.
5. #driverslicense
Olivia Rodrigo, the 17-year-old artist and singer of the hit "driver's license", broke insane records when her song blew up on Instagram and TikTok. Her song broke Spotify's record for most streams of a song in a single week, surpassing A-list stars such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Thousands of creators initially used this song for an acting and transition trend, but now groups of TikTokers are ironically performing the song terribly.
6. #renaissancechallenge
The #renaissancechallenge has fulfilled my aesthetic desires and captured the hearts of every Pride and Prejudice fan. Using the greenscreen effect, creators are editing themselves into a renaissance scene complete with flying angels, pastel hues, and classical music playing. This trend feels like a dream and I wish it were real life.
7. #bridgerton
While my history-loving ass cannot stand watching Bridgerton because of the historical inaccuracies of monarchies, fashion, and pretty much every other aspect, the show #bridgerton has engulfed TikTok with a variety of trends. One side of TikTok is producing romantic, heart-wrenching new music based on the characters and the other side of TikTok is trying to put together an entire play. Y'all succeeded with making Ratatouille a literal theater production, so I have no doubts that TikTok could succeed again.
8. #babynames
Now we're stepping into the weird side of TikTok. I don't even know how to describe this trend-- just click the link. Honestly, this trend made me cackle the first few times, but now I feel bad for the poor babies who were photographed and mocked. It's not gonna stop me from sharing this trend with all my friends though, LOL.
9. #carpetcleaning
All it took was for one child to smother their parent's carpet in glue and paint and attempt to rehabilitate the stained threads of fabric for all of TikTok to hop on the trend. The goal is to smoosh various substances into your carpet and get it out with random liquids like hand sanitizer and lotion. What is wrong with y'all? The number of people who have attempted to get acrylic paint out of their carpets with foaming hand soap is frightening.
10. #cookformyhusband
This trend where women cook for their abusive husbands is satire, but #cookformyhusband just does not sit right with me. Making jokes out of a man slapping his wife because she cooked eggs wrong? No, thank you.
